Puglia - Vieste, Alberobello and Locorotondo

From the Amalfi Coast, we headed east across Italy to the spur on the back of the boot. This whole spur is national park, and it and the surrounding area make up the region of Puglia. We wanted to see some more of the south, and this was a region we didn't know much about, so thought we'd see what it was like.

We stayed in a caravan on the outskirts of the town Vieste, which is right on the tip of the spur. Vieste is a sea-side town, and the surrounding area is full of caravan parks, right on the water.

Vieste


On our first day in Puglia, we spent the day on the beach, a 2 minute walk from our caravan park. Pretty average beach, but nice for a relax. Matt was too itchy to think so - by this stage the jelly fish sting had brought out all the tiny little bites from our sleepless night in Praiano, (and his legs were riddled with poison-M).


Matt's poisoned legs


On the second day, we went to Monte Sant Angelo, which is a small village slightly inland, a bit further around the spur. Monte Sant Angelo is famous for the Sanctuary of St Michael the Archangel, which is a church in a cave, and a Catholic pilgrimage sight.

This church was pretty cool... From the outside, it just looked like your average church, but once inside the main doors, the church is in a cave at the bottom of a big flight of stairs. It is said that the Archangel appeared in this grotto in 490, and a shrine was built in his name. The facade of the church was added in the 13th century.

We bought some home-made Italian cookies, and left, having exhausted the main attractions of the town.


Front of Sanctuary of St Michael the Archangel

Down the flight of stairs into the church

Inside the cave church - extraordinary!

From Monte Sant Angelo, we drove further inland, through the national park, to San Giovanni Rotondo, for a different church experience... This town is even smaller, but is home to a modern day church, designed by one of Matt's favourite architects, Renzo Piano. This church was built in the last 8-10 years, so was quite a different experience to the grotto church.

Renzo Piano's Church - St Giovanni Rotondo (after St Padre Pio)

Interior

The following day, we headed out in the car to some beach spots surrounded by white limestone cliffs and rock formations. Spectacular scenery... We drove and stopped off at a couple of spots for a look, and settled on one particular little cove, where we spent the rest of the day...

Stop along the way (this was Corey's favourite spot - with the arch over the water)

Same spot

Shots of the beach, and swimming.........

We stopped on the way home so I could get a better look at these huge wooden structures, called Trabucco, which are unique to the area, and dotted along the coast. I loved them!

A trabucco, with fisherman working in it

On our last day in Puglia, Matt and I went on a huge mission, 3.5 hours south to a couple of villages we wanted to see. First stop was Castellana, home to huge underground grotte. We took a tour through, and it was pretty cool... These caves have been this way for over a million years - since the last earthquake in the area. Huge stalagtite and stalagmite formations, and some fungus that isn't found anywhere else in the world. He he.

Inside the biggest cave - the only one we were allowed to take photos in.

We kept heading south, and into "Trulli" country. The country side of southern Puglia was really different to anything else we had seen in Italy. Covered in groves of olive and almond trees, white limestone fences, and these drystone, round houses with pointy roofs called Trulli. These houses are not seen anywhere else in the world. Some theories as to their origin date them back 5000 years; one theory is that they originated as a means of tax evasion, as the owners could quickly dismantle them before the taxman arrived to collect the King's taxes.

Driving through Trulli country

The biggest town in Trulli country is Alberobello, a UNESCO world heritage sight. It was really, really cool. We half expected little hobbits to be living in them instead of just normal people.

Matt next to a Trulli house in Alberobello (now buttressed and white-washed)

Me next to a row of Trulli

View looking out over Alberobello

Some of the Trulli have symbols with different meanings painted on their roofs

Even the church is a 'trulli'

After Alberobello, we headed a bit further south to the town Locorotondo. This town of winding lanes, paved in gold stone was voted one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the tiny streets, getting lost, and keeping out of the way of locals on their way to church. Not another tourist in sight.

The church, made with gold stone

One of the tiny narrow lanes

Local man biding his time

We made it back to Vieste at about 11pm (after leaving at 8 that morning). On the way home we hit a road-works detour, got lost, almost ran out of petrol, nearly hit a group of about 7 horses and cows that had got loose on the road around a blind corner, saw a wild pig snuffling through some road-side trash, nearly ran over a startled fox, pulled into our camp spot and started packing for Roma....