A Taste of Puglia: Alluring and Suggestive

When travelling in Italy, my experience has been that the deeper south I go, the more beguiling the country becomes. This observation held true in mid May when I ventured to Puglia – the heel of Italian boot – for a whistle stop press trip and my first time in this sunny and rustic region. During my few nights visit, things often occurred in manners and for reasons beyond my comprehension. For sure, some of that could be chalked up simply to me being a dumbass. Still, a lot of it – much of it – had way more to do with the place, the people, and the culture.

A valuable lesson of travel is the realisation that to forgo any feelings of frustration brought on by folks behaving differently than where you’re from or how you’re accustomed usually allows what’s most splendid about a destination to be revealed. Indeed that proved to be the case while I was in Puglia. Hanging loose and going with the flow led me to stunning sights to behold, amusing situations to consider, and all sorts of gorgeously delicious food and drink to be enjoyed.

Aside from actually going to Puglia, the region had been presenting her charming self to me in a variety of ways even before I was asked to join the press trip: by inserting herself into the topic of conversation with other writers, showing up in my email inbox with invitations to Pugliese wine tastings or special restaurant events here in London, even waiting at my front door in a package of foods from the region for me to sample in the comfort of my home.

My introduction to Puglia was alluring and suggestive – enchanting me before I was even aware I would be going there. I savoured so many moments during my brief visit, and I crave the chance to return. But before that, I look forward to sharing the lure of this wonderful wedge of Italy with you over the next few days in a short series of posts.