Wednesday, October 4, 2023
In the early morning, after a quick and delicious breakfast at our Aquatio Hotel, we returned to the Parcheggio Sant'Isodoro (Parking Garage) and set out on our drive to Alberobello.
On the way from Matera, the roads were primarily single-lane and only sometimes well-paved. When we reached wider freeways, the roads were much better (and speed limits much higher). Usually, road speed was either 90 km/h or 110 km/h.
When arriving at Alberobello, we noticed some trullis on the outskirts. We parked at the Parcheggio Viale Indipendenza 6 near the old town.
After stopping at a nearby restroom, we started exploring the old town, walking up and down narrow city streets and admiring the many beautiful trullis. Most trullis were selling various kinds of souvenirs. We stopped at Bar Pasticceria Martinucci Laboratory to look at the pastries and cakes. They looked delicious, but we were not yet ready for lunch. In addition, we were explicitly told to look for a place with a very long line (as it was the best pastry shop in Alberobello, but this shop did not have any lines).
We stopped by Bar Rione Monte for a cold drink (and to go upstairs for a panoramic view). It was sweltering outside, and we were sweating when walking in direct sunlight. I ordered a "cafe creme," recalling the delicious version from Naples. However, the version served here was more like coffee-flavored gelato than "cafe creme." It was still delicious!
After we finished our drinks, we walked upstairs to the rooftop for a panoramic view of Alberobello. It was quite a beautiful sight to see hundreds of Trullis all around.
Our next stop was the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian near Trullo Sovrano. We stopped by briefly to enjoy this beautiful church.
We consulted Google Maps and found that Trullo Sovrano was a highly rated museum we should visit. We decided to head over and see for ourselves. After paying the entrance fee, we explored the many small rooms in this two-story Trullo. There was a small bedroom, a kitchen, and many other small rooms.
Incidentally, the Trulli way of building homes was done to avoid paying taxes. Since no mortar was used to hold the roof tiles together, they could easily be dismantled and moved. Round construction was the simplest and cheapest.
While at Trullo Sovrano, we briefly stopped by its wine shop, where we sampled Wine Punch and Sangria. The Wine Punch was sweet and delicious, and the Sangria was okay.
We wandered around the streets and stopped by La Bottega del Gelato. I selected a small cup with Sour Cherry, while Inna chose some other flavors. They were delicious!
While sitting down and enjoying our gelato, we observed young kids returning from school. Some kids were being picked up on scooters by their fathers; others were picked up by grandfathers. Large nuclear families were still alive and well in Alberobello. To help protect the young kids, police set up roadblocks to prevent cars from driving through parts of town where kids were walking.
By this time, we were hot and a bit hungry for lunch. We looked around various restaurants, but at 13:30, they all seemed busy, with no outdoor tables available. We decided to try the Michelin-rated L'Aratro di Domenico Laera nearby and found an indoor table. We decided to get a small appetizer to share among us:
- Appetizer of the Plow: typical cheeses and meats of the area
Initially, the appetizer felt small, but several dishes were brought out that were quite good.
After lunch, we looked at a few other souvenirs and returned to our car. We drove back to Matera, stopping at a gas station to refill my Opel Corsa. Inadvertently, I went to the full-service counter and had a gas station attendant fill up my vehicle at 2.20 euros/liter (0.25 more than I would have). I need to be more careful next time to select the self-service pumps. I paid $56.64 = 52.62 euros at 2.20/liter for 23.92 liters of benzene.
Alberobello Trip Report
Highlights
- Exploring the beautiful town, with all of its Trullis
- Viewing the artifacts in Trullo Sovrano
- Eating gelato at La Bottega del Gelato
- Viewing the city panorama from Bar Rione Monte
Lowlights
- Scorching weather
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