Ciao bella
Italy’s Puglia can’t mask its beauty
a delicious local rosé. Main courses started at just £7.
Nearby Polignano is a gem with a bay and Roman bridge. And the small town of Alberobello is a Unesco world heritage site. Its hillside streets are home to the largest concentration of trulli – We were in Puglia in south east stone, conical-roofed, whitewashed Italy, whizzing through the hot, buildings the region is known for. narrow streets of Ostuni. With two teens and one tween in
Known as the white city, it is tow, we tried a Segway tour of the perched on a hill, with charming town led by the clued-up Francesco, little shops selling ceramics and oils owner of website Allwayspuglia. and pavement bars and restaurants We took a look inside a trulli – serving up amazing views out to sea. masks on – before visiting the
And those views were even more Church of Sant Antonio, the only welcome post-lockdown. trulli church around.
I’d made my way here with my Puglia is loved by Hollywood three children – aged 11, 15 and 16 royalty too, with Meryl Streep and – as soon as we could. We were Villa Helen Mirren regular visitors. The Francesca’s first visitors of the year.
Lucky us. We had three bedrooms
ELTIPS
and three bathrooms, two acres of gardens and a heated pool and could
AV
gaze over olive groves to the sea.
In the new Covid era we checked PUGLIA is the
R
ourselves in and were greeted second biggest wine
with PPE rather than a welcome region in Italy and there is a
T
hamper. huge selection to be enjoyed
Locorotondo is another without breaking the bank.
beautiful historic town perched on GUIDED walking tours of Positano
a hill and it was just ten minutes’ and the surrounding area can be
drive from the villa. booked at walkpositano.com.
Here we enjoyed our first POSITANO has free boat shuttle
dinner out in 148 days. Not that services that can take you to local
we were counting. beaches if you want to discover a
Locals recommended Bina quiet cove. Slices of pizza can be
Ristorante di Puglia and we shared picked up in local cafes for a
fresh fish and homemade pasta, with tasty beach picnic.
TRAVELLING by tuk tuk, feeling the breeze, is the smart way to travel, especially when you’re sweating behind a face mask.
Beckhams have been twice in the past two years too. It is easy to see why. Even before the pandemic, it was never overrun with tourists.
Puglia is also known for its masserias – fortified farmhouses built in the 16th century. We found one of its prettiest, family- run Masseria Coccoro, which was a 20-minute drive from the villa, and surrounded by almond trees.
Magic
Every Thursday in summer it hosts a traditional village feast night and, hands down, this was the highlight of the holiday.
Its illuminated courtyard was filled with long communal tables decorated with rosemary plants from the masseria’s garden. A band played Puglian music while an entertainer ent on stilts made balloon creations. cre It was pure magic. After
TICK TUK: Maria with the family ten days in Puglia, we drove across Italy to the Amalfi coast to the clifftop town of Positano.
It is another celebrity favourite, with its houses painted shades of pink, white and yellow.
We were celebrating three delayed family birthdays so chose Palazzo Murat, a hotel in the centre, just a one-minute walk to the main beach.
For the children it was the perfect location – with ice cream shops.
Masks on, visitors can shop for handmade sandals and colourful ceramics or eat al fresco at one of many restaurants. Our No1 choice was Osteria Le Tre Sorelle, right on the beachfront.
Founded in 1953 by three sisters, it is a Positano institution, known for its wonderful seafood, each dish beautifully presented.
It even makes its own homemade lim limoncella, which finishes off th the meal in true Italian style.
One of the most famous wa walks to do here is the Path of th the Gods, a five-mile stretch th that takes you through historic to towns. And the views were tru truly heavenly – like so many on our Italian adventure. FACTFILE: Villa Francesca can be bo booked via homeaway. co. uk fro from £1,300 per week. Rooms at Palazzo Murat from £260, see pa palazzomurat. it. Flights from Lon London to Brindisi from £121 ret return, see alitalia.com.