We leave Lecce and take the scenic road toward our final accommodation destination in Puglia – Ostuni. We stop at a town called Mesagne (think lasagne with an m!), which has a Norman castle and of course a Centro Storico where there’s a wedding taking place. Another really pretty town.
Carrying on, we head for Ceglie Messapica, one of the foodie hotspots, so of course we have to have a meal here. We find Osteria Pugliese for lunch and it is fantastic. We have the daily special orecchiette and the famous Pugliese rolled meat dish – bombette. With some salad and potatoes alongside, we wash it down with a surprisingly nice rosé. I love eating in Puglia!
We take a walk around this maze of quiet, whitewashed medieval alleys, stone courtyards, and ancient defensive walls – another beautiful quaint town to enjoy.
We continue to Ostuni and check into our final Airbnb of the trip. We are staying at an amazing place – Trullo Di Mamma Lucia Ostuni. This is our house!
This is us on the roof….
And thus is our beautiful garden and pool!!!
We sit outside and have a light dinner of some delicious sausages and afterwards enjoy an Amaro (local firewater)!
Next day we set off early to visit Alberobello which is famous for the concentration of Trulli houses. We start on the main drag that is clearly the tourist destination but we’re early enough that there’s not too many people around.
As we continue walking around we realise there are lots of Trulli to see off the beaten track. Higher up, there are some great spots to get a view across these unique roofs.
I love this town but it’s time to move on…
Next is Locorotondo, consistently celebrated as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. It’s definitely quieter here and at this point we may be getting a little “Centro historico fatigue”!!
More churches… more piazzas, more everything old and beautiful…
For lunch we are going to a Masseria in Martina Franca. A masseria is a traditional rural fortified farmhouse serving up food that has been grown or reared on its farm. We chose Masseria Capella and are the only diners there alongside a tour bus from Ireland!!! There is so much food and as chief wine drinker, a lot of wine for me to get through!!!
Back at the house, it’s time for a swim (one the wine has worn off obviously 🤣).
I just love this pool…
It’s so lovely to have this place to relax in and after enjoying some sausages from the bbq (courtesy of chief bbq-er James), we are treated to a very colourful sunset… and maybe an Amaro or two!
Next day we visit the town of Ostuni which is just a few minutes from our Trullo. There’s a beautiful view from a “belvedere” looking at the city on a hill – it’s stunning.
We walk around the historico Centro and this town has a slightly different feel to the others. Lots of white washed buildings along the narrow streets and of course plenty of churches and small piazzas.
Apparently doors are a thing here too… bloody instagram!!
We drive to Cisternino to find a butcher that cooks the meat for you… they are called macellerias and we find one called Macelleria Braceria del Corso, in the Centro Historico. The meat is really tasty but the experience is a little underwhelming. I thought we’d see the meat being cooked but it’s brought from the kitchen and the overall service from a young boy, who clearly doesn’t want to be there, doesn’t help!!
I love my swim and relax time at our Trulli. It’s really hot and badly needed! And then of course there’s apperitivo time which is followed by another lovely sunset.
Next morning we drive for about an hour to Putignano and visit Grotto del Trullo. There are lots of caves all over Puglia but this is one of the few that is open to the public.
We head for the Centro Storico and walk around another pretty picturesque old town.
For lunch we find a fantastic sandwich shop and order “the queen”…. A fresh octopus sandwich …. So delicious!
Next stop is the beach. We find Pilone beach and once we figure out how to avoid the beach clubs and find the free beach, we strip off and head in. There’s a few gentle waves and the temperature is fantastic.
Back at home in our Trullo, we enjoy the pool and make the most of our last day in this beautiful place.
Goodbye Puglia, you have been amazing!
odohertyelaine 
fantastic Elaine , we had a very similar experience . Such a gorgeous region xx
LikeLike