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Location and things to do
Puglia offers a complete contrast to the UK putting you in holiday mode from the moment of arrival.
The climate is hot and sunny in summer and the bleached white Mediterranean landscape speaks of a
different lifestyle where siestas and warm evenings are a way of life. Trulli Sulla Collina is set
in 3 acres of olive, cherry and almond trees and its elevated position gives it far reaching
countryside views of Val D'Itria. At night the lights of distant towns lend a fairy-light magic.
Trulli Sulla Collina is privately situated, secluded but not isolated. Built at the end of a long
private road there is no passing traffic or road noise and it is surprising how restful this break
from the outside world can prove to be.
That said, it is only a 10 minute drive to the nearest supermarket in Alberobello, which offers a
wide range of fresh vegetables, meat and fish as well as an excellent selection of everyday
groceries, wines and spirits. Nearby in the opposite direction lie the ancient walled cities of
Martina Franca and Locorotondo. With baroque style architecture, stunning cathedrals, specialist
shops and a plethora of cafes, bars and restaurants there is plenty to keep everyone entertained.
In Martina Franca every third Sunday in the month from 0830 - 1230 there is an antiques market which
is well worth a visit. Spread across several blocks of the town, it is a flea market where
furniture, bric a brac and art are mixed with jewellery, new and old. Here there is a great family
atmosphere and something for all. They even have a merry-go-round, in the centre of all the stalls;
in typical Italian style the children are catered for too. The phrases - Quanta costa? (How much?),
Troppo caro! (too much) and Sconti? (discount?) work well for bargaining and lead to a good natured
and productive purchase!
One of the delights of the region is the many cultural and religious festivals that are held throughout the year. These occur in most of the major towns and cities, usually throughout the spring and summer months. They are characterised by fabulous street illuminations and live open-air entertainment. Here you will find anything from formal classical, jazz or pop concerts in the local piazza to ad hoc street performances by roaming bands that appear to welcome any excuse to strike up a tune.
In addition to the cultural sightseeing, Trulli Sulla Collina is in easy reach of the Adriatic coastline and beaches (25 minutes by car) as well as the Ionian coastline (45 minutes). More formal attractions nearby include the spectacular Castellana Caves, Zoo Safari near Fasano (a safari park and fun fair), not forgetting the wine Cantina at Locorotondo, where you can sample and purchase locally produced wine. If you are looking for some activity then exploring the fantastic unspoilt countryside by bike may appeal. We can recommend an excellent bike hire company: www.pugliainbici.com You can book in advance and they will deliver quality CARRARO bikes to the villa. Golf, horse riding and tennis are other activities available, all within easy distance.
Alberobello Historic UNESCO protected Townwww.initaly.com/regions/apulia/alberobello.htm The town of Alberobello is famous for its quirky architecture, which is made up of hundreds of trulli buildings; it is very picturesque. In common with many towns in this region there is a large paved central area in the creamy smooth light stone where families gather in the long warm evenings buying gelati (ice creams) and promenading. It is striking that the atmosphere is so family orientated with toddlers and children running around late in the evening and many local old folks meeting and chatting. There is no graffiti, drunkenness or gangs of youths and it feels very safe unlike many UK town centres in the evening, which for most are a no-go area. After a leisurely evening meal you can wander around the bustling town centre, looking at the open-air art sales sampling the wide range of ice creams and enjoy the warm evenings. Shopping in Alberobello
The market in Alberobello is a favourite place to visit, held on a Thursday from 0830 to 1300. It is a really pleasing mix with something for everyone. An array of traditional cheese and hams, olives and delicacies are on offer, as are a wide range of fruit and vegetables which are locally produced. Quality fresh meat and fish are widely available too. All these fresh Italian ingredients come at a fraction of the cost in the UK. The ladies will love the shoe stalls, which have everything from sensible shoes to the wackiest multi coloured vertigous heeled wedges. Summer sandals and winter boots are excellent bargains with prices starting at a very modest 5 Euros. Numerous jewellery stalls have a seemingly endless number of strings of pearls almost every colour in the rainbow, contemporary and traditional styles at rock bottom prices. House wares and clothes and toys are also on sale. The vendors are friendly and cheerful and "quanta costa?" (How much?) brings a helpful response with sign language and much laughter every time. The majority of the visitors in Alberobello are from northern Italy so that although this is a tourist town it does not cater directly to the British and its Italian charm remains intact. You won't see one Starbucks or fast food outlet and we feel this just adds to the feeling that of escapism from the outside world, even if just for a while. The town centre is full of individual shops that cater to every need but unlike our own high streets they seem to be locally owned specialist shops rather than chain outlets. The opening hours are mornings 0830 - 1230 and afternoons 1700 - 2100. The local bank has an ATM - hole in the wall - and UK cash cards can be used although there is a service charge made in some cases and the limit was 250 Euros each time. Credits cards are widely accepted in shops and most restaurants, but smaller cafes and the market usually take only cash.
Eating OutDining is very reasonably priced and children are made very welcome everywhere so we can certainly recommend a plethora of local restaurants all very reasonably priced. The antipasta is "a must to try" - but be warned it might be advisable to delay ordering a main course until after you've eaten all the typical 10/12 dishes! A recommended list of restaurants is listed in the literature provided. However without the usual pressure to produce an evening meal after a busy day the leisurely shopping and excellent local produce you may well feel tempted to eat at home. Unlike English evenings it stays warm until very late so it's very inviting to dine outside under the stars. The meat is good and very fresh. All the usual steaks and sausages can be bought from the local DOK supermarket at their excellent deli counter. The kitchen in both the villa and the trulli are well equipped (including a dishwasher) so excellent local produce makes it easy and enjoyable to put together tasty simple food. How to get there
Puglia is well served by a range of international and domestic flights operating into the two main local airports at Bari and Brindisi. There are many options for travel into the region. From the South, there are very affordable direct flights into Bari and Brindisi from Stansted www.ryanair.com and Gatwick www.britishairways.com. From Heathrow alitalia offers flights via Milan with excellent connections into Bari. www.alitalia.com From the North, there are very affordable flights from Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Edinburgh on Jet2 to Milan, Rome or Venice with good affordable daily connections on airone into Bari. www.flyairone.it. Alternatively why not mix the holiday with a stopover in Rome or Venice. There are cheap internal daily flights operating from all the italian northern cities on Airone. Finally, another very viable route is via Naples. This driving route takes approximately three and a half hours door to door. The superstrada is surprisingly quiet and the roads are easy to negotiate. We can provide detailed directions for this option. Once you have arrived, hiring a car is easy and really is the only practical way of exploring the region. All the major car hire companies are located at both airports and cars can be pre-booked directly over the Internet (both BA and Ryanair offer preferential rates with various car hire partners). Client Feedback
This property is landscaped and maintained beautifully. The home and pool
sit on a rise and the view at night is beautiful. The villa itself is
spacious, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Great for a large group who
wants some privacy. Nice maps with walks and information on beaches and
towns to visit were in villa. The surrounding towns are easy to reach and
each one has something of interest. Steve, who manages the property, is just
great. I would definately return. Oh, there are cherry trees all around with
amazing cherries!
We rent both villas ( casa + trullo) 2 weeks with friends
We were not disappointed as it was similar to the descriptions and photos .
It's a very pleasant character house , beautiful garden and restful swimming
pool in a peaceful area. Fresh patio for meals. Fabulous view on the
countryside . .We appreciate the booklet provided in each house in which
there is a lot of information about the house and tourism ( what to see
around )
The property manager team and especially Steve and Jo is very nice and
responsive
We recommand this rental property you w'ont be disappointed and you will
feel at home !!!
This trullo is an idyllic, peaceful place to stay, in a totally quiet and
undisturbed location whilst still being central for lots of places of
interest. I would recommend visiting Alberobello, Cisternino and Martina
Franca at least, which despite being so close are all very different from
each other in character. Although there is plenty to see in the area, it is
difficult to tear oneself away from relaxing round the lovely pool or in the
restful shade of the patio and the views are amazing, day or night,
especially from the roof. The owners' description is accurate - the trullo
caters for every need, with plenty of kitchen equipment (including knives
which actually cut - a rarity in most rental properties) and is beautifully
restored to a high quality finish - the photographs don't do it justice. The
rooms are spacious with large wardrobes and chests of drawers in the
bedrooms (and I've never caught on to the idea of a capsule wardrobe!). It
was very hot while we were there, but although fans were provided, the thick
stone walls meant that it always stayed cool indoors anyway. We stayed here
with friends in La Casa next door, making a total party of 12, but there
were plenty of sunbeds, etc for all of us. Steve and Jo maintain the
property very well, are helpful and respond very quickly to any problems
that may crop up. I would highly recommend this property and would
definitely stay here again.
This holiday worked very well for us as two families with children aged
4-14 years. We found the area to be unspoilt, interesting and
safe. The accommodation, apart from being beautifully appointed and
spacious is top quality and super clean which is high on our list of
priorities. There are many decorative touches that made us feel that we
were staying in someone's valued holiday home rather than a company
owned property and this adds to the home from home feel which we
enjoyed. Given more time (and fewer children!) there is a wealth of
sight seeing and culture in the area which we would have liked to
explore. The villa and the trulli gave our two families ample space
and whilst holidaying together allowed privacy along with our communal
living. It is a holiday that comes highly recommended and one we will
not forget and wouldn't hesitate to return to.
The property was stunning - really and absolutely. It was exceptionally comfortable - the mattresses
especially - which is unusual for rental properties in our experience. It was very well furnished -
very much a home from home. We loved the personal touches with the CDs provided and the First Aid
kit. The terrace was huge and felt fabulously luxurious and the pool and its surroundings were
exceptionally clean (with the added bonus of fantastically unspoilt views).
We had a really great time and think the property is fabulous. Thank you. We valued the safe pool
for toddlers and its secluded location. The villa was extremely well equipped and it was spotless
throughout. We particularly liked the personal touches like the CDs.
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