It was basically two days in transit to Puglia, Italy (The “heel of the boot”). Historically, this was the poorest region of Italy but in recent years it has grown in population, industry, and tourist popularity – known now for friendly people, beautiful farmland, wines, and great rustic cuisine. We took a train from Solana Beach near San Diego to Union Station in Los Angeles, then took a bus to LAX. Next was an almost 11-hour flight to Paris. We decided to stay overnight in the lovely Sheraton in Charles de Gaulle airport. We were able to meet with a friend we met in Japan, Wolfgang, an actor of German descent who lives in Paris now. It was really fun to share stories with Wolfgang – he’s now touring in a one act play. Apparently, there is a trend in Paris for writers and actors to get together and perform in private homes to test out new material and get exposure.

The next morning, we took a plane through Milan to Bari Italy and at that point, Noah and Dalia, my brother and sister-in-law, met us as they had come a different route from Orange County. The husband of our Puglia B&B owner named Beppe picked us up and drove us to Trulli Terra Magica on the outskirts of Putignano. We stayed in a converted farmhouse with the traditional Trulli roof and renovated inside in a delightfully rustic way. A trullo (plural, trulli) is a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof. Their style of construction is specific to the Itria Valley, in the Italian region of Apulia. Trulli were generally constructed as temporary field shelters and storehouses or as permanent dwellings by small proprietors or agricultural labourers. The landscape around our accommodations was lush green, covered in local trees, many of which are olive trees. Wildflowers were sprouting everywhere, and the landscape included an ever-present low wall of stones many centuries old.

Despite being a bit tired from all the traveling, we went out to dinner at a local Italian restaurant that our innkeeper suggested. Needless to say, the food was amazing, and it was clear that we were going to love the local cuisine! Roasted porcini mushrooms, Cacio e Pepe pasta, and very good prosecco…a great start.

Early the next morning before getting out of bed, I heard local birds chirping, probably being annoyed that it was raining. It was really great to begin our trip this way and I’m very much looking forward to exploring this part of Italy and having quality time with Andrew, my brother, and my sister-in-law.

More to come!