Thursday 31 October 2024

After coffee and cornetti (croissants) at the local bar with Sophie for breakfast (yes, our bar is open from 5.00 am to 8.00 pm), we said our good byes to Ceglie Messapica. The Italians actually do coffee. The French pretend to do coffee and the Spanish and Portuguese, well it’s not worth mentioning.

The pastries, specially the cornetti, were better than France and some of the better bakers in the region make excellent bread, although not baguettes.

We also discovered some very good white, rose and red wines for very reasonable prices, so you’d have to say that Ceglie Messapica was a eye opener regarding long held dismissive views of southern Italy, mostly by the northerners!

In beautiful sunshine we drove west towards Irsina, which is again a beautiful hill top, white village, with the ‘new town’ on the outskirts – part of “the most beautiful villages of Italy’.

On the way we stopped way Alberobello, one of the Truilli towns. A trullo is a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof. Their style of construction is specific to the Itria Valley. They are amazing to look at and the dry stone construction is a magnificent work of art. Enough to moisten the eye of a civil engineer, if you knew one!

Alberobello is the most famous of the trulli towns and in summer it would be unbearable. We arrived - and it’s the end of autumn, for goodness sake and there were people everywhere. Old dodgers wobbling about in tour groups with some old fart with a flag on a stick; groups of school kids and couples with back packs. While it was worth the visit, it just highlighted the old adage that you don’t do Europe in August! And not the red hot spots even in October.

However, we managed to get the best pistachio gelato ever, find the cleanest public toilet in Europe; visit the Saint Anthony Church; have a nice wine and piece of focaccia in a cute bar; and get two beautiful, filled rolls at the deli, which we plan to have for a late supper tonight. So, a success.

Next stop on the way to Irsina was Altamura. Another cute old town where we were in need of a rest stop and a small vino rosso before finding the oldest bakery (1320 AD) in the region and buying a loaf of their famous bread. Lady P bonded instantly with the baker.

Racing to beat the 5.00 pm sunset, we made it to Irsina. I borrowed this description from Wikipedia, as it well describes the town.

With a population of about 5,000 people in 2,000 households, Irsina sits on the border between the southern Italian regions of Puglia (Apulia) and Basilicata.

The new town is joined to the old by a modern main street which has now become the commercial focus, with small bars, shops and cafes, surrounded by much housing.

Ancient walls embrace the historical old town centre. Entering through the town gates, there is a medieval part of Irsina with a labyrinth of cobblestone roads winding and opening up into little squares with restaurants and bars with scenic views over the vast countryside. 

This is where we are staying in a recently renovated, spacious, one bedroom (centuries old!) apartment, with full kitchen.

After settling in and going for a patrol around the battlements at dusk, we picked up some supplies for tomorrow (as it is All Saints Day – a public holiday) and had our tasty filled rolls while watching Netflicks. The first TV we have had for ages.

Trulli homes in Alberobello.

A Vesper in the street.

A view to the vast wheat fields from Irstina village.

The baker at the region's oldest oven.

More Truilli homes.

Fascinating information.

Unfortunately it's hilly.

entrance arch to Irstina medieval village.