itinerary new HIGHLIGHTS - Small Group Tours Italy | Italy ......ITALY WITH PLEASURE is a specialist provider of small group tours to Italy. We are a New Zealand based company, but

The Puglia Walking Tour

ITALY WITHPLEASURE is a

specialistprovider of small

group tours toItaly. We are a

New Zealandbased company,but our heart isin Italy. We've

travelledextensivelythroughout

Italy, and theitineraries that

we've puttogether allow

you to maximiseyour experienceof the best that

Italy has tooffer.


Walks that allow you to immerse yourself in the countryside,

seeing up close the traditional lifestyle of this region

Highlights

Matera discover remote cave churches

Valle d’Itria walking through trulli and drystone wall lanes

Ancient paths walk along the ancient Roman Trajan’s Way

Locorotondo voted one of Italy’s most beautiful villages

Ostuni known as the

‘white town’

Alberobello trulli conical houses

Byzantine frescoes in the caves of Matera

Polignano a Mare

perched above the Adriatic

Lecce baroque

Walk through areas of abandoned historic dwellings

Our Tour

Puglia is a southern Italian region boasting wonderful food, a rich history, beautiful towns to visit... and a few surprises! On this tour you walk through the countryside amongst olive groves and trulli houses, through vineyards alongside dry-stone walls. We have routes that are on walking tracks through flat countryside and a few country lanes. The area has centuries of history that reveal itself to you as you pass through at a pace allowing you to appreciate the smaller details. The walks allow you to get a close up feel for the land, the people and the traditions. This 7 day Puglia Walking Tour is fully guided and provides a combination that gives you a wonderful stay in Puglia, seeing all the highlights plus exploring the countryside on foot.

Why travel with us:

Italy With Pleasure is a specialist provider of small group tours to Italy. We would like to take you to some of our favourite destinations and unveil to you some of Italy’s best kept gems.

We take you to the places that we like visiting – we've travelled extensively throughout Italy, and the itineraries that we've put together allow you to maximise your experience of the best that Italy has to offer.

We specialise in southern Italy: Puglia, Amalfi and Sicily.

Small Group Tours of Italy Puglia – Amalfi – Sicily

www.italywithpleasure.com




Tour Dates

2020: 10 - 16 May

13 – 19 September

Puglia Walking Tour includes: English-speaking tour manager for the duration of the trip. All accommodation is included. Meals included as listed in the itinerary – each day breakfast plus a main

meal. All costs/entry fees for activities and sights are included (see itinerary). All tour transport is included (all private transfers, no public transport).

Puglia Walking Tour Price: €1950 *based on twin share, price is denominated in Euros (€) *single supplement of €100 for solo travellers * deposit is fully refundable Some features of our tours are:

Contact with local people: Careful selection of a range of activities and visits allow you to have genuine experiences in contact with local people... this is what memories are made of!

All our tours are organised directly by us: Not by third party tour operators.

Puglia revealed: We cover many destinations that would be difficult to reach on your own, and you get an insider’s perspective in each location.

Our guided tours are in small groups: Tours are always fully guided and in a small group context, giving a more personal touch and flexibility where needed.

Experience Italy like a local: As well as organised excursions, we leave some time each day for you to explore at your own pace so you can get a sense of how it is to live like a local.





Accommodation

You stay in the town of Monopoli, a vibrant town on the coast, with layers of history and a seaside

position. There’s even a swimming beach right in town.

The accommodation that we use is known as a ‘scattered hotel’ and is called ‘Albergo Diffuso

Monopoli (rate 4.5 on TripAdvisor, see www.albergodiffusomonopoli.it ).

This is a new concept that is becoming very popular in some Italian

historical centres. With a central reception (& free wifi, rooms

serviced, etc.), you stay in rooms in the old town in building from

centuries past. The rooms are tastefully presented and updated,

and by staying here you can really get a sense of history (along

with all the modern conveniences that you require of course).

For this week, you are immersed in history. By staying centrally you

can feel immersed in the local lifestyle, and it is easy to wander out

in the evening for dinner and gelati.

By the end of the week, you’ll be greeting your neighbours with a ‘buongiorno’ every morning!




OUR TOUR LEADERS Antonella: I am from Puglia and I have spent the last 15 years in the travel industry. I am a food lover and I like sharing with my guests my first hand knowledge of the local culture, people, food, habits and traditions. My family has passed on to me the Puglia way of living and I proudly preserve these precious values – making our wine, extra virgin olive oil and growing much of our food.

Andy: I am originally from the UK but bought my house here in 2006. I am immersed in Italian culture and life I have a BA in Italian and an MA in Art History. My passions are Renaissance and Baroque art and architecture and Italian wine and food. My particular interests are Caravaggio and Bernini, Salice Salentino and swordfish.

Anita: Raised in Bari, Puglia, I have a passion for sharing the best of this region with others. From my deep cultural knowledge and understanding of what is the essence of Puglia, I can provide to you an insight into both the land and the people that keep alive the traditions.

Richie: I am originally from the US but have lived in Italy for the last ten years. I have a degree in Art History and am a food & wine enthusiast who enjoys transmitting my love for the local culture to curious visitors. It's my mission to give something special to guests through a blend of learning, fun, spontaneity, and shared quality memories.

Roberta: From Sicily, in the very south of Italy, I then moved to Rome. To me, showing the beauties of this country to people from all over the world not only is a job, but also the best way I have to give something back to my country. I like to transmit the quintessence of Italian culture, because you can't understand Italy without passing through real people's way of living.

Malcolm: I first came to Italy about 15 years ago while working as a winemaker. With a passion for the gastronomy and the history of Italy, leading tours around regional areas allows me to share the best of Italy. Having lived in Sicily, Puglia, Rome and Milan, I have a good understanding of Italy and Italian culture from the north to the south.




About Us

Italy With Pleasure emerged from a marriage of ideas (the traditional marriage came later). To explain, we need to wind the clock back to the time when the founders of the company, Antonella and Malcolm, were embarking on what became Italy With Pleasure.

Malcolm was working as a winemaker in Puglia, southern Italy. Discovering new flavours, but more significantly the depth of history and culture all around. Nearby was Antonella, studying for a masters in literature. Together we embarked on an exploration of firstly Puglia, where we were living, and later further afield around the many and varied regions of Italy. Everywhere we went we would seek out the local cuisine, traditions tied to the land, places off the beaten track. We’d always try to find the essence of what made each place unique: maybe it was a local artisan, maybe it was part of an ancient Roman road, it could be the particular way they make their pasta shapes in their village.

And what were our own travels in Italy are now the tours that we offer to you - Italy With Pleasure was founded specifically for this purpose. We collaborate with a group of like-minded individuals who are our Tour Leaders - Andy and Anita, Richie and Roberta - who will lead your group for the week and provide insights into this land. Our guiding philosophy in designing the tour itineraries is to do so with the care we would in planning a personal trip with a close friend. We've maintained the spirit of those early days, almost 20 years ago now, back when we were driving around Italy with hands stained from the intense primitivo wine being made back in the winery.

We invite you to come and uncover some of these special places for yourselves.

With pleasure, of course.

….crafting wonderful tours of Italy


Puglia Walking Tour - Itinerary

Day 1 – Buongiorno Puglia! We meet in Bari, the main city of Puglia, and from here we start our discovery of the region. Our first stop is Polignano a Mare on the coast nearby, an impressive town clinging to a promontory suspended above the Adriatic’s turquoise waters. With a history spanning back to the 4th century BC as a Greek settlement, Polignano a Mare is a charming town centred around the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Polignano a Mare encircles a pebble beach, nestled in a cove between rocky cliffs. We advise keeping your camera at the ready! Towards evening we reach the town of Monopoli, where we stay in for the next six nights. We stay in the historic centre of town, where the piazzas have the traditional ‘passeggiata’ in full swing each evening. Over the next few days you'll have plenty of time to explore the town at your own pace. Tonight we dine together, having our first introduction to the cuisine of Puglia. Meals: Dinner

Day 2 – Alberobello and Trulli In the morning on our first walk we start to explore the fascinating area that you are based in. Starting out in an area of oak forest, the walk opens out to an area that has many working agricultural enterprises, vineyards, and the numerous small-holdings of the local community. We start to see the trulli, unique to this area and a taste for what is to come this afternoon in Alberobello. We see evidences of how people have lived here in times past, such as ‘cisterna’ underground tanks for water collection, and ‘aia’ raised platforms for the drying of grain. As we walk through the countryside you will have the

Polignano a Mare

The centre of Polignano

Monopoli



history of the area explained to you, while seeing first hand the combination of age-old practices along with more modern technology used to work this land today. In the afternoon we visit the picturesque Alberobello. First we have lunch in what used to be an olive oil mill, from back when this town was a simple agricultural centre. After lunch we explore Alberobello. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a unique town with streets lined with 'trulli'. In fact it is known in Italy as the “Capital of trulli”. Trulli are small stone houses with a distinctive conical roof, built 300-400 years ago. By walking along its narrow streets, you will be fascinated by the magical and fairytale atmosphere of this place. We explore this town together, and learn about why and how these dwellings were built, and about the cryptic symbols painted on the roof-cones. You’ll also have some free time to browse the shops of Alberobello and to wander around. WALKING DETAILS: The walk is fully guided. Total Distance: 5 miles / 8 km Duration of walking: 3 hrs Terrain: Well formed track, slight inclines. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3 – Ostuni: The Ancient Plains After a short drive toward the coast, we begin today’s walks and start to really get an understanding of the depth of history that we are surrounded by. Walking first through open plains, we come across abandoned dwellings – in this area evidence has been found of inhabitation since Neolithic times. Part of the route we walk today follows the route of the ancient Roman road called Trajan’s Way. This was built to connect Rome with the port of Brindisi further south in Puglia, and the trade routes that extended out from there. For lunch we visit Ostuni, known as “la città bianca” (the

Through the oak forest

Our trail through rural Puglia

Alberobello

Alberobello

The path on the olive tree plains



white town). Ostuni is a cluster of whitewashed buildings perched on a hilltop overlooking the coast. Walking through the narrow streets of Ostuni is like being in a forgotten time, evocative and ancient, looking out over an expanse of olive trees. We arrive at our lunch venue, enjoying the time to recharge and relax. After lunch we visit a 'masseria'. A masseria is a historic farm centre, originally with all the estate's workers living in the fortified buildings. Nowadays some of these estates are still agricultural enterprises, while others have been converted into boutique lodges. The masseria that we visit still produces organic extra virgin olive oil from trees that are many centuries old. This land has been worked for thousands of years - we are shown the remnants of the ancient Roman agricultural production here, along with items from habitation from the middle ages through until modern times. After seeing the ancient trees, we enjoy a degustation of a range of olive oils. This allows us to compare the different tastes from the olive varieties grown here. WALKING DETAILS: The walk is fully guided. Total Distance: 7.5 miles / 12 km Duration of walking: 4 hrs Terrain: Well formed track, some country roads, flat. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4 – Lecce: The Marvels of Elegant Baroque Today we travel to Lecce, a city that flourished in the 17th century when elegant baroque buildings were built by the ruling classes. The baroque style features ornate decorations on the facades of churches and palaces. This day is not a hiking day – we do a walking tour of central Lecce but actually this day gives your legs a bit of a rest. We take a private walking tour around Lecce with a local expert guide to have the key sights explained to us. The baroque style here is distinct from that in other parts of Italy, both stylistically and in the use of beige local stone.

Walking along an ancient watercourse

Ostuni

The Olive Grove

The chapel



As well as the architectural and historical features, Lecce is an elegant town in which to indulge in more modern pleasures. There are many interesting boutiques and cafes, and the piazzas are full of life in this important southern Italian centre. After some free time in central Lecce we have lunch in a local restaurant, where we experience the food specific to this part of Puglia, called ‘the Salento’. We dine on foods such as ‘ceci e tria’ (a type of pasta dish only made in Lecce), and of course we finish with the delicious ‘caffe leccese’ (espresso on ice with sweet almond syrup). WALKING DETAILS: The walk is fully guided. Total Distance: 3.7 miles / 6 km Duration of walking: 2 hrs Terrain: Paved and flat (city walk – gives your legs a break!) Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5 – Matera: A Step Back In Time This morning we travel to the town of Matera in the neighbouring Basilicata region. Visiting Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is like a step back in time. In fact this is one of the oldest continually inhabited settlements in the world. The oldest cave dwellings go back to the Bronze Age. We spend the morning we visit the town of Matera - the 'sassi' cave area. This consists of houses carved out of the rock face along the side of a steep ravine. We visit, and enter one of the typical houses built into the rock, showing the difficult existence in these conditions. Our local guide here gives us an interesting insight into life in Matera, both now and in the past. In fact his grandparents lived in these caves. We also visit a cave church hewn out of the rock, featuring Byzantine frescoes and with interesting histories as their usage has evolved and adapted to the conditions over the years.

Santa Croce, Lecce

Church interior, Lecce

Walking near Matera

Byzantine frescoes



Matera was used for the filming of Mel Gibson's “The Passion of the Christ” - you'll see why it is so easy to imagine Matera as being completely removed from the modern age. Since we are in the Basilicata region, our lunch here focuses on the specialties from this inland area. We spend the afternoon walking on the paths along the river valley known as the ‘gravina’. These walks will give you an even better insight into the lifestyle of times past. There are over 150 “chiese rupestre” (cave churches) in the Matera area, and the majority of them are actually strung out along this valley. You will see where the monks lived, and there are precious Byzantine frecoes in many of these churches. Historically a large proportion of the proportion of the men from Matera spent most of their time living here in the valley, tending their animals, and returning periodically to their families in the town of Matera. WALKING DETAILS: The walks are fully guided. Distance (morning): 3 miles / 5 km Distance (afternoon): 3 miles / 5 km Duration of walking sections: 2 hrs before lunch, 3 hrs after lunch Terrain: Morning – paved, some steps and inclines Afternoon – unsealed trails, some inclines Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6 – Locorotondo: A Bucolic Stroll Today you walk along a scenic route through an area called the Valle d’Itria, a high plateau with an interesting mix of olive and almond trees, artichokes and capers. Your trail is an old water supply route now converted into a walking and cycling path. Walking through this countryside you can see how some

Church, Matera

Inside a frescoed church, Matera

Touring Matera



aspects of life here follow the seasonal cycles of planting and harvest, as they have done for many generations. Locorotondo is a hilltop town in the Valle d’Itria overlooking the rich horticultural landscape. Locorotondo, has been voted as one of the “Borghi più belli d'Italia” (most beautiful villages of Italy). The town is perched on a hilltop overlooking the Valle d'Itria, a broad fertile valley. Locorotondo is renowned for wine production, with a DOC classification for the local white wine. The town is a great place to explore on foot as it is compact centre spans on central piazza. The historic part of town - the centro storico - is circular with little lanes lined with historic buildings, including some impressive baroque archways. Mid-afternoon your driver will pick you up from Locorotondo and drive your accommodation in Martina Franca. WALKING DETAILS: The walk is fully guided. Total Distance: 7 miles / 11 km Duration of walking: 3 hrs Terrain: Well formed walking track, level. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7 – Arrivederci Puglia Today is our last day in Puglia, we organise transport for you to your departure point in Bari and bid you “buon viaggio”. The tour finishes in Bari at 11 a.m.

Meals: Breakfast

Locorotondo

Lanes in the historic centre



Physical Requirements As this is a walking tour we require that participants have an adequate level of fitness and

health to ensure that you are able to complete the tour. Tour participants should satisfy the

following criteria:

Be able to walk for the distance of each walk during this tour (up to 12 km / 7.5 miles

and up to 4 hours, refer to the itinerary for specific details of each day’s walk).

Have sufficient stability and mobility to be able to walk on uneven surfaces and

unpaved paths.

Be able to handle walking on inclines, declines and steps (both ascending and

descending).

Be able to tolerate varied weather conditions (heat, wind, etc.)

We would expect that you are currently living an active lifestyle. This may include daily

walks or similar physical activity.

The view toward Matera

"Memories are the most beautifulpictures our minds can paint"

"I... only have praise and good things to say about how wonderful it

was. The places that we visited were fascinating and very unique,

and the food and wine was delectable. I didn't know what to expect

of the trip, but it more than fulfilled any hopes that I had for a great

week. Everything was well organised and the atmosphere was

friendly and relaxed. I can thoroughly recommend the tour.”

see the full review on TripAdvisor

WEBSITE:


EMAIL:

[email protected]

TELEPHONE:

NZ (+64) 9 320 0218

Italy (+39) 342 877 6233

Documents

itinerary new HIGHLIGHTS - Small Group Tours Italy | Italy ......ITALY WITH PLEASURE is a specialist provider of small group tours to Italy. We are a New Zealand based company, but