Going for a walk?

Durante il mese di novembre mi è capitato, sfogliando una delle guide di Taranto che ho in casa, di imbattermi in un trafiletto che parlava del progetto di gestione condivisa e partecipata Domus Armenorum , il quale si poneva come obiettivo la gestione, appunto, di un bene culturale della città vecchia di Taranto per evitarne l’abbandono. Il bene in questione è la chiesa di S. Andrea degli Armeni in Piazza Monteoliveto . La guida dice che per visitare la chiesa è sufficiente chiedere agli abitanti della piazza. Ho trovato questa iniziativa subito molto interessante, anche perché si occupa di una delle città che frequento maggiormente e che vorrei vedere prosperare anche turisticamente, perciò, senza pensarci due volte, ho scritto a Domus Armenorum perché mi parlassero di questa iniziativa, permettendomi così di scriverne qui sul blog. L’appuntamento con il responsabile, Giovanni Berardi, era fissato e ci siamo incontrati, giustamente, nella chiesa oggetto del progetto. A...

L’aria salmastra scompiglia i capelli mentre si percorre il lungomare della città vecchia. Davanti a noi si staglia un panorama che suscita sentimenti contrastanti. Taranto è così: una città dove i contrasti convivono, dove il bellissimo e il bruttissimo condividono lo stesso orizzonte. Abbiamo di fronte un mare cristallino, un cielo limpido, gli yacht galleggiano ormeggiati nel porto; scostiamo gli occhi un po’ più in là e vediamo le ciminiere dell’ex Ilva.

Christmas has definitely come in Valle d’Itria . Old town centres are filled with illuminations , which become real tourist attractions. Lately, creativity in decorating towns, old centres in particular, has increased to the point of offering each year real works of art that brighten not only tourists who choose this part of the world to spend the last moments of the year, but also those who live it daily. I’ve wanted to propose here on the blog an itinerary in the old centre of Martina Franca from a while. Seen   the period and the illuminations already on display along the alleys, I’ve thought a little itinerary in the dressed up old centre. I suggest it for an evening walk, with the crisp air that cools your nose, but not so cold to make you stay at home. An itinerary not just for those who don’t know the area, but also for those who, like me, live little far from Martina Franca and want to enjoy a little taste of Christmas.

Saint Cecilia, the day that marks the biginning of Christmas period in the Area of Taranto. Events, music and tasty pettole are the main ingredients of this feast. Today, we discover this unique tradition of Taranto. The day of  Saint Cecilia  has a particular meaning  for Taranto and its inhabitants. We wait for this day, we celebrate it, in churches boys and girls get ready for this event with choirs for the usual concert. The  Christmas period of Taranto, the longest of Italy , starts with these celebrations. Leggi in italiano

A visit at the castle of Lagopesole, one of Frederick II's castle, which is also one of the best preserved. Leggi in italiano A road sign: “LAGOPESOLE” “We’re near Lagopesole . If there’s time, do you want to go there? “What’s in Lagopesole?” “ Frederick II’s castle . It’s one of the last he made built and also one of the best preserved.” “Erm…let’s see…”

Let's see in detail a type of sustainable tourist accomodation: multi-building hotels. What they are and why it's a good idea to choose tem for our responsible stays.  We said that one of the things that should be done to travel in a sustainable way should be to choose a tourist accommodation that respects the dictates of sustainable tourism . In addition to the accommodations that pay attention to resource savings, to recycling and to local products, there are some of them that can offer a particular point of view to those who choose them. So, in this blog post we talk about them, the multi-building hotels . Leggi in italiano

Today I propose you an small itinerary in Matera . It’s not an itinerary to discover the European Capital of Culture 2019 , but something more modest, relaxed, to be followed in a sunny and not too hot afternoon, like those that we are living here in the South this year. The itinerary is guided by Salvador Dalì exposition hosted in Matera until the 30 th of November. I know, an exposition and an itinerary seem not to be linked together, yet they are. Even though the most of the exposition is inside the complex rock-hewn of Madonna delle Virtù and of San Nicola dei Greci, some colossal works are around town and are the stops of this itinerary around the Sassi of Matera .

In this post  I wrote about my interest in sustainable tourism and how I try to travel in a responsible way as much as possible. So, I’m pleasantly satisfied when I see a destination that acts with respect for the criteria of sustainable tourism to create wealth in the place and for its population and providing high quality services. I have an example right near my hometown, in the middle of Valle d’Itria: the famous Alberobello .

It’s October. In Apulia,  this year autumn is getting shy and is not felt yet but for the fresh breeze that moves the curtains as soon as the sun sets. With this nice weather I barely remember that summer has been over for a while, but maybe some other excursions in nature , typical of summer period for me, could be organized. As for example, the one I made in August to San Fele Falls in Basilicata . I knew about this place by chance, when some friends published on their social profiles some beautiful photos of the falls. Being a lover of woods Lucan, surely I couldn’t make this discovery pass unnoticed and in no time the excursion was organized.

Let's meet the Salina dei Monaci, a natural heaven in San Pietro in Bevagna, protected by the natural reserve, populated by pink flamingos, surrounded by Mediterranean scrub and with the ruins of a salt works as a backgoround. Leggi in italiano Last weekend I attended an aikido seminar in the nature of Salento, in Manduria. One of the most pleasant aspect of this particular seminar is the practice on the beach with a bath after the lesson.

February. Apulia. I don’t know about you, but these two words together make me think about just one thing: Carnival . I live in a town where Carnival is a tradition and this period has always been characterized by the choice of the costume to wear during parades. Yet, I must admit that Carnival in Massafra has to compare itself with a giant of Carnival tradition in Apulia: the Carnival of Putignano , the longest in Italy and the oldest in Europe.

Let’s continue our itinerary for those who visit Bari for the first time . In the first part we left off in the old town centre and it’s from here that we start with the second part. 1. SAINT NICHOLAS’

I’ve started to know Bari when I was at the university. Studying tourism, my academic path included experiencing Bari from a tourist point of view. In this way I discovered the major attractions of this town. Since then I’ve walked many times in Bari with friends who actually are from Bari and others who didn’t know the town at all. In the latter case I was their guide and I noticed that I suggest always the same itinerary to those who are in Bari for the first time in order to give them an overview of the town. Most of the time this itinerary is completed in one day . If you are curious to know what I suggest to see to those who are in Bari for the first time, stay with me and let’s get started!

Apulia is a region so versatile in its offer to the visitor that it can be a perfect destination in every season, even winter . I’ve always thought so. Obviously, there are some periods in which it could be difficult to move, for example when some unexpected snowfalls sneak up on you, but they are rare events and the situation is usually solved in a couple of days . I can say that this might be the thing that I love of most of living in a place where winters are mild . So, if you ask me if it’s possible to visit Apulia in winter , definitely I say yes. Obviously, it also depends on what you expect from your visit. So, how can you enjoy Apulia in winter ?

What to see in Massafra in 2 days. Here an itinerary to discover its natural, artistic, historical and traditional beauties. This is a two-day itinerary of Massafra , a little town near Taranto, in Apulia. You can visit Massafra basically whenever you want, thanks to its beautiful weather, but I suggest to prefer spring and late summer, especially for this itinerary. So, if you’re ready, let’s get started! Leggi in italiano 1. THE RAVINE “SAN MARCO” It was also called the “Paradise of Massafra”. It’s a ravine that divides the town in two parts: on one side there’s the historical centre and the castle; on the other side there’s the new part of the town. Sometimes ago I wrote this blog post about the ravine and the rural village that it hosted. Click here to read it.

In 2014 I found out to suffer from celiac disease . Since then many things have changed, especially speaking of travel . I’d never thought about food organization during a travel until that moment.  Fortunately, there are some tools that help people with celiac disease to feel at ease in all situation. In this blog post I talked about the websites that help us in this sense. In this one I want to tell you how I’ve changed my travel habits and how I organize my travel and my luggage to make my gluten free travel more comfortable.

5 choises to travel in a more sustainable way, event though you have a limited budget I remember that when I was at the university studying foreign languages for tourism, at a certain point of my academic path, my studies turned toward sustainable tourism . To give you an idea of what sustainable tourism means, here the definition given by the WTO (World Tourism Organization): "Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities" ( click here for more ) I thought that it was great and everyone should have been aware of it while travelling. During those years I kept studying the characteristics of sustainable tourism and how to be a sustainable traveller until I met, in one of the books of the program, the chapter about sustainable tour operators. They organize travels in places that are not so much developed from a tourist poin...