Otranto - Puglia

I am happy to say that I can share some more photos with you. The laptop is still dead, so has been left behind in Italy - but Nikita the camera is with me (in Australia) and it just so happens I had not yet downloaded some photos from her onto my laptop!

So I still cannot show you two of the most beautiful Umbrian villages that bel ragazzo and I went to...but I can show you some photos of a small seaside town called Otranto in Puglia.

Otranto is situated on the east coast of the peninsula. The town itself is not the main draw card of the area. Close by you have the stunning city of Lecce (known as the Florence of the south) and the reason we found ourselves here was for work. Bel ragazzo had to visit a hotel for work, well not a real hotel but a masseria. A masseria is an old farm house most commonly found in Puglia. The region is dotted with these beautifully restored farm houses (which translates as being very expensive) and most of them these days are hotels.

In recent years this area of Puglia has become popular with German and American bike riding tours (or so we were told whilst staying at the Masseria. We were the only "real" guests as the rest were part of this bike tour.) The ground is flat - perfect for walking and bike riding, the roads are near deserted, as far as the eye can see are olive groves and at the end of one such road is the crystal clear ocean. These unique houses, mixed with mother nature and few tourists is what draws certain people to this area. If you are wanting a package holiday, English breakfast and an Irish pub then this area is not for you, but if you like to explore relatively untouristy areas - then Puglia should definitely be on your list. (See here for another beautiful town in Puglia - Alberobello.)

Trulli in Puglia

A few months ago bel ragazzo and I went to Puglia - he for work and me as a lady of leisure! We stayed in the not so special town in a not so special hotel (it was free so we could not complain) but we did get to drive around and see some of the beautiful, amazing, Puglian landscape...in particular a town I have always wanted to see - Alberobello - the home of the Trulli.

What are the trulli? I hear you ask.

These are the trulli:








There are many theories on why they were built like this, one of the most popular theories is that the locals - as sly and thrifty as ever - used to build these houses with drystone, so they could be taken down quite quickly and easily if the property tax collector was in the area. Once the tax collector had been and gone (since by this stage the trulli had been dismantled) the locals waited until the tax collector was long gone, before putting together there houses again!

These days Alberobello is the 'trulli capital of the world' and most of the trulli have been converted into shops, restaurants and b&bs. Shop owners call out to you as you walk down the streets, trying to entice you into their shops 'prego - ' they call out as you walk by. It is 'free' to go into most of the trulli but we knew once inside the shop owners would try and pressure us to buy some tacky plastic trulli house...and we had no patience or time for that!

If you want to go inside a trulli then do - you don't have to buy anything...or do like we did: tell them thanks, but you had already been inside one and then just go inside once where you actually do want to buy something. I bought 2 postcards and inside the little shop was just as I had expected. The stone makes the trulli so nice and cool which is a real treat when you happen to find yourself in Alberobello on a very, very hot Puglian summer day.







As you drive out of Alberobello the landscape is dotted here and there with trulli houses, acre upon acre of olive trees which mixed together make a spectacular view. Bel ragazzo and I did not spend as long as we wanted in the area - since it was about 35 degrees and it is sweltering in that area...so we happily left vowing to return one day, and sleep in a little trulli house for a night or two so we can really explore the area.

Joing the world of bloggers

Ok...Here is it, my first proper post and I don't really know what to write, or if anyone is actually going to read what I am writing. Or like what I am writing more so. But whatever. I love to write, which is why I started this blog, and if you are reading this 'ciao' and sorry for the primitive looking site. Thanks to sognatrice aka my first blog friend I have worked out how to put some pictures on the blog so hopefully that will distract you while I getting the hang of things.

Perhaps you are wondering how an Australian girl came to make the move to Italy? Well it was very easy really. But let me back track a bit....

My family is 100 % Italian: my dad was born in a tiny little town in the Provence of Cosenza in Calabria and migrated with his family after the 2nd world war. Life was bleak in the village, with little money, work or prospects. My maternal grandparents were both born in a beautiful village in Puglia and they migrated like most people in want of a better life, my nonno before the WW2 fully commenced, and my gran was sailing the high seas when Italy decided to side with the Germans, thus making her new home of Australia to be an enemy country... that in itself is a story for another day.

But back to me and how I came to be here! I was 23 years old when my twin sister Melanie and her then boyfriend, now husband Dean decided to go backpacking around Europe for 3 months before starting a stint in London. I decided to go with them as I had nothing better to do really. I had been dreaming of a radio career after working for the largest community radio station in Melbourne, but that fell through after much protesting and petitions we lost our dream of a full time radio licence. So with massive backpacks strapped to our backs we set off...and the rest is history as they say.

No, not really history. It was not as simple as that. I knew I wanted to live in Italy but got a little side tracked after 2 and a half years living and working in London. Then I went back to Australia to give life there a go...but I only lasted 8 months. Italy was constantly in my mind and it was all I could think or dream of. I was a little obsessed to tell you the truth. I left Australia once again, and returned to London with the goal in mind of getting a job in Italy via an English company. I may have Italian blood but that does not mean I could speak the language!

So the gods were on my side, and it was really quite easy from there. I got a job working for one of the UK's largest tour operators. They sent me to Italy, with Rome being my first place to live. I feel in love with the country, and then further down the track I feel in love with an Italian man too...but more about that some other time. This is about me for the moment! This was all in 2006. Now I am in Taormina, Sicily which is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Look at the pictures and see for yourself.

So there you have it. My opening blog. I hope I did ok, and maybe you will be back to read some more about my life in Italy - that is when I have figured out how to do links and lists etc...

Ci sentiamo presto xx

Here are some pictures from Taormina...hope you think it is as beautiful as I do.