Day 3: The Gargano Peninsula
The drive from Tivoli to Vieste was the longest of the trip (about 6 hours). But Patricia took care of us with an extra stop for pre-dinner apperitivi at a roadside bar with an amazing view. As we drove cross-country from west coast to east, we drove through Lazio, Molise (it does exist!), and part of Puglia, to reach the Gargano Pennisula and Vieste, a gorgeous Italian resort town.
I was lucky to have a front-row seat for the drive (although at times I felt a little UN-lucky for such an up-close view of some crazy, tight roads). We rotated front seats on the bus, so everyone had a chance to sit there once if they chose. Because I get car sick at times, I sat towards the front of the bus on driving days, which had the added benefit of being able to chat with Patricia, Sarah, and Salvatore, and hear all of their narration and stories. Pro Tip #3: |
Our driver, Salvatore, was quite a wiz behind the wheel, but don't look for him on your trip! He retired last year to spend more time with his family in Sicily. Auguri, Salvatore! He didn't speak much English, but he sure was impressed by my Sicilian (which literally consists of one phrase: Amuninni, caruzzi! Let's go, friends!). He never even broke a sweat on roads that would panic me (and as a born-and-raised NJ driver that's a quite a challenge to achieve).
Vieste is composed of a "new town" and an "old town." The old town is hilly with lots of narrow streets. Hotel Seggio, our hotel in Vieste, was located in the old town at the top of a jaw-dropping cliff with incredible views. But because most of the streets leading to it are pedestrian-only or are limited to small Italian cars, Salvatore had to leave the bus in the new town area. Patricia was kind enough to organize luggage transportation with the hotel, so we only had to carry our smaller bags with us, but don't plan on such luxuries at all your stops on the tour!
After checking into our rooms and dropping off our luggage, Patricia took us on a walking tour of the old town and more seaside cliff views. Most of the old town is composed of stone, including the streets, which have grooves running down the middle to drain away the water. We saw the infamous Chianca Amara rock, where Turkish pirates beheaded thousands of citizens in 1554, and an overlook of the coast with a view of the Pizzomunno rock. Pizzomunno is a large white monolith that rests on the beach, but the legend is that the rock was once a handsome fisherman in love with a woman from Vieste named Cristalda. When sirens could not tempt Pizzomunno at sea, they kidnapped his love and dragged her into the sea where he could not reach her. In his grief, Pizzomunno turned into the solitary rock on the shoreline we see today. Every so often, fishermen say they are unable to find the recognizable rock in the dark, which legend says are the nights when the sirens allow the lovers to briefly reunite.
We finished our night with a delicious fish dinner back at the hotel, so I can't say if Pizzomunno and Cristalda were reunited that day! |
Day 4: Vieste & the Adriatic Coast
Linda and I woke up early and had enough time after breakfast to explore more of Vieste before meeting everyone at the hotel for our boat cruise. What amazing views and sights in this town! Luckily we also had great weather for the cruise and our captain treated us to an extra long tour around the Gargano Peninsula and its grottos - probably because he was happy to finally be out on the water again after all the bad weather in Italy that month!
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Pro Tip #5: |
After the cruise, Patricia scheduled a pasta-making demonstration and lunch at the hotel, but we had a bit of free time in between. We snuck off to sample some taralli at a local shop and grab a cornetto from a pasticceria (pastry shop) around the corner from our hotel. This was hands-down the best thing I ate on this whole trip - 11/10 stars! This cornetto was filled with a traditional cream and was so delicious (and inexpensive). Cornetti are similar to a croissant and at La Tradizionale Cornetteria Chianca Amara they fill your cornetto to order. I only wish I had time to back for a second one before we left!
Pro Tip #6: |
At our pasta-making lunch, I got to help roll out orecchiette (little ears) with my thumbs! We also learned how to make (and ate!) cavatelli and troccoli pasta (kind of like spaghetti, but a little thicker and square because they roll it out on a "guitar"). After our delicious and informative lunch, Linda and I struck out for a longer exploration of Vieste, including the new town area, before regrouping at the hotel for the aperitivi organized by Patricia. Hooked on those amazing sunset views, we decided to end our day in the main square with a gelato and a hike to the military fortress to see the blooming poppy field.
Day 5: Alberobello
We had an early start to our day to make sure we had enough time for another packed day! Our first stop was Alberobello for a tasting of traditional Pugliese cuisine, wine, and olive oil. Puglia is well-known for having some of the best olive oil in Italy thanks to its dry soil and sunny weather. Alberobello, which means "beautiful tree" (although I didn't see too many!), is famous for its trulli homes. These homes are uniquely cone-shaped. People started building them in the area because they were easy to put together - and to take down when the tax collector came around looking to collect. While they are more spacious inside than they look, trulli are generally one-room homes with an attic. The now white-washed buildings are a huge draw for tourists and most do not serve as primary residences - but they sure are beautiful and amazing to see in person! But be sure to explore beyond the main roads (which are mostly full of shops). My favorite off-the-beaten-path site was the trullo church - incredible!
Pictured in header: Alberobello trulli homes