We have made several friends here in Italy and it has been a real pleasure getting to know them and helping each other learn our respective languages. They are always looking to show us the interesting things and beautiful places southern Italy has to offer. So, back in December, our good friends, Gianfranco and Paola (and their son Cesare) and Maurizio and Roberta (and their son Diego), invited us (me, Holly, Zach and Shannon) to visit one of the area’s main attractions, Alberobello. It is a town north of here that is known for its trulli. If you don’t know what trulli are, join the crowd. I didn’t either until we moved here. (Holly wanted to make sure that you knew she knew what they were), They are small round buildings with conical stone roofs. The story I have gotten is that long ago, if you constructed a round building, it was thought of as a place for animals and the owner did not have to pay taxes on it. So everyone started building and living in them as a way to avoid taxes. ( How American of them.) Now they are spread out over the countryside with Alberobello having the highest concentration.
The gang of 10 from left to right: Diego, Cesare, Gianfranco, Paola, Maurizio, Roberta, Shannon, Holly, Zach and yours truly.
It is kind of like a Hobbit village without as much greenery.
Rows of little round houses
Not all have symbols but a lot do. See the definitions below.
My apologies, it is a little out of focus, but you get the idea.
A little off the main tourist track, but I loved these little lanes.
The trulli church.
This is just a picture I could not resist. It is the roots of an ancient olive tree in the middle of town.
Inside they are quite comfortable and many have been made into B&Bs. My only issue was the lack of natural light.
On our way home, we stopped for dinner and coffee in the delightful little town of Cisternino overlooking Val D’Itria.
Cesare (Gianfranco and Paola’s son), Holly, Paola and Roberta.
Holly and Gianfranco getting into, I will show you my place if you show me yours.
Beautiful vistas and we all had to take pictures.
As we were leaving, night began to fall and the scene turned magical.
We have made great friends and are sharing some wonderful experiences. Next stop will be Matera.
Trying hard not to be jealous!
You look like you are doing pretty well yourself.
Hi Jim, Looks great. So far, I’ve only seen it in the rain…ditto Matera. Will just have to come back. ML
Well we hope you do come back. Would love to see you again.
We will be in Lecce from 25 April for two weeks. We’ve booked an air Bnb apartment nel centro! A presto.
I knew what the trulli are,… just sayin’. Glad the blog is back.
John, Good to hear from you. I am sure that several people knew. Being the worldly person you are, I would never doubt that you knew. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had some vague notions, but it was not until I actually saw them that it all came together.