We went for contrast today, knowing which town we’d like most but also finding some to like about both. Alberobello is a major tourist town, famous for its overwhelming number of trullis, earning it recognition as a UNESCO heritage site. As expected it was packed with tourists who wandered up the main trulli-lined drag, past bored shopkeepers standing in front of tacky gift shops. But it was also possible to wander along parallel streets that had fewer tourists and shops, so you could be properly astonished by the profusion of these charming little conical-shaped, Mediterranean dry-stone huts with grey stone roofs and thick bases of whitewashed stacked limestone.
Ceglie Messapica, by comparison, is lesser known, with fewer tourists, no trullis and only a handful of noteable buildings. But it’s one of the Puglia’s oldest continuously inhabited towns, dating back to pre-Roman days (hence the name, related to Mesopotamia). Its charm is that it feels like a real place. We loved wandering down the centro storico’s quiet narrow whitewashed passageways and small piazzas. Surprisingly, we found a great gift shop with Puglia-made products including handpainted shirts and cloth breadbaskets, and a good neighborhood clothing store on a quiet side street where dirck and I both bought a shirt from a talented saleswoman.
The Puglia Guys helped again, with parking tips and restaurants. Ceglie Messapica is a food town. We went for simple, basic fare at Osteria Pugliese, eating orecchiette or spaghetti with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese in a tiny stone dining room off an alley where we were the only tourists. The pasta is thicker and more Al dente than back home. The orecchiette is almost like small dumplings. Our bill, including wine for one, was 22 euros ($25). We began our visit at Caffe Centrale, circa 1861, famous for its pastries, including a soft brownish Biscotto Cegliese, which has earned “Slow Food” protected status, a big deal here. It’s made from ground almonds, local cherry jam (which saves it from being too sweet) with a dab of lemon zest or cinnamon.
One happy discovery, a little late: our car has a USB A port in the back seat so our phones and GPS remained operational! The drive from ceglie to alberobello via Locorotondo was gorgeous, along narrow winding roads lined with dry stone walls, past bright green fields with silvery olive trees and fall colored vineyards. And of course the occasional Trulli.
Almost tourist free
TakeBetsywithyou 