alltheflavorsandcolors: Puglia (Apulia) region in Italy: 7 towns, 7 stories

Ostuni

Ostuni is a great base from which to explore Puglia, as it is placed in the very heart of the region and is close to all other major attractions. It is also named "the white city" or "Citta Bianca", because everything in it is white: walls, buildings, pavement. The town is visible long before you reach it, as it rises above a large dense carpet of olive trees.

There are 8 km between Ostuni and the nearest beach, therefore it is not difficult to alternate the strolling through the white streets with time spent on the beautiful beaches around Ostuni or with visits to the olive oil farmhouses near it.

The best way to discover Ostuni is to take a walk through the old town - the "centro storico", formed of an intricate maze of alleys, staircases and narrow streets. On the main street you'll find lots of boutique stores and souvenir shops, selling local olive oil, crunchy taralli and cheese specialties such as burrata, mozzarella or Caciocavallo.

While enjoying your coffee in Piazza della Liberta and maybe listening to Ornela Vanoni playing "L'appuntamento" in the background, you'll observe people passing by, savoring their gelatos and feeling the serenity this small town exudes.

Alberobello

Alberobello is the most touristic town I've been in Puglia. It should be visited, it is a good option for a day stay, but be prepared for hordes of tourists determined to discover every corner of this small town, declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.

You will not forget easily the image of the numerous white buildings specific to this area, named trulli. According to UNESCO's website (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/787), trulli are "remarkable examples of mortarless construction, a prehistoric building technique still in use in this region. The trulli are made of roughly worked boulders collected from neighboring fields". In Alberobello you will find the largest concentration of trulli in the area, with more than 1,500 very well preserved or restored trulli. Many of these constructions have been transformed into restaurants, souvenir shops and B&B's for tourists.

After visiting these beautiful constructions, I advice you to go for lunch or dinner at Favola in tavola restaurant (https://www.alberobello.com/restaurant-favola-in-tavola). The burrata is to die for, as well as the lamb chops. You should know that burrata, one of the most popular dairy products in the region, is considered to be one of the most delightful products of Apulian cheese-making tradition.