© 2007 Intimate France
12 November 2007
Discover Italy's Other Coast - Book it!
Personally escorted by Intimate France founder George Nevin
12 days - Sept. 21-Oct. 3, 2008
Tour begins and ends in Bari
$3,695 per person, double occupancy - Singles, add $450
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Detailed Itinerary Day 1 (Sunday, Sept. 21) We set out from the lobby of the Hotel Adria in Bari, our gateway city, to explore this old port town. On a guided walking tour, we discover winding alleyways, dramatic ramparts and the cathedral where St. Nicholas is buried – yes, the original Santa Claus. After LUNCH, we drive to the pretty port town of Trani and check into our seaside hotel. At day's end, we find a café for a WELCOME APERITIF. OVERNIGHT – TRANI Day 2 (Monday, Sept. 22) This morning, after an orientation to ancient Puglia and its history, cuisine and culture, we tour Trani's imposing Romanesque cathedral (one of the finest in Puglia) and the town's lively farmer's market. In the afternoon, we drive through farmland thick with olive trees to Castel del Monte, a spectacular, octagonal castle built in the 13th century by Emperor Frederick II and often used as a signal station and prison but never as a fortress. Back in Trani, we have DINNER. OVERNIGHT – TRANI Day 3 (Tuesday, Sept. 23) We skim the coast today, headed for Lecce, the southernmost town of our circuit. Along the way we pass through pretty, seaside Polignano a Mare, and explore the archaelogical museum and ruins of the ancient city of Egnázia, founded in the 5th century BC. Late in the day, we arrive in Lecce, a splendid town of fine limestone buildings from the Renaissance, Rococo and Baroque periods. Our lodging is in the comfortable apartments of the Casa dei Mercanti, right in the city center. OVERNIGHT – LECCE Day 4 (Wednesday, Sept. 24) In the morning we explore pretty Lecce on foot, visiting the magnificently carved church of Santa Croce and the lively Piazza Sant' Oranzo, with its column marking the end of Rome's Appian Way. Toward noon we drive to the old fishing port of Otranto, where we visit its 13th century castello, twisting medieval streets and dramatic seaside. Following free time in Gallipoli, whose old town and port are set on a tiny island, we return to Lecce in time for DINNER. OVERNIGHT – LECCE Day 5 (Thursday, Sept. 25) Leaving Lecce in the morning, we drive to the walled town of Grottaglie, an important center of ceramic production. The large town of Taranto is close by, and here we find the renowned Archaelogical Museum, containing priceless finds from Puglia's rich Greco-Roman past. Late in the day we arrive at the four-star Masseria Chiancone Torricella, our home for the next four nights. Throughout Puglia, fortified farmsteads from medieval times called masserie are being converted into comfortable hotels. You'll appreciate the gracious appointments and excellent cuisine of our own masseria. DINNER. OVERNIGHT – MASSERIA CHIANCONE Day 6 (Friday, Sept. 26) To the west of Masseria Chiancone lies a rocky land of plateaux and deep canyons. We explore the towns of Massafra (split by a ravine lined with cave churches hewn out of the rock by ninth century Greek monks and decorated with lavish frescoes) and Castellaneta, then return in the afternoon to our masseria to take part in a demonstration of rural food preparation techniques, including olive oil and cheesemaking. DINNER at the masseria. OVERNIGHT – MASSERIA CHIANCONE Day 7 (Saturday, Sept. 27) We explore the trulli district today. Trulli are square, whitewashed structures with conical roofs covered with limestone slabs. These curious buildings are everywhere – there are 1,400 in Alberobello alone, plus many more near Locorotondo, a pretty hill town and source of an excellent white wine. Later, via the Valle d'Itria, with its vineyards, olive groves and trulli, we return to the Masseria Chiancone in time for DINNER. OVERNIGHT – MASSERIA CHIANCONE Day 8 (Sunday, Sept. 28) We make a half-day trip today to whitewashed Ostuni, rising on three hills high above the sea and boasting ramparts from the Aragonese era, as well as an ornate, 16th century cathedral built in the late Gothic style. Returning to our home base via Cisternino (wander its old, whitewashed alleys), we have time to explore pretty Martina Franca, the town closest to our masseria, and to take part in what some consider Italy's best passegiata (evening stroll), followed by DINNER at the masseria. OVERNIGHT – MASSERIA CHIANCONE Day 9 (Monday, Sept. 29) We leave Puglia today for the neighboring province of Basilicata. But first, let's explore the town of Laterza, perched on the edge of a ravine that is 500 feet deep, before arriving in the afternoon at Matera. OVERNIGHT – MATERA Day 10 (Tuesday, Sept. 30) Today we explore Matera, unique in all of Italy because of its sassi, dwellings dug out of the soft tufa stone. The existence of these dwellings has made Matera a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Until the 1950s, these one-room caves were home to some 15,000 people, many of whom lived in disease and poverty. The inhabitants were forcibly removed, and slowly the sassi are being cleaned up and repopulated. We wander Matera's warren of alleys, stairs and rock-hewn churches, as well as the Casa Grotta, a cave that until the 1950s was a family home. Later, we take in Matera's old town, including Piazza Vittorio Veneto and its lively passegiata. DINNER in Matera. OVERNIGHT – MATERA Day 11 (Wednesday, Oct. 1) A day trip back into Puglia finds us at Altamura this morning to see one of southern Italy's best archaeological museums as well as the impressive cathedral. After lunch, it's on to the castle-protected town of Gravina in Puglia, clinging to a deep ravine. Here, we visit the cave church of San Michele delle Grotte. OVERNIGHT – MATERA Day 12 (Thursday, Oct. 2) Today we drive overland to Ruvo di Puglia to visit its striking cathedral and Jatta Museum, with an impressive collection of Greek-style pots and vases, and to have a very special LUNCH at the restaurant called U.P.E.P.I.D.D.E. Late in the day we arrive in Bari. OVERNIGHT – BARI Getaway day (Friday, May 23) It's time to say arrivederci with transport to the airport for your flight home.
Notes MEALS – Tour includes breakfast every day, as well as two lunches and seven dinners, as indicated in BOLD CAPS on the itinerary. OUR HOTELS Hotel Regia, Trani Casa dei Mercanti apartments, Lecce Masseria Chiancone, Martina Franca Hotel Italia, Matera Hotel Adria, Bari HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS – Subject to change according to availability. ITINERARY – Details of this preliminary itinerary could change. A final itinerary will be issued closer to trip departure. SIGHTSEEING – All sightseeing listed in the itinerary is included as part of the tour. |
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