You know how people say that the best things in life are free? It’s not hard to appreciate that saying in beautiful Puglia. May is such a great time to be in Italy, especially in the south which starts to heat up and come alive in the final moments of spring. It’s been an eventful month on many fronts for us, but we’ve also had several opportunities to slow down, take in the many beautiful beaches, explore new towns and appreciate all that Puglia has to offer (for free). Plus, a few euros here and there has enabled us to really enjoy the sweet life.
Currently, we are living in seaside Gallipoli on Puglia’s western coast. The town is composed of a newer part with a long, main street well poised for people watching and the famous passeggiata and a historical centre (centro storico) which is full of winding streets, shops, churches and restaurants all contained on a peninsula. Since it’s on the west coast, Gallipoli’s sunsets are breathtaking…like every single day. I can’t get enough of them.
One particular day in May we decided would be a sunset appreciation day, but first wanted to ease into the afternoon with some town hopping and, of course, wine tasting. We first stopped in tiny Ugento, a town inland to the south. We walk amongst the ornate and often colourful buildings, exploring the town’s centre. Like most Puglian towns in the middle of the day, hardly anyone was outside, so we meandered through empty streets, stopping to admire an adorable pub where several neighbourhood cats dozed in the sunlight. Finally, coming up to the main square we found one small cafe open for business and sat with a couple of locals for a quick coffee before our next stop.
Next, we ventured to a tiny farmhouse (masseria) just outside the town of Salve. Antica Masseria Fano offered us a tour of their beautiful retreat with a few gorgeous rooms, natural landscape and a small pool that looks as though it disappears into the countryside. It was idyllic and with its near silence, I could understand why guests would choose this off-the-beaten-path farmhouse as a retreat. The masseria boasts a small vineyard, so we sat on their outdoor patio and sampled a red (Negroamaro) and a white (Fiano) wine while looking out into their expansive land, dotted with tiny outbuildings once used to store farm equipment. As the sun started to make its move and beautiful colours began to fill the sky beyond the vineyard, we set out home to catch the Gallipoli sunset.
Walking along the seawall in Galliopoli’s centro storico, we watched the sky light up with a myriad of warm colours, which then became gorgeous purple hues as the sun descended further. A few small fishing boats were piling up their nets, getting ready for another day on the water, but otherwise there was little movement along the base of the seawall. As we walked home in the dark, the narrow streets were finally fully alive with locals and tourists flocking to the many small restaurants, ready for a slow meal with family and friends.