Just Back: Puglia
Foodie’s Paradise
by Darren Humphreys
Ancient olive groves with gnarled tree trunks … the robust smell of ripe tomatoes just plucked from the vine … mozzarella being stretched and wrapped into pillows of creamy burrata … crystal clear water sparkling beneath cliffside fortresses. This is Puglia.
Puglia’s most iconic images include Alberobello's whitewashed Trulli cone-shaped houses featuring pops of color from painted doors and flowering bougainvillea. This UNESCO site is steeped in history dating back to the mid-14th century. Although this well-preserved area is the draw for many visitors, I was taken by the many treasures often overlooked in Italy's heel.
As an unabashed foodie, I always equate food with travel. I was excited to visit this agricultural hub, also known as the "breadbasket," where farm-to-fork is more common than not. I was blown away by the regional specialties, including handmade orecchiette, panzerotti, and stone oven-baked frisella.
In Savelletri, the Aegean Sea produces some of the freshest seafood that I have encountered. One of the most popular dishes is sea urchin, eaten directly from its spiky shell with fresh warm bread—not unlike the briny oysters from my hometown of Duxbury.
It is easy to see why Lecce is the star of southern Italy—it is a walker’s paradise. You can access its highlights on foot and blend in with locals strolling the same cobblestone paths that have been used for centuries. The sunlight showcases the details of honey-colored sandstone baroque architecture. Roman ruins and renaissance influence are present everywhere you look.
I jump at every chance I get to ride a bike when traveling. There is no better way to immerse yourself in the narrative of everyday life and take in your surroundings than through the lens of a local.
After days filled with exploration and eating, I rested my head at luxury boutique properties, which I found to be a perfect balance of history, modernity, and classic Italian charm.
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