A Trulli enchanting experience in Alberobello (Puglia) Italy

The Hobbits were unadventurous and craved a quiet country life. They farmed, grew food and ate simply. Well, it seems much of this applies to the people of Puglia. The capital is the ancient port town of Bari which is served by the two close-by airports of Bari and Brindisi. Intercity trains link it with the rest of Italy. It is only 4 hours from Rome and a sail away from the Adriatic countries.

Bari

Famed for the Saint Nicholas Basilica, Bari is worth a short stay to trace the steps of the many pilgrims who revere the saint that spawned the true story of Father Christmas. Twice a year in May and December are feast days if you would like to join the celebrations. The Basilica is a magnificent triumph to honour the patron saint of children. I suggest a visit to the museum first to get an insight into the life and times of the red- robed saint before entering the basilica.

A fleet of fishing boats service the fish-hungry locals. On my walk along the long seafront I found fishermen lining the sea wall selling freshly caught shell fish. An elderly gentleman was buying oysters and had a sparkle in his eyes. Passing through a tunnel under the ancient city wall I emerged into the warren of cobbled alleys that make up the ancient city. Churches, bars and shops all vied for my attention. I ventured into a specialist shop to sample the local salamis and cheeses. Air dried home made pasta called orecchiette, ear shaped, is a staple. I came across a lady drying hers in a sunny spot on the street. Each nook and cranny had something of interest.

The Swabian castle dating back to 1131 has been successively extended and now has an impressive moat, bastions and towers. It is only two Euros for entry and has a large internal courtyard. Modern Bari is of little interest except for those that like to shop, where top names such as Gucci are represented and great value too.

The F.S.E an inexpensive local train company covers much of the region from Bari's central Station at Piazza Aldo Moro. Travelling for two hours by train I headed into the Valle D’Itria, a stony tract of flat land where the local farmers tend their olive groves and vines, segmented with white limestone dry stone walls and where I spotted my first trullo (trulli is the plural).

Trulli Alberobello

It is these ancient homes that draw the tourists. The white washed stone walls are topped with stone tiles, chiancherelle forming a conical roof terminating in a fancy topping out stone. Originally they were held together by nothing more that the laws of physics that deemed it only possible to build them to such diminutive dimensions. The tale is embellished with the tax evasion story, the locals trying to outwit the Barons.

Alberobello is the beating heart of Trulli country and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with over 400 of the cute houses. Don't be put off by the tourist trap tag, but avoid July, August and September.

Be prepared to be impressed. The trullo church of San Antonio oversees the Rione Monti side of town where many of the trulli bear the magical symbols of pagan times on the roof. This is a town full of legends, such as the brothers who fell out and divided the family trullo into two to create the Trullo Siamese. The La Basilica Santi Medici was designed and built in neoclassical style by Antonio Curri and dates back to 1885 and lies in the modern area.

I booked online with Trulli Holiday Hotel and arrived in the evening at the address on my booking sheet. A little dismayed I found just a locked office even though I had phoned earlier to confirm that I was on my way. But soon Francesco Baldini arrived to book me in, before accompanying me for a few minutes along the main street to my 'room' that in fact was my very own trullo in the Rione Aia Piccola area.

The perfectly preserved trulli of the old town make ideal hotel rooms. I wondered if I ventured out whether I would ever find my bed that night as they all looked exactly the same. But I did in order to taste the Puglian food called 'cucina povera'. Like the people the food is unpretentious, cooked simply and served much as you would at home, using ingredients that are either home grown or gathered wild. Olive oil is added to everything and of course washed down with local wines. I ate that evening at the restaurant La Locanda di Don Antonio in Via Giove and was well served by brothers, Roberto and chef Massimo.

Being the proud occupier just for a few nights of my sweet trullo was enchanting. A double bed took up much of the room and a side room housed the ensuite. Two tiny wooden windows not much more than six inches square let in a little light. In the original form the whole family lived in the one room. The children slept on wooden rafts set into the ceiling and there was no room for a bathroom in those days. It must have been a humble existence.

Waking in the morning I thought I was dreaming. And on an early morning walk with just the local cats for company I had the eerie feeling that I had indeed entered a fairytale land, half expecting to be greeted by a Hobbit on his doorstep, stretching his muscles in the morning sun.

Beyond Alberobello

Take a train or perhaps better still a car and venture from Alberobello into the countryside to see the working trulli farms. Groups of pointed roofs peek out of extensions where a valiant job has been made to create a homestead big enough for the modern family. Locorotondo with its old historic centre is set upon a hill is still unspoilt. From the belvedere of the war memorial gardens there was a sweeping panoramic view over the verdant valley to Martina Franca and beyond. The town is also the wine making centre that produces the Primitivo and other red wine that makes up 20% of Italy's wine output.

Either side of the Puglia region lies the sparkling Mediterranean Sea with towns such as Monopoli, Lecce and Taranto. Ostuni is a stunning white town because all the buildings are brilliantly resplendent in their white wash paint.

Andria is famed for the white stone octagonal Castel Del Monte which sits proudly atop a hill surrounded by an olive grove, built by Frederick the Great who used it as a base for his family. In fact if you look a one Euro coin from Italy it is this castle that you see. The old city is a trip into the past with bread ovens, Norman churches and arches. Sant'Andrea's Gate is where Frederick triumphantly rode through on his return from the fourth great Crusade.

So once in your lifetime, live like a Hobbit in Trulli country and like the Gadabout Girl have a fairytale experience. Taste the rustic lifestyle of Puglia and experience a warm welcome where English is widely spoken. I am sure, like me, you will be bewitched and charmed into coming back for more.