Goodbye Malta-Hello Puglia

Rita and I really enjoyed our time in Malta.  It was very special for me to see where my Dad spent the worst three years of his life and to go through the very impressive war museum to really appreciate the hardship he and everyone else here had to go through.  It's a very special tribute to the Maltese spirit.  Also the incredible history of this tiny island and the importance it has been to the great powers over the centuries.  But we also found it to be a very laid back and easy place to be as well.  The people were very friendly and welcoming plus the value for your money here is excellent. Best of all, the weather was warm and sunny in April.

We left Malta aboard Ryanair (a first for me and a positive experience) for our 90 minute flight to Bari in Puglia, Italy.  We picked up our rental car, plugged in our TomTom and headed for our accommodation, an hours drive away somewhere in the country.  We got totally lost and stopped by a roadside cafe to call the landlord.  Thankfully, Rita found a women who spoke English and she could talk to the landlord in Italian to explain where we were.  20 minutes later, Sergio arrived and we followed him to our amazing Trulli, a traditional and unique Puglia home for our two week stay in this region.  We can't wait to go and explore.
       
 Taking off from Malta airport with the sprawling suburbs below.  The walled city of Valletta is top center with Grand Harbor to its right.

Our idyllic two bedroom accommodation has been completely restored and modernized but it had to conform to strict UNESCO regulations for it to be approved as a Trulli house.

Traditional Trulli houses are constructed with local stone and the conical roofs are specific to the Itria Valley in Puglia.  Each conical roof houses a room (kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, etc.)

 The view from our patio showing the owners vineyard and farmland.  We are in the middle of nowhere as the nearest town is 8km away.  Very quiet and serene.

Looking at the kitchen storage area leading into the actual cooking area.

 Looking through to the living room

 The master bedroom

 An original Trulli on the property that needs more than a little TLC to make it habitable again.


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