Puglia foodie

Day Trip to Bari, Italy in Photographs.

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When I was in Polignano a Mare earlier this year, I spent the better part of a day exploring Puglia’s largest city, Bari! I had always heard that Bari is a run-down and dangerous city but to my surprise, it was not at all! Bari is an adorable old school Italian city with lots of character and charm. I would absolutely spend a few nights here on another trip! Since we didn’t have much time in Bari, here are some photographs from our afternoon. I’ll link the places we visited below!

Bari. Lots of Italian pride!

The most adorable elderly lady watching over the piazza.

Il fruttivendolo.

We saw the most gorgeous wedding.

And we ate the most delicious meat and cheese platter.

Loved these awnings.

Also loved these old buildings.

Una donna italiana making pasta on Arco Basso, the famous street for pasta!

Teatro.

A beautiful church, seemingly around every corner.

All the deli meats.

Wine from the proprietor’s own vintage at Le Sagagliozze.

Gorgeous greenery and flowers.

Gentile gelato.

Old school.

Homemade orecchiette – the pasta of Bari – at Le Sgagliozze.

Cool courtyard.

Fresh fried polenta from Le Sgagliozze.

Felt great to be back on European trains. Ciao, Bari!

STEAL OUR TRIP

Veloservice Tours and Rentals: Strada Vallisa, 81, 70122 Bari BA, Italy. We booked the street food tour, which, unfortunately, turned into a combination walking tour and cooking course. The tour was very disjointed and not what we expected (or booked) at all. Book with caution.

Gentile: Piazza Federico II di Svevia, 33, 70122 Bari BA, Italy.  Open daily from 11:00 – 1:00.  The gelato shop we visited – delicious!  There is also a location in Brooklyn – 253 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249.

Le Sagagliozze: Largo Albicocca, 70122 Bari BA, Italy. Closed Monday. Open other days until 22h.

Trenitalia: Italian local train service. You don’t need to pre-book your tickets but if traveling from Polignano a Mare like us, check the schedule because there are some quick trains and others that take about an hour.  Downloading the Trenitlian app is very helpful.

Acro Basso: The famous street for the pasta making! You can buy from the ladies, but you can only bring it back to the US if its dried (i.e. not fresh).

ON A BUDGET

We took the train to and from Polignano a Mare for only a few euros each way. Our afternoon in Bari could be easily recreated on your own by just walking around the old town (15 walk from Bari’s train station).

L’Aratro: An Excellent Slow Food Restaurant In Alberobello.

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As promised in my recent review of Alberobello, I had lunch at an excellent restaurant  recommended by our Puglitaly guide: L’Aratro. L’Aratro means “the plow” in English, and that is is an appropriate name for this essentially “farm to table” restaurant. To wit, L’Aratro is part of the Slow Italy movement and it sources almost all of its menu items from the local area, and certainly from within Puglia. Look for local delicacies highlighted on the menu!

The entrance to L’Aratro.

Located on one of Alberobello’s main tourist streets, L’Aratro is located inside a beautifully decorated trullo, with both indoor and outdoor seating.  Its not uncommon to see the main chef hanging around outside the restaurant in his signature brightly colored chef pants! We sat in L’Aratro’s open air courtyard overlooking a few trulli domes. The views from the courtyard are not fantastic, but certainly good enough. The interior, however, is beautiful. I would have sat inside were it not for COVID-19.

Gorgeous interior of L”Aratro. This would be a magical spot for a fall or winer meal.

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How To Spend A Day in Alberobello, Puglia: Trulli, Slow Italian Food, And Delicious Wine!

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You’re probably familiar with Alberobello in Puglia, Italy, even if you don’t know its name. Alberobello is the Southern Italian town filled with trulli (trullo, singular) houses, or those small white stone houses with domed roof tops that seem to be straight out of fairy tale. Its a super cute town, but also very , very touristy, even during the light travel summer of 2021. Here is how my husband and I spent a day in Alberobello if you are planning your own trip!

A real life trullo in Alberobello!

TOP TIPS: Arrive early, bring cash, dress in layers, wear walking shoes, and be sure to see inside a trullo by visiting the shops or restaurants.

SOME CONS: Super duper touristy, hilly with cobblestones making walking somewhat difficult, not as many people as we expected spoke English (this may be a positive!)

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Grotta Palazzese: A Review Of That Gorgeous Cliffside Restaurant in Puglia

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If you have any form of social media, you have probably seen the gorgeous cliffside restaurant in Polignano a Mare, Grotta Palazzese. Yes, the one light up in blue with white tables perched on a sharp cliff above the Adriatic (or maybe Ionian) sea. The location is truly stunning.

View looking out to the sea. There is another “lagoon” on the other side. I tried to take a picture but it did not turn out well. Keep reading, LOL.

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Four Fabulous Days In Polignano a Mare, Puglia!

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After our planned Puglia trip last summer was COVID-cancelled, we rescheduled to this September! While we originally planned to explore a bit more of Puglia, we ended up adding Umbria to the trip (highly recommended!) and based our time in posh Polignano a Mare. This article tells what we did, where we ate, and where we stayed or those planning a similar trip to Polignano a Mare!

The most famous foto of Polignano a Mare from the Roman Bridge.

POLIGNANO A MARE

Polignano a Mare is a small, yet swanky, Italian beach town in Northern Puglia, located 45 minutes south of Bari by car on the intersection of the Adriatic and Ionian coasts, directly across from southern Croatia and Montenegro. While in Northern Puglia, Polignano a Mare is firmly in southern Italy, and as such, stays warmer and summery much longer than its northern counterparts. Reachable by its tiny train station or car, Polignano a Mare is definitely on the Italian-tourist’s radar, but I didn’t find it quite as touristy as some more popular destinations, such as Amalfi or Cinque Terre (at least not yet…). Dan and I spent 3 nights and 4 days in Polignano a Mare and we thought this was the perfect amount of time to see Polignano a Mare and explore a bit of Puglia.

Crystal clear waters in Polignano a Mare.

We choose to stay in Polignano a Mare because it just looked so cute in the pictures! We were happy with our decision: Polignano a Mare was easy enough to reach, close to some places we wanted to day trip, such as Bari and Alberobello, and had lots of restaurants and shops. On a return visit, however, we will probably visit another town; Polignano a Mare is more expensive than other towns in the area and its a bit more foreign-tourist heavy than its neighbors.

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