Perfect Puglia

Well, would you look at that...it's now March! Doesn't time fly? And, as per usual (oh dear!) this Brit is way behind on her blogging...

A couple of weekends ago, it seemed as though Spring had already sprung here in Puglia. The sun was out, the sunglasses were on, and the thick coats were off. Myself and my man were incredibly lucky, as we had chosen this particular weekend to go on a little trip down to the beautiful Baroque city of Lecce (often named the 'Florence of the South', and it's easy to see why). We were blinded by the sun all the way down and even OPENED up the windows to let in some air, as the car was getting pretty hot. In FEBRUARY. Anyway, we had chosen to say at the Risorgimento Resort in the city centre; a rather chic five star hotel. And before you start thinking that I have rather extravagant tastes in accommodation , I actually stumbled across this place on Booking.com back in December, and snapped up a great price for that weekend. Myself and the Italian were very impressed, even if the staff weren't the friendliest bunch.

comfiest. bed. ever.

From the Pasticceria 'Natale'. I simply URGE you to go there.

We relaxed, drank coffee, ate delicious cakes and explored the city; in short, we had a wonderful (albeit brief) time in Lecce. Check out my recent article on charmingitaly.com if you want to know a bit more about lovely Lecce: http://www.charmingitaly.com/article/luxurious-weekends-in-lecce.

When Sunday rolled around, and we (very reluctantly) rolled out of what may be the biggest, most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, we said goodbye to Lecce and headed towards the seaside town of Polignano al Mare.

A visit to this little town, which is located right on the Adriatic sea in the province of Bari, is an absolute must for anyone who has the pleasure of visiting Puglia. Not only is is packed full of history, as it has been around since prehistoric times, but it is also home to cute little shops, restaurants and pavement cafes. Make sure you take time to wander around the windy little streets and read all the arty little messages that have been painted into the stone.

Next weekend we will be heading down to Matera. It is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, and home to the famous 'sassi' (stone houses). Roll on Saturday!

A wonderful weekend...?

Ever had one of those weeks where everything seems to happen at once, you feel completely rushed off your feet and barely have a moment to yourself?

Well, my week has been a bit like that.

So, methinks that a bit of a relaxing, indulgent weekend is needed. And what does that involve?

Scoffing English biccies that I have managed to save until now. Not sure how I managed that to be honest.

Reading English mags that I have also managed to save until now. Ahh..effortless.

Possibly drinking some of this.

Definitely drinking lots of this.

And certainly eating some of these.

What do you have in store for the weekend? Hope you all have a good one! :D

Weekend report

So, this weekend I was supposed to go to a christening, but unfortunately it had to be postponed until December. (Which means rethinking the dress I was planning on wearing. Hmm...)

I did have a lovely time on Saturday though, because I had a very nice meal (well, would you look at that, another post about food...) with some friends at their new flat.

I'm going to admit the fact that I didn't play any part in the cooking (let's face it, would you interrupt an Italian in the kitchen? I thought not...). All I did was wander around, snapping photos and chatting. I did bring the dolce though, which I always consider to be a fundamental part of the meal.

We ate and talked and ate a bit more, then almost fell asleep on the sofa, watching the rain (yes, it does rain here...sometimes!) :D

I adore that yellow wall!

One o'clock IS wine o'clock :D

The secret to a good risotto? It's all in the stirring!

But now it's Monday, so long lunches with friends will have to wait a few days. I do only have half a week this week though, as Thursday and Friday are public holidays. Wooo! And I have a rather exciting trip planned... ;)