If you’re keeping up with our travels you already know our thoughts on this beautiful city and the 24 hours we spent here, but I think it is important to discuss our basic experiences an how our needs were met so let me preface this post by telling you that none of the establishments here are partners of any kind and we did not receive any compensation for anything that I write in this blog. In fact, I do not tell people that I plan to write a blog until after we check out of our lodging or the service has been rendered because I do not want to receive any special treatment to maintain the integrity of my opinions. In some cases you may notice that I do not write about specific places at all- that doesn’t necessarily mean that the service or lodging was bad, but in some cases there is just not anything particular or interesting about it. That being said, a few places in Alberobello did present themselves as particular experiences and in our opinion warranted mention.

Let’s begin with our lodging. In my previous post I discussed that my husband and I prefer to stay in the outskirts of towns and cities (especially places that can be seen on foot) because we find that not only do we get a better value, but we find it easier to plan routes without having to backtrack through areas we’ve already seen. Again, this is personal preference and some people prefer to stay in the center of things in order to be near the “action.”

We wanted to stay in a trullo, but also wanted the amenities of a bed and breakfast. We did find a good blend of both in the Grand Trulli B & B. Our room was located in an authentic trullo which had been restored to include modern amenities. It had two floors, a full kitchen at the ground level and the upstairs contained the bedroom and bathroom. As you read in my previous post, our host was kind enough to let us check in early and showed us where to park for the duration of our stay. Since COVID started, many bed and breakfasts no longer have buffets and in this establishment, they left us an assortment of pastries, fruits, cereal, coffee, and juice in the kitchen so that we could prepare our own breakfast in private whenever we wanted. Although we are early risers and do not mind being constricted to certain hours for breakfast, some people might prefer the freedom to enjoy the breakfast on their own schedules. When choosing your lodging, this might be something you want to consider and most places respond quickly to emails if you do decide to ask.

The bedroom on the second floor was spacious and the bathroom was nicely appointed and very clean. The only thing that could have been better would have been if the upstairs air conditioner worked a little better. This is not the fault of our host, it seems to be an European thing. They don’t really like air conditioning here so it never gets super comfortable by American standards. That being said, when my husband called our host after we had returned for the evening, he did come right away to try to get the temperature to a more comfortable level for us.

I’ve mentioned in my previous post that our host was very informative and gave us a few recommendations including a restaurant for lunch. I was happy to hear that the restaurant I had researched was one of the places he had recommended to visit, Il Pinnacolo. This is a beautiful restaurant located in the heart of the Trullis and offers typical cuisine from the area. We opted to eat indoors, but they have a big and nicely decorated terrace as well. I was dying to try orecchiette con cime di rapa which is known as a classic dish from Puglia:

I was not disappointed. The pasta melted in my mouth and the vegetables were full of flavor. There is something about the food here that we just don’t find in the states. Even when I replicate dishes at home, no matter how fresh the ingredients, the rich soil here produces a deeper flavor which is why simple dishes tend to be my preference when I eat in Italy. The rest of the meal was also nicely presented and delicious.

With our meal, we decided to sample some of the local craft beer. It was really good so we asked our waiter where we could buy some to bring back to our home base in Calabria. Here is where our story gets both interesting and fun. After a few minutes, our waiter returns with a name and phone number. Apparently, none of the stores in Alberobello sell it, so they contacted the brew master, told him that we were interested in purchasing some, and he happily allowed them to give us his cell phone number so we could contact him directly.

Talk about serendipitous! Nicola of Malart beer was amazing. We contacted him through Whatsapp (which we’ve found most Europeans use) and made an appointment to stop by the warehouse on our way out of Alberobello the following day. These are the experiences that I absolutely love about travel. How many people would be willing to pass on their personal cell phone number to strangers from another country? I was tickled pink to say the least and really enjoyed seeing the way the craft beer market has started here. It’s small and personal, a second job and love for those involved, the way it used to be in the states years ago. It brought me a sense of nostalgia.

We arrived at the warehouse around noon on our way to our next stop in Lecce, called Nicola, and he energetically met us on the street. He walked us into the warehouse to show us his methods of production and spent some time explaining not only the process, but the legalities involved in craft beer production in Italy. I’m not knowledgeable about the legalities in the states so I have no reference for comparison, but it seems pretty extensive here. We purchased quite a bit of the beer pictured above and then Nicola gave us a few of the other styles to try. All were wonderful and this experience has certainly been a highlight of our trip that I won’t soon forget.