Creative Holidays in Italy
PLEASURES OF PUGLIA ACTIVITY HOLIDAY
This small group holiday (maximum12 people) aims to provide the best possible introduction to the culture, history and gastronomy of this lovely part of Puglia on walking, cycling and mini-bus excursions. The itinerary is flexible enough to allow plenty of walking, cycling and swimming combined with minibus travel and more leisurely exploration of places of interest. David and Aaron are your helpful guides and Leonie’s three or four course dinners using only fresh local produce and accompanied by local wines are a highlight of the holiday.
The price is £950 per person based on two people sharing a room.The holiday includes half board at Masseria Impisi, (please note - breakfasts are self-service using the guest kitchen/diners), organised days of walking and cycling along the beautiful Adriatic coast, minibus sightseeing tours to Ostuni, Lecce and nearby coastal villages and all the facilities of Masseria Impisi. All excursions including museum and cantina entrance fees, guides, interpreters and bike hire are included. Free transfers to and from Brindisi Airport (to coincide with Ryanair's current schedule. Should this change we will adjust the program accordingly) or Ostuni Rail Station. Cost of flights is not included in the holiday price. The holiday does not include restaurant meals, snacks or drinks on excursions.
There is a maximum of 12 people on the Activity Holiday. Accommodation is in either double/twin rooms. Single room accomodation is only available in the adjacent Villetta. The cost of single occupation of a room is £1100
(We reserve the right to change excursions should the weather be unfavourable or unforseen circumstances occur).
PROPOSED ITINERARY
DAY 1 Arrival and Gastronomia.
Early pick-up from Brindisi Airport and drive to Masseria Impisi. After settling in and a generous buffet lunch David will take you on a tour of Masseria Impisi, once a working farm and oil mill, now a peaceful holiday retreat. Later in the day there is a stroll through the olive groves to a nearby ‘Frantoio Ipogeo’, an ancient underground mill that has been transformed into a small museum and where the owner will enthusiastically take you through the history and traditions of oil production and with tastings of preserves and oils from his azienda. Return to Masseria Impisi for a gastronomic dinner sampling a variety of local wines as well as traditional Puglian dishes.
DAY 2 Walking and Cycling.
This morning Aaron will lead you on a gentle cycle ride along the old Roman Appian way which winds through farmlands and olive groves to a Bronze Age Dolman. Here you can enjoy a picnic lunch before the return ride to Masseria Impisi.Approx 15 kilometres both ways. In the early evening we take a leisurely walk through the countryside to the historic city of Ostuni for a drink in the main Piazza. Then dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants in the old part of town before being driven back to Masseria Impisi.
DAY 3 Historical Sightseeing.
An early start for a full day mini-bus excursion into the Southern Salento visiting the historic port of Otranto, optional swimming in the clear Adriatic and sightseeing in the beautiful city of Lecce. Otranto is the most easterly part of the peninsula(Albania is visible on a clear day!). The old town is a fortified port with a Norman castle and a Cathedral that is famous for its remarkable mosaic floor. After a pit-stop for coffee we can explore the town’s architectural treasures. Driving farther up the coast we pause to see the remains of an 11thC monastery, with the opportunity to swim in the clear waters of the little bay. Then a late lunch in Lecce in the opulent surroundings of a restored RenaissancePalazzo. Lecce is famous for its exuberant Baroque buildings, church facades bursting with decorative details and interiors that contain a wealth of papier-mâché sculpture. In the early evening you can browse the streets of Lecce enjoying the architecture – or go window shopping in the designer boutiques of this elegant city before the drive back to Masseria Impisi.
DAY 4 Ancient History.
Today we take a look at the ancient history of the Ostuni area, leaving plenty of leisure time for swimming or other activities. In the morning there is a guided tour of the excavations of the Crypt of Agnani. Here an 18thC cave-church dedicated to the Virgin was built on the site of the Paleolithic ritual burial of a pregnant woman, laid here some 30,000 years ago. Her complete cadaver with pigmented decoration is one of the earliest discoveries of its kind in the world. You can either cycle to the cave with Aaron or drive with David who will be translating the Italian guide. A guided tour of the site then on to the coast and lunch at the fishing village of Savalletri. After lunch we visit the archaeological site of Egnazia, an important trading city for thousands of years. There is a small museum and extensive archaeological site where you can explore the excavations of Messapian, Greek, Roman and Medieval buildings, or if you prefer, you can swim above the faint remains of the Necropolis in the nearby bay. Then return to Masseria Impisi for free time and activities before another of Leonie’s special dinners.
DAY 5 Market Day and the Trulli.
On Saturday morning Ostuni holds one of the largest open markets in Puglia. We will drive there to see the wealth of local produce and experience the hustle, bustle and bargaining before setting off on a minibus tour of the Val D’Itria, land of the Trulli. The Trulli houses are unique to Puglia, small conical Hobbit houses with mysterious symbols painted on their roofs. After lunch at the pretty hill town of Locorotondo we visit the town of Alberobello which has the greatest concentration of Trulli buildings and is now a World Heritage site.Then a drive back through the vineyards and olive groves for another gastronomic dinner at Masseria Impisi using some of the local produce bought at the morning market.
DAY 6 Nature Walk, Swimming and Snorkling.
Another active day with a morning walking trek through the nature reserve of Torre Guaceto. There are many rare and endangered plants and sea creatures that are being protected in this area but sections of the beach are available for swimming and snorkling. Aaron can provide basic equipment for those who want to spend some time in the water. Then a drive to the nearby fishing village of Villanova for a late seafood lunch at a simple harbourside trattoria. When you return to Masseria Impisi all kinds of activities can be available before supper – archery, cycling, swimming in the pool, a game of boule or just relaxing with a book in the garden before supper.
DAY 7 Wine and Sightseeing.
This morning we shall visit the Botrugno vineyards and cantina where the wines you have been enjoying at Masseria Impisi are made. Starting with a visit to the vineyard to meet the owner, Sergio, an enthusiastic grower of ancient traditional Pugliese grape types, we then move on to his modern cantina in Brindisi to see how the wine is developed. After a fascinating tour with tastings of his various vintages you may be tempted to make some memorable purchases. There is a variety of trattorias and bars on the harbourside at Brindisi for lunch before an afternoon of sightseeing. You can choose your afternoon activity. Perhaps a ferry ride across the harbour, or a walk to the Maritime Monument Tower for the breathtaking view over the town before the drive back to Masseria Impisi. On warm evenings we can dine beneath the stars in Impisi’s olive grove, a chance for Aaron to demonstrate his skills with the BBQ. and a memorable last supper!
DAY 8 Departure.
After breakfast we drive you to Brindisi Airport in good time for the flight home, full of memories of Puglia and a happy and eventful holiday.
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