It’s a Wednesday and we have access to a car to explore (a great tip for seeing all that Puglia has to offer: rent a car). I can’t help but think: what would we normally be doing at noon on Wednesday? Working furiously through lunch time or taking a quick break to eat something? Likely. Sarah would be hustling through a restaurant making sure other people had a great lunch experience. This year, on this Wednesday at midday, we are driving down the east coast of Puglia, oldies playing through the car’s speaker. At times we drive through tiny seaside towns ― abandoned with shutters closed ― it’s the off-season and no one is yet ready to hop into the Adriatic for a swim. Otherwise, we are in the countryside, watching farmlands, green fields, dark forests and country villas whip past.
For this occasion, we decide to land in Tricase Porto, a tiny (read: under 200 inhabitants) town right on the sea. The car descends the hill until we can go no further. We get out and walk along the road that follows the coast to be greeted by a charming marina. It’s a bright day so a few folks are out to clean their boats in anticipation of warmer weather. We stop to admire the colourful scene and listen to seagulls calling out whilst a few motors sputter water.
Further along the road, we arrive at a cluster of buildings, small white houses, most with a view of the water. A large coral-coloured building (Villa Maria) is a focal point marrying the road with the port’s boardwalk below. We notice a few brave souls tanning on a small, sandy beach at the building’s foot (it’s 15 degrees Celsius, not exactly beach weather). For now, we loop behind the villa to explore the cliffs and the uppermost views of the port.
We meander down several levels of large rocks, which protrude from the cliffs like a naturally-occurring grand staircase. Salt water pools on every concave surface. A woman reads a book high up on one of the few rock faces which are completely dry, basking in the warm sun. We walk down a rock path and through a tunnel created to link the rocks to the boardwalk. While we are careful with our steps, two children come bounding down the hill jumping two feet at a time until they reach the boardwalk. We walk the boardwalk towards the villa, admiring a fisherman who sits on a bucket, patiently awaiting a bite.
Since today we have no schedule, we decide to sit on the villa’s patio overlooking the port to enjoy a glass of Prosecco. A group of women is celebrating an occasion at a nearby table, or perhaps just excited to be out and enjoying one another’s company in the sun. The boundless children join them finally settling down for something to eat. We sip our Prosecco, enjoy aperitivo hour and watch the sea lapping against the boardwalk while the patient fisherman recasts his line. It’s hard to envision a better Wednesday.