Food, Drink, History and Recreation in Puglia
An overview of the History, Food, Wine, People and Recreational activities in the Apulian area:
Puglia is a vast and mainly undiscovered region of Italy. With the reopening of Brindisi and Bari airports to holiday makers, thanks mainly to RyanAir, more and more people are visiting the area. Many Italians already knew about places such as Brindisi, Ostuni, Fasano etc, where many prosperous Italians have their holiday homes, simply for the good fresh produce and clear Adriatic Sea. Puglia also known as Apulia is the heel of Italy, the people of this region live simple lives producing olive oil, wine and tomatoes along with vegetables. The climate is warmer than the north of Italy and the winter months only last from mid November to the end of February. They produce very fine wine here and have won awards both in Italy and in the UK but be careful, they are also quite strong! One in particular is called “Brindisi” and is 13-14% in strength. Brindisi is a harbour city with ferries going to Greece. There are many picturesque fishing towns and villages dotted along the coast (so the fish is very good) Ostuni also has a remarkable history, originally closer to the sea, it was believed the sea would reclaim the land and drown the city, so they transported the whole city further inland, brick by brick and rebuilt the city. Ostuni, is also known as La Cita Bianca (The White City) this is because all the properties in the city and surrounding parts of Ostuni must be painted white only (this is enforced by a local bylaw). There are many small cobbled, winding lanes with lots of bars and restaurants. As you can imagine, sitting outside a bar or having a meal, you can see all the different levels of buildings, as Ostuni is built steeply. Fasano is built in two parts Fasano and Selva Di Fasano, Selva Di Fasano is more inland and again very prosperous on hillier ground. Fasano is almost on top of the sea, fish and pasta dishes are the main foods served here. Whichever part of Brindisi you choose to have your home built, whether it’s Ostuni, Ceglie, Martina Franca etc. it’s all beautiful. The whole of the “heel of Italy” is steeped in history and dates back to many hundreds of years b.c. all around the area more and more ancient ruins are being discovered. It’s not unusual to be sitting outside a restaurant and seeing ancient ruins next to you! We could go on and on about the history, culture and the food and wine, but it would make more sense for you to go there yourselves and see the wonders Brindisi and the surrounding towns have to offer. In the evening you can join in with the Italians with a passegiata (evening stroll) people just stroll around, meet friends, have a coffee or evening meal and retire back home in the early hours of the morning. Most bars and restaurants stay open until the early hours, shops normally open at 9.30 close at 12.30 then reopen at 6pm and close at 8.30 (summer 10pm) fresh fruit and vegetable markets are daily in the larger cities, smaller towns tend to have a weekly market, all manner of things can be purchased at the weekly markets from food stuffs including delicious cheeses through to household goods and clothing, this type of shopping is very good, as prices are almost half of that of shops, this way you can not only save valuable euros, but can mingle with your new neighbours and live like the “pugliese” it’s a good way to meet people! For more on the history of Puglia please go to our links
Puglia is a vast and mainly undiscovered region of Italy. With the reopening of Brindisi and Bari airports to holiday makers, thanks mainly to RyanAir, more and more people are visiting the area. Many Italians already knew about places such as Brindisi, Ostuni, Fasano etc, where many prosperous Italians have their holiday homes, simply for the good fresh produce and clear Adriatic Sea. Puglia also known as Apulia is the heel of Italy, the people of this region live simple lives producing olive oil, wine and tomatoes along with vegetables. The climate is warmer than the north of Italy and the winter months only last from mid November to the end of February. They produce very fine wine here and have won awards both in Italy and in the UK but be careful, they are also quite strong! One in particular is called “Brindisi” and is 13-14% in strength. Brindisi is a harbour city with ferries going to Greece. There are many picturesque fishing towns and villages dotted along the coast (so the fish is very good) Ostuni also has a remarkable history, originally closer to the sea, it was believed the sea would reclaim the land and drown the city, so they transported the whole city further inland, brick by brick and rebuilt the city. Ostuni, is also known as La Cita Bianca (The White City) this is because all the properties in the city and surrounding parts of Ostuni must be painted white only (this is enforced by a local bylaw). There are many small cobbled, winding lanes with lots of bars and restaurants. As you can imagine, sitting outside a bar or having a meal, you can see all the different levels of buildings, as Ostuni is built steeply. Fasano is built in two parts Fasano and Selva Di Fasano, Selva Di Fasano is more inland and again very prosperous on hillier ground. Fasano is almost on top of the sea, fish and pasta dishes are the main foods served here. Whichever part of Brindisi you choose to have your home built, whether it’s Ostuni, Ceglie, Martina Franca etc. it’s all beautiful. The whole of the “heel of Italy” is steeped in history and dates back to many hundreds of years b.c. all around the area more and more ancient ruins are being discovered. It’s not unusual to be sitting outside a restaurant and seeing ancient ruins next to you! We could go on and on about the history, culture and the food and wine, but it would make more sense for you to go there yourselves and see the wonders Brindisi and the surrounding towns have to offer. In the evening you can join in with the Italians with a passegiata (evening stroll) people just stroll around, meet friends, have a coffee or evening meal and retire back home in the early hours of the morning. Most bars and restaurants stay open until the early hours, shops normally open at 9.30 close at 12.30 then reopen at 6pm and close at 8.30 (summer 10pm) fresh fruit and vegetable markets are daily in the larger cities, smaller towns tend to have a weekly market, all manner of things can be purchased at the weekly markets from food stuffs including delicious cheeses through to household goods and clothing, this type of shopping is very good, as prices are almost half of that of shops, this way you can not only save valuable euros, but can mingle with your new neighbours and live like the “pugliese” it’s a good way to meet people! For more on the history of Puglia please go to our links
