I can’t say enough about our trip to the region of Puglia (pool-ya), the heel of Italy’s boot. CJ and David really know how to celebrate turning 50! This food tour was led by Sophie Minchilli, the daughter of one of CJs favorite food writers, and was limited to 12 participants. We were super fortunate to have an easy-going bunch of experienced travelers, among them David and CJs good friends, Jenn and Rich, whom we met on our first night in Rome. The 6 of us jumped right in to the food experience with a restaurant reco from Rich and Jenn’s cab driver!
Then we had an evening stroll around Rome, including a stop at Trevi fountain for Jenn to make a promised wish. The following morning we all got the train for our journey to Lecce and Day 1 of our adventure.
We met our guides and fellow foodies at the hotel and got to know one another over a fantastic family style dinner. Conversation was easy and enjoyable and the schedule allowed lots of time for introverts to recharge away from the group 🫠
Even with lots of free time in the itinerary we still didn’t have a chance to see all the sights. The yarn shop restaurant has me intrigued but will have to wait for another visit. Our guide, Angelo, told stories full of personal connections and fascinating tidbits, like the one about the cistern eel. 😱
We visited the ancestral palace of one of the oldest families in Puglia. The matriarch shared some history and we were invited to see parts of the home and garden, which overlooks a Roman amphitheater, rediscovered when the family wanted to renovate the gardens. 
The circle marks the back garden of the palazzo. It must have been a huge disappointment for them when their backyard became an historic site.
I loved having a guide through the local market. We learned about lots of foods that were new to me such as the greens and buds of the poppy plant, harvested just before buds open, and cooked like collard greens or the like. They have a fresh, lively flavor and a texture similar to seaweed, a nice contrast to pasta. I also learned that some varieties of winter tomatoes can stay fresh for up to one year. They have thick, tough skins. Artichoke season was just coming to its end and we heard how the local women were really happy to move on from having to prep artichokes, even though they are a seasonal favorite.
(Lower left photo is Rich enjoying his wine while teacher Maya “helps” him fix his dough 🤣)
With our fresh veg we walked to Gianna’s cooking school which had been a monastery for cloistered nuns.We learned to make focaccia and orecchiette, plus a couple of other pasta shapes.
Bombette, a meat and cheese fritter, was Bryant’s favorite to make. He is showing off his work in one of the photos; the biggest bomb, made up of all the remaining ingredients so that nothing went to waste! 
We travelled comfortably in a 15 passenger van with Angelo relating histories and explaining points of interest along the way. At the basilica, the Lucia fresco caught my eye. And why did this particular story take such an enduring role in the traditions of Northern Europe? It was especially fun to learn the process of restoration and how decisions are made regarding what and how to repair. In the past, frescos were used in part for the ease of making changes. The church could tell whatever stories it deemed advantageous or change details like adding the image of an important donor to a biblical scene by simply scraping away and adding a new layer.
Frequent coffee and pastry breaks meant I didn’t have to miss Swedish fika, though straight espresso was a bit much. Caffe Leccese was much more palatable.
Photo: Pistachio fig gelato, cream filled buns (pasticciotto), truffled barley risotto, raw cuttlefish (the only raw delicacy I sampled as we were traveling so it seemed unwise to experiment) a seafood market in Gallipoli, remains of the Cicala Greca after I devoured all the lobster pasta.
After this fabulous lunch in Gallipoli where we celebrated David’s actual 50th birthday, we had free time to explore the ancient port city.
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