Apuglia.

 

After cold and humid Ukraine Puglia was sunny and warm.

 

First we follow from Bari to Mont Sant Angelo.  This small sacred city is in Gargano mountains. Just two hours from Bari. In Mont Sant Angelo is an ancient cave. There is an legend that Archangel Michel first appeared in this place. It became sacred and the place of pilligrimage.  People built churches in mountain. Now it’s real chain of underground churches with altars and places for pray. One of the most interesting for me was the stone relief with person with tree heads, two legs and two arms. Right head is head of young men, the middle head is destroyed, but it was bird head and left human head also destroyed. May be it’s God, Holy Spirit and God Father in one body? I never see the same before.

There were no tourists at all. Streets were empty. Hard mist covered the city. From the hotel we have view to the sea near Manfredinia. We were the only guests in hotel.

 

Next day we returned toBari. But old city was not really big and the main church with S. Nicolas relicts was not really as interesting as the legend about their appears inBari. There are nice columns near entrance with donkeys. On the back of this animals sacred remains of S. Nicolas arrived toBarimany years before.

The weather was warm and sunny.

 

We followed to Ruvo del Puglia. Here is an old basilica with beautiful front wall ornamented with animals and chimeras. The stone round window decorated upper part.

The road was empty. There were numerous olive groves around. Green grass, flowers and stone old trulles for storage.

 

In 20 km there was one of the most enigmatic places in the world – the castle of Fredric Second built in 1140. Nobody knows what is it. Castle del Monte. It has 8 walls, two floors and inside stone piazza with 8 sides. Some rooms have no windows and only one entrance. No exits.  Historians cannot explain what can be inside this castle. People cannot live there. May be it was a jail?

 

All around was the valley with olives and trulles. Pines stay near castle. It was quite.

Beautiful and strange place.

 

We slept in Alberobello, in old city with numerous trully district. Our trully was warm, has small kitchen and escalate to the roof of neibour trully with stunning view.

 

In the evening we made small walk between the trullies, in narrow streets. Trully has shape stone roof. It’s cold inside during summer time. There are some sacred signs on the roofs. Some of them female and some male. But really I don’t know the difference between them.

First time we had the breakfast in other place then overnight. I mean, the hotel breakfast.  We need to get to central piazza and find small cafe. But it was only 5 min walk. Trully not ordinary hotels. They are houses. So, owners found the decision – breakfast in another place, in cafe in center.

 

You need to know places which you want to visit in Apuglia. South of Italy is different from North. There are a lot of industrials zones, cities near sea are poor, without luxury hotels and charming views. Many half abandoned villages and pensions.

 

Beautiful valleys around Alberobello are full of olive groves and trully houses.

Not far away is ancient city Ostuni. It’s on the mountain, white color, with curved steeply streets full of dead ends, gardens, oysterias and hotels. Around city is huge white ancient wall with towers. People built houses on the wall and live there. Laundry swing and dry from the wall.  Very soon we lost our way out of the old city and used our GPS to find the car.

We follow toLecce. The road is perfect, autopista free of any toll. But we need to be very careful – Italian drivers don’t mention to any special signs – Stop, Green or Red color, Give the way. Drivers do what they want on the road. We were shocked.

 

Lecce. This is pretty big city which Henry Morton named as most beautiful baroque city inItaly. At first we tried to find parking place during 40 minutes! Then we get to old part of city. Nothing special. Just a city. And then the miracle appears! One church rich decorated with fruits, flowers, putties, animals and saints! Explosion of  decoration! We turned the corner and found house full of figures supported the balcony. There were half naked women and animals. Again explosion! And next church and next door. Behind the doorstep is huge shell.  And then Basilica of Santa Croche – impossible amount of sacred animals, fruits and putties. We stayed near the Basilica stunned. I understand why this city is the best baroque city inItaly.

Apuglia is the region with two seas. West shore is famous for it’s oysters. Ancient people know two oyster places- Can Cale inFranceand Tarantoin South Italy.  So we rich the seashore near Galipoly and found there small oysteria. We were the only clients. Our table was served by numerous antipasti and then big plate with shells arrived. Unfortunately , oysters finished but wild shells were out of discussion! Something incredible…

 

We overnight inTaranto- dirty, noisy city. As I know in central Duomo was rich decorated altar surface. But it was service in Duomo. We waited an hour. Service didn’t finish yet.

 

In the morning I found near hotel fish market full of everything- oysters (2,5 Euro per kilo!!!!), shells, octopuses, fish and shrimps. We were so stupid, that didnt buy anything…

 

Not far away from Taranto are mountains. Not huge, but beautiful. There is small city Craco, which was abandoned in 1969 after strong earthqwark. Nobody live there since 1969. Producers found this ancient city with Norman tower on the top and began use it like natural decoration in their films. Even Mel Gibson used Craco in his film about Christ.

So, city is on the top of the hill. It flow down and turned around by metallic fence to protect from unauthorized entrances.

We waited the end of pray in the church just2 kmfrom city. Here is also small ticket- office. And then with guide ( it’s not possible access without guide) went to Craco. We were only tourists today. Guide show us former cinema, bakery, house of his grandpa. Ruins and walls. We get upper. There were two churches but dome cracked and we cannot get inside. Too dangerous. The only one building which stay monumentally was old Norman tower on the top. Nothing happens with it. Charming view opened from windows.

 

Just below Craco was old road. It destroyed by earthqwark.

 

We get from hill to hill and after 1,5 hour arrived to the gem of Apuglia, old medieval city Matera. The city stay on the hill near the huge canyon. Far on the bottom may be in spring there is a river. But now there are only footpath for animals. Old city is big. It’s stay at least on two big hills. And every hill has his own center with churches, piazzas, and bell towers.

Our hotel was near the canyon, just near the old churches on caves. This churches even have  Christian frescoes. But they are in really bad condition. I found numerous abandon caves, caves museums of traditional houses and hotel-caves. We lived in cave. Reception was inside the rock mountain. And our room was in building, which grow from another rock. It was great…  All around were pots with flowers and trees. The weather was warm and we run through the city, using old narrow streets, with dead ends and restaurants, and even cisterns. Endless city! Unfortunately, cistern was founded during siesta ( in winter time!!!!!). We Waited 45 min and follow next to our path.

Materawas charming at night- full of yellow lamps, and mysterious in the morning, with mist, rain and illumination.

 

We had the flight this day. We need to get away. It’s pity!