Walking Puglia - Piccolina Adventures

P I C C OL I N A
A D V E N T U R E S
Walking
Undiscovered
Puglia
Sculpted H ill-­‐Towns, W ineries, S unny Beaches, Daily Hiking and Great Food.
Does it get any better than this? Tour dates:
September 23 – 30, 2014
May 25 -­‐ June 1, 2015
September 14 -­‐ 21, 2013
Length:
8 d ays, 7 nights
Difficulty:
Easy -­‐ moderate. Half-­‐day hikes along flat to moderately hilly terrain
Arriving/Departing:
Bari Airport or Central Station
Price:
$2445 Includes:
Highlights
Seven nights accommodations, w alks Daily w alks through Puglia’s d iverse landscape -­‐ sparkling Mediterranean, Baroque cities, ancient olive orchards, Neolithic cave towns
with c ertified N aturalist Tour Guide, •
Free afternoons f or e xploring nearby cities on your own -­‐ perfect for culture, d ining & museums
van, activities incl. professionally guided city tours, cooking class, w ine •
Overnight in beautiful country farmhouses •
Stroll t he l ovely s treets of B aroque Lecce, t he “Florence of the S outh”
•
Cheese-­‐making d emonstration w ith S ignora R osa in Uggiano La C hiesa •
Visit Byzantine frescoes & r upestrian cave-­‐churches hidden in the hills outside Matera
•
Relax over a glass of w ine and lovely sea v iews on the r amparts of Otranto’s castle
•
Traditional c ooking c lass -­‐ l earn t o m ake a uthentic Pugliese d ishes and r oll your pasta by hand! •
Chat w ith our certified Naturalist Tour Guide about anything from geology, to Greeks, to gelato
•
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private pickup and d ropoff at Bari airport, transportation by private tasting, daily breakfasts and six dinners ( or s ubstantial l unches) of regional specialties
Accommodations:
Double r oom w ith private bath in: farm guesthouses (agriturismo) and Bed & Breakfasts
Single Supplement:
$345
800.466.5884 ● Oregon House, California
P I C C OL I N A
A D V E N T U R E S
Walking
Undiscovered
Puglia
“Puglia has this authentic down-­‐to-­‐earth air that’s both contagious and refreshing! I’ve never been anywhere quite like this!” -­‐ Alex Sheldon, San Francisco
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL & MATERA
Shuttle: 75 minutes
Benvenuti in Italia! We’ll meet you at the Bari Airport or B ari C entral S tation and s huttle t o Matera, one of I taly’s most e xtraordinary cities. Lively and beautiful, Matera is the oldest continuously-­‐inhabited city in the world! I ts s assi, c ave dwellings dug f rom the limestone c liffs & bedrock itself, have been inhabited since Neolithic times! T hey e xpanded into churches & v illages in the Middle Ages, then were further transformed by fugitive Basilian monks who added v ivid frescoes of their saints. Today the s assi are r ecognized by UNESCO for their r emarkable cultural heritage. Many have been l ovingly modernized by the careful addition of w indows & e lectricity, becoming beautiful hotels and r estaurants. T his fascinating juxtaposition of the prehistoric, ancient and modern w orlds creates a special atmosphere, unlike any in the world.
We’ll have a brief orientation over r efreshments and a glass of l ocal w ine, t hen s et out t o e xplore t he city! A s the e vening sky d arkens and the streets begin to glow a golden cream, we’ll wander over to a tiny trattoria for our welcome d inner. Enjoy southern I taly’s acclaimed tradition of farm-­‐fresh, local cooking as plates of artisan cheeses, grilled v eggies, handmade pastas, grilled meats and carafes of Matera D OC w ines circle the table. Buon appetito! Accommodations: B&B in Matera
DAY 2: SASSI & CAVE VILLAGES
Hike: “Matera: Where Past is Present; and Present is Past”
8 miles (4 hrs) • Moderate: some uphills on dirt & rocky paths
Guided Visit: Matera’s Historic Center
We s tart hiking t oday! We’ll begin on a l ittle-­‐traveled path following a steep r avine just outside the city. Enjoy r are v iews of a Medieval v illage carved into the cliff-­‐face -­‐ you can spot the rock-­‐hewn houses, the sculpted facade of a cave-­‐church and its bell-­‐tower. Pass mysterious shallow holes, thought to be neolithic tombs. Visit a forgotten church w hose Byzantine paintings are still v isible after 9 00 years! Mel Gibson d iscovered this landscape while r esearching his 2004 film T he P assion of Christ set in Judea 2000 years ago. He was looking for the r ight place to film -­‐ as soon as he saw Matera he “ just went crazy PICCOLINAADVENTURES.COM
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800.466.5884 ● Oregon House, California
P I C C OL I N A
A D V E N T U R E S
Walking
Undiscovered
Puglia
“an amazing and unique experience!”
-­‐ Stevanie Wazna Blank-­‐ Berkeley
because it was so perfect” a place to shoot. We’ll r eturn t o t he city at l unchtime, t hen meet again f or a guided v isit of the s assi d wellings and the historical city center. Visit the impressive Cattedrale, monastic complexes, and a plethora of s assi houses -­‐ including a r econstructed home from the 1950’s when entire families and their farm animals lived inside. Mules slept next to their masters; chicken ran loose under the bed; and children slept in open drawers! Choose your own r estaurant f or d inner t onight, and e njoy t he e vening air over a glass of wine -­‐ you’ve tread across thousands of years of history today -­‐ you’ve earned it! Accommodations: B&B in M atera
DAY 3: SKY, SEA & STONE
Hike: “Polignano’s Rocky Bluff”
5 miles (3 hrs) • Easy: flat, rocky terrain
Afternoon Visit: Alberobello
We head t o t he coast t oday! S huttle t o Polignano, a s mall f ishing town with stunning v iews of the Adriatic. We set out across its r ocky bluff, following a trail as beautiful as it is historic. Legends swirl through the subterranean caverns below our feet that hid sailors, pirates & r efugees; a miniature fjord offers natural port to the fishermen living clustered in tiny cottages above. We’ll pass shallow pools carved for the artisan production of salt, houses perched perilously atop the cliffs, and finish at the foot of a crumbling S panish watch-­‐tower. Enjoy t he f ruits of t he A driatic over l unch a t a s imple trattoria in town. T hey serve up fresh fish caught just off the coast, homemade pastas and v egetables grown in the hills nearby. Alberobello awaits t his afternoon! T his unique city i s a UNESCO heritage site treasured for the conical trulli houses that crowd its streets. T hese fairy-­‐tale-­‐like structures have peaked r ooves built of mortarless gray stone. T his fairy-­‐tale like city is a UNESCO heritage site for the conical trulli houses that crowd its streets. Each has a peculiar peaked r oof built of mortarless gray stone. You’ll find trulli throughout the v alley, but the sheer number in Alberobello is astounding -­‐ there’s even a trulli church! I n the e vening, we r etire to a stately country house surrounded by olive and fruit orchards. Agriturismo in C astellana Grotte
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800.466.5884 ● Oregon House, California
P I C C OL I N A
A D V E N T U R E S
Walking
Undiscovered
Puglia
DAY 4: VALLEY OF THE TRULLI
Hike: “Along the Pugliese A queduct”
5.6 m iles ( 3 hrs) • E asy: f lat d irt road
Afternoon Visit: L ocorotondo After a breakfast of f resh f ruit, l ocal bread and j ams, we s et out! We’ll f ollow t he P ugliese A queduct today, exploring both the natural & manmade aspects of Puglia’s past. T he longest in the world upon completion, the aqueduct carries precious w ater into the arid Pugliese peninsula. We’ll cross its tiny stone bridges, hop canal gates, and meander past the network of controls & levies. The scenery changes often, passing from gnarled olive orchards, to terraced v ineyards, to sweeping v alleys d otted with trulli, to a few r are glimpses o f ancient f orest w here a r are w ild orchid grows. We’ll e njoy a l unch of f resh cheeses, arugula s alads, homegrown f ruit and w ine at t he beautiful Masseria A prile. We can v isit their v ineyards and olive press, or just nap under a tree. I n the afternoon, we d rive to Locorotondo, a circular city on a hilltop full of flowering gardens and tiny staircases. You’ll have the afternoon to explore, shop and sample the crisp Locorotondo D OC whites before r eturning to the farmhouse in the e vening. Accommodations: Agriturismo in C astellana Grotte
DAY 5: OSTUNI & SAN BIAGIO
Hike: “Ancient C ork Trees & T he Rock S anctuary of S an Biagio”
6.8 miles (4 hrs) • E asy-­‐Moderate: modest u phills
Afternoon Visit: Ostuni Today’s w alk s howcases s ome of t he l esser-­‐visited, b ut no l ess enchanting s ides of Puglia. We f ollow an old s tone w all past olive and scrub to a frescoed sanctuary hewn from solid r ock. T he Santuario Rupestre d i S an B iagio stands hidden by craggy walls amid an e ntire v illage e xcavated from the hilltop. Basilian monks escaping persecution by t he B yzantine e mperor began a settlement here 1,000 years ago. Now r emains of an entire v illage lie carved b eneath the hilltop. There’s a mystical s ilence t hat seems to pervade the area, which unifies v arious pieces of its past. We’ll see a simple chapel in the r omantic style, r udimentary monk cells, natural caves, and tunnels, each formed in a different era, each subject to successive r ebuilding. We finish our walk near a walled farmhouse, then d rive to the e legant d owntown Ostuni for lunch. You’ll have the afternoon free to e xplore the c ittà b ianca, f amous f or its b right white houses a nd t he PICCOLINAADVENTURES.COM
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800.466.5884 ● Oregon House, California
P I C C OL I N A
A D V E N T U R E S
Walking
Undiscovered
Puglia
stunning v iews from its r ampart-­‐ringed walls. I n the evening we depart f or S alento, t he s outhernmost t ip of t he Pugliese peninsula k nown for hot weather, warm welcomes and good home cooking. We stay in l ovely apartments just outside Otranto. Accommodations: Agriturismo in Uggiano La C hiesa
DAY 6: COOKING CLASS
Morning: Cooking Class, Cheese-­‐making Afternoon Visit: Otranto We change pace t oday and indulge in a culinary exploration! Visit R osa the c heese-­‐maker w ho’s b een hand-­‐
making artisan cheeses 365 d ays a week for twenty years. We’ll watch (and taste!) as s he s killfully c rafts the morning’s b atch of p rimosale and r icotta cheese. T hen hop over to Maria’s on the other side of town. She’s r eady t o give us an authentic cooking class i n her v ery own kitchen. R oll up your s leeves and have f un as w e k nead and r oll traditional pastas by hand, learn about her famed sauces and then sit down t o a d elicious and r ewarding l unch! We t ake a s troll t hrough Otranto in t he afternoon. T his s easide city s its at the e asternmost point in all I taly and, historically, r epresented the gateway to the Middle East. I t boasts one of the l argest Byzantine-­‐
Norman floor mosaics in Europe, d epicting biblical scenes, warrior k ings (including Alexander the Great & King A rthur!), an e normous Tree of Life, mythical beasts, pictorial r epresentations of the Zodiac, and an e soteric series of inscribed medallions. T his magnificent 12th-­‐century w ork sits atop an ancient R oman crypt -­‐ and just outside the cathedral d oors busy streets overflow with boutiques and restaurants -­‐ yet another e xample of the many layers of history v isible throughout Puglia. Otranto is the perfect place to stroll, shop, grab a gelato or savor the v iews and a glass of wine over the sunset. Accommodations: Agriturismo in Uggiano La C hiesa
DAY 7: OTRANTO
Hike: “ Otranto: Gateway to the E ast”
5.6 m iles ( 4 hrs) • E asy -­‐ Moderate: mixed t errain
Afternoon: Porto Badisco Beach, Optional Boat tour, Optional visit to H ot S prings Today w e hike t he A driatic c oast! A fter a b reakfast of homemade PICCOLINAADVENTURES.COM
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800.466.5884 ● Oregon House, California
P I C C OL I N A
A D V E N T U R E S
Walking
Undiscovered
Puglia
cakes and d ark S alento coffee, we’ll walk above the sea toward a geological wonder -­‐ an emerald lake sunk into deep red Bauxite e arth. We pass a crumbling w atchtower, climb the Orte hill where, suddenly, the majesty of the bay may open before us. On a clear d ay, you can see the A lbanian mountains shimmering in the d istance! Enjoy a swim in these pristine waters -­‐ they’re prized as some of the cleanest in Italy. Our r oad back ambles past a network of underground catacombs likely a Messapian sepulchre -­‐ now one of the oldest structures in the r egion. You have several options for the afternoon: r elax on the beach at Porto Badisco, v isit the nearby spa town of S anta Cesarea w ith natural hot s prings and healing s ulfuric w aters, or, w eather-­‐permitting, take a motorboat tour of the A driatic sea caves! We’ll all e njoy a farewell dinner t ogether w ith our f riends Gianrinaldo & C asilde at t he f armhouse t onight. T hey s killfully prepare an array of traditional seasonal specialties for us -­‐ perhaps their grilled pepper salads, fried zucchini balls, orecchiette w ith slow-­‐cooked tomato s ugo and wild arugula, r ibbon-­‐shaped s agne pasta with fermented r icotta, grilled sausages and pork r ibs, and plenty of good S alentine wine. A dd a little pizzica folk m usic, and you may find yourself dancing long into the night! Accommodations: Agriturismo in Uggiano La C hiesa DAY 8: LECCE
Guided Walk: “ Lecce: T he Florence of the S outh”
3 hours • E asy: s troll t hrough t he city s treets
Our final morning we shuttle to Lecce “ the F lorence of the South” for a guided tour of its e legant historical center. Developed under Hapsburg rule d uring a flowering of arts & culture, the city bursts w ith d elicate Baroque facades, creamy limestone palazzi and d ozens of cafés. We v isit fanciful Santa Croce church, Piazza Duomo, the stylishly under-­‐excavated Roman amphitheater, learn of the city’s love affair w ith papier-­‐mâché, and stop an almond-­‐milk coffee, a S alentine specialty. Our trip finishes here in Lecce and, d epending on your travel plans, w e can d rop you at the Lecce station or drive you back to the Bari station or airport. As we head out, e njoy a l ast l ook at the sun-­‐bleached stones and twisted olive trees of Puglia’s countryside. R emember that this r egion doesn’t quickly forget its v isitors, and you will be welcomed back at any time!
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800.466.5884 ● Oregon House, California
P I C C OL I N A
A D V E N T U R E S
Walking
Undiscovered
Puglia
Being modern isn’t a badge of honor [here]. Baking golden breads and shaping orecchiette—that’s another story. -­‐ Gourmet Magazine
About Your Guide
PIERO LATTARULO
Speleologist, Mapmaker, O rienteer, H iker and Puglia native, Piero’s tours are fascinating. As a certified Environmental Tour Guide for the Region of Puglia, he guides trips through its national parks for foreigners and schoolchildren, organizes field trips, instructs speleology, karstology & cartography, conducts seminars in environmental e ducation, and has r ecently l aunched his own guiding venture. He k nows the caves, r avines and cliffs of Puglia like the back of his hand. He predicts e very puddle and natural bridge along Monopolì’s coast, can find the only cave with Byzantine frescoes on an e ntire hillside near Matera in the dark, and w ill a lways s top f or c hocolate ice c ream. What to Expect
WHAT’S INCLUDED
★
Seven nights accommodation i n d ouble r oom i n s mall B ed & B reakfasts and country guesthouses
★
Daily guided w alks w ith a professional Naturalist Tour Guide or city specialist
★
Private pickup and d ropoff at Bari airport or d owntown station
★
Transportation b y p rivate v an t hroughout t our
★
Activities i ncluding: cooking class, cheese-­‐making d emonstration, w ine t asting, e tc
★
Daily light I talian breakfasts, six d inners (or substantial lunches) of r egional specialties and w ine
★
Support of e xperienced bilingual guides
★
Gratuities for transfers, local guides, hotels and included r estaurant meals
NOT INCLUDED
Airfare and t ravel t o/from our s tarting l ocation; l odging before/after t he t rip; gratuities f or Piccolina Adventures guides; and personal i tems purchased d uring t he t rip are not i ncluded. S ome m eals are not included to give you the opportunity to e xplore l ocal r estaurants on your own. I f you w ish, w e are happy to give you r ecommendations!
ITINERARY
This itinerary is an approximation of our t our. We s trive t o offer an e xtraordinary e xperience on your PICCOLINAADVENTURES.COM
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800.466.5884 ● Oregon House, California
P I C C OL I N A
A D V E N T U R E S
Walking
Undiscovered
Puglia
trip, and to uphold this commitment to quality, the r outes, activities, lodging or other d etails d escribed here may be subject to change at our discretion. EXTENDING YOUR TRIP
Your trip finishes in Lecce ( or Bari). I f you have time, w e recommend spending a few e xtra d ays in the area to e xplore on your own. T here is so much to see! ★
Lecce is a luxurious and beautiful city. I t is lively in the evening, m aking i t perfect f or an overnight. T he city frequently hosts events in the main piazza, has great r estaurants, small cafés and cozy bars. You visit it completely by foot; and it’s a r egional train hub w ith d irect lines to Brindisi, Bari, R ome, and cities within the S alentine peninsula. We are happy to help you set up post-­‐tour accommodations in Lecce.
★
Bari/Brindisi are port cities with frequent ferries to Greece, C roatia and areas of the Adriatic.
★
Gargano Peninsula is the “ spur” of the I talian boot located north of Bari. I t’s full of stunning nature r eserves and beaches. You could r ent a car or v espas and e xplore! ( Public transit d oesn’t run to many beaches.) ★
Rome d eserves a v isit if you are flying through the city. Give yourself 2 -­‐ 3 d ays to e xplore as there is much to see. You may also enjoy taking a group or private walking tour. ★
London is not as far as you think! Bari offers inexpensive, d irect flights for London as well as many major cities throughout Europe. See R yanair and Easyjet websites for flight r outes. ARRIVING & DEPARTING
Suggestions on how to travel to Puglia, and meeting times are detailed in your “Getting There” document. If you need a copy, please contact us for a direct link.
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800.466.5884 ● Oregon House, California