Alberobello…We are in love with this charming little town located in Puglia, not far from Bari. The Trulli of Alberobello! (A trullo is a traditional dry stone hut with a conical roof.)

In Alberobello you can visit a trullo, you can dine in trullo, you can book your stay and live in trullo.

Here are a few photo shots from our remarkable stay in Alberobello: the blue sky without a single cloud, the flowers, the trees, the color of the roofs, the shape of the chimneys, and the uniqueness of each trullo’s door (every door has its unique design of cover curtain).

We also love Bari.

The most important is that this is a live town – dog and cats near their homes, kids playing on the streets, the cars…

Step away from the touristy areas and enjoyed the town!

Market in Bari

Almost forgot about gelato!

We also visited Matera, a cave-town in southern Italy; a UNESCO site. The 60 km drive from our hotel was so enjoyable – olive trees, farms, old monasteries…

And here we are, arrived to Matera, famous for its ancient town, called the “Sassi di Matera”.  The Sassi are the two neighborhoods of stone dwellings in the ancient town.  To experience the Sassi you have to walk, and walk a lot (and we did).  The old town is so beautiful when the sun is up.

Not too long ago Matera was “the shame of Italy” for its poverty. In the 1950s, the entire population, mostly peasants and farmers, were relocated from the Sassi to new housing projects. Unfortunately, till today, you can feel that the people still carry that “the shame of Italy” label.  There are hidden signs that tell the story: the way the pedestrians cross the road, the way the drivers drive in a town, the look in the eyes, the way they talk, even in the tourists’ shops…

Matera is selected to be 2019 European Capital of Culture in Italy, but we feel that it would take a few generations to change the people…