EAT, PRAY, LOVE ROADTRIP to ITALY – II. PART – SURPRISING PLACES
Our “eat, pray, love roadtrip through Italy” we started with a pilgrimage and ended with Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Already when planning the trip, we were deciding between two options – to gradually return to the north and visit Tuscany directly or to stay a while longer in the south. We very quickly decided on the second option. We told ourselves that Tuscany is not that far away and we can go there another time, and when we are already in the south, it would be a shame not to explore this, until then, unknown part of Italy. And we did well.
Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria and Campania. You might be expecting that we went to seaside towns with beautiful beaches. Well, well. The south of Italy really has its own charm and not only thanks to the beaches. You can also find many interesting places inland. I gave them the adjective surprising because some of them I doubted if they were even in Italy. I would rather look for them somewhere in Greece. 😀 And I found so many of them that even a monthly trip wouldn’t be enough. Italian bloggers also gave me some advice, for which I thank them very much! In the end, we decided on a smaller number of places, but with a greater intensity of the experience. So let’s go to them!
Since Italy would not be the same without the sea, the first stop in this part of the trip was the small historic town on the rock Polignano a Mare . Great food, pleasant atmosphere and a soothing view of the sea. Simply, for us the ideal place to relax. 🙂
But the main attraction in the south was to visit the hobbit houses “trulli” in the town of Alberobello . A trullo is a small house with a conical stone roof. If it has more than one room, each room has its own conical roof. The first trulli houses were built in the 15-16th century. century, they had only one room and they were just stacked stones in a conical shape without the use of mortar. They built them for one reason – high taxes for completed real estate. Therefore, before the tax inspection, they quickly dismantled the house and after it, the stones were put back again. Thanks to the trullo, today Alberobello is on the UNESCO list. Some of the houses are now souvenir shops or museums, others are still inhabited by domestics. If you ever visit this town, I definitely recommend walking into the residential area. There is silence, a peaceful atmosphere and a beautiful view of the “tourist” part of the city. In the afternoon, the locals sit on the street and engage in various crafts. They only do it for tourists, but we didn’t see any there. And if you decide to visit the town for more than one day, I also recommend staying in a trullo house. It’s really an experience! And if you have more than 3 days of time, there are still other towns worth seeing: Ostuni, Locorotondo, Martina Franca. We didn’t manage to see them, but according to the photos they look beautiful.
The last stop in this part was again a completely different place. A city in a rock, on a rock – Sassi di Matera . A historically very poor city that is starting to revive again. This town is built so tightly into the hill on the limestone rock that the houses here are literally on top of each other – there could easily be another house directly below the house you are in. When we stopped at a restaurant for lunch and went to the bathroom through a cave dug in the rock, I literally fell on my ass :). On one side “wow”, on the other “uff”. A wonderful place for a trip, but I probably couldn’t imagine living here. Otherwise, this city is also on the UNESCO list and will be the European Capital of Culture in 2019. And one tidbit: I feel that it is the city with the most tourist cars per square meter. 😀
So, which of these places do you like the most? Let me know in a comment below the blog! 🙂
SHORTENED ENGLISH VERSION
After our pilgrimage we decided to continue our discovery of southern Italy. I found many nice places in Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania that I wanted to visit. Italian bloggers recommended me some of them and I want to say: Thank you, guys! However, one month wouldn’t be enough for seeing all of them :D. So, we decided to visit fewer places but for longer time. Let’s go to explore them!
The first stop was a small historical town – Polignano a Mare . Delicious food, lovely atmosphere and a calming sea view. The best place to relax for us. 🙂
Our main destination was Alberobello . The town is known for its Trulli houses. Trullo is a little white house with a conical stone roof. First trulli were built in 15th-16th century due to high real estate taxes on finished houses. So before a tax audit people dismantled their own houses and then built them back stone by stone when the audit was over. Trulli of Alberobello are on the list of UNESCO. Today trulli serve as souvenir shops or museums. However, if you visit this lovely town, I recommend you to walk to a “non-tourist” part of Alberobello where the local people live in trulli. Calm atmosphere, silence and a nice view on the tourist’ part. If you visit Alberobello for more than a half day, I recommend you to spend a night in a trullo. It’s really a great adventure!
The last stop in this part of our road trip was a town built in a stone and on a stone – Sassi di Matera . It is a town with an old history. The houses are sculpted in stone – there is a road below them and below the road more houses. This town is also on the list of UNESCO and in 2019 it will be a European Capital of Culture. I can’t imagine living there but it is really an amazing place to see on a trip. Beautiful on one side and horrible on the other.
Which town would you like to visit? Let me know in a comment below the blog! 🙂
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