Pauline Watson returned to her beloved Italy, this time, to Puglia ... We flew from Gatwick to Bari on the southern Adriatic coast of Italy,where a hire car was waiting as part of our CITALIA holiday package. Our hotel was situated on the coast an hour’s drive south of Bari, approximately 3 miles from the hill town of Ostuni. The main building of the 4* Grand Hotel Masseria Santa Lucia is a renovated farm house and the rooms are situated in the surrounding gardens in long, low blocks. The main hotel and the rooms are modern and minimalistic although we thought that the standard of the decoration standard could have been higher. The restaurant, however, was very pleasant and breakfast could be taken outside on a lovely terrace covered in orange and lemon blossom. The hotel has a small bar and lounge area with outside seating where it was relaxing to sit and watch the world go by. Four course dinners were served in the restaurant and the standard of food was nearly always excellent. Lots of vegetables, pasta and fresh fish! In the grounds is a large, impressive swimming pool which seemed to be rarely used, perhaps because it was not heated and this early in the season, the water was freezing, although once in, the pool was lovely. A 5-minute walk through the gardens took you to the sea, although there isn’t really a beach as the coastline here is generally rocky. The nearest town, Ostuni, approx. 15 minutes by car, is set on a hill and known as The White City, as all the houses are whitewashed. As in most Italian towns, there is a large ancient church at its centre, with cobbled streets and small shops and bars to visit. There were lovely views from the top.	Our hotel Ostuni
One of the towns that is a ‘must’ to visit in Puglia is Alberobello, which is a World Heritage site and famous for its ‘trulli’ houses – small round beehive-like buildings which date backcenturies. You'll see these trulli everywhere in the town and surrounding countryside. Although most of them have been turned into souvenir shops or small cafes now, but from a distance it looks as if you’re visiting the homes of the Hobbits from Lord of the Rings! Driving through Puglia is very easy with hardly any traffic but you certainly need a car here as hotels are generally quite isolated. A good thing about the area is the lack of tourists. Although early in the season, you would find a lot more tourists in the north of the country at this time of year. No doubt, as the area becomes more popular, this will change. A visit to the city of Lecce is also recommended. It is an hour’s drive south of Ostuni and is known as ‘the Florence of the South’ because of its beautiful architecture and history. Stunning Duomo and churches galore, built in the Baroque style and covered in elaborate stone carvings, which the city is famous for. You will also find a Roman amphitheatre, partly restored, which dates back to the 2nd century AD. Very different to Florence though – no ornate coloured marble that you see on the churches in Tuscany. Another very pretty town to visit is Martina Franca. Beautiful stone buildings and churches in its medieval centre, pleasant piazzas with good shops and restaurants. We also visited the markets here and at Locorotondo, which is in the heart of wine country with vineyards and olive groves on the surrounding hills. The markets are colourful and very reasonable, and you can buy anything from local cheeses and wines to clothes and shoes. The countryside generally has rolling hills and is very green considering how little rain must fall in summer. We also spent some time in Bari which is a large city and port with a modern centre full of fashionable shops, cafes and restaurants.	Alberobello Trullis Lecce Duomo
In summary, I spent a lovely week in an area of Italy that has yet to be invaded by hoards of tourists. I gather it is more popular with Italian holiday makers in the summer months. It’s also definitely cheaper here than in the north – we could have lunch out in small trattorias or cafés and pay just a few pounds per head, depending on your choice. Always a good tip - look for places where the locals eat! The food and wines were excellent and the local people very friendly. We were constantly being offered samples of cheese, local biscuits, dried figs, etc. in the markets and food shops! Pauline visited Puglia in May 2005	Martina Franca

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