Puglia Part II: The Gargano

 

We took our first long driving around the Gargano peninsula, a unique geological formation of limestone cliffs and chalk caves. The Gargano is a protected national forest is famous for its small sea-cliff villages, crystal clear water, and seaside resorts. It is considered one of the most beautiful areas of southern Italy.

Our car was a 1.6 L Opel manual 4-door hatch pack that we named Rocco (see photo below). Rocco and I did not know each other very well and I was still getting the hang of how the car accelerated ( not well), the blind spots and how the other drivers reacted to a slow going American. Once we escaped the confusing old town of Trani we headed west to get to the autostrada and then proceeded north to the Gargano. One of the challenges of the autostrada is that there are very few entry and exit points, and if you miss your exit you may have to drive for a long while before you can exit again. To no one's surprise we missed out exit (We had opted not to get the 15 euro per day GPS device and relied on the Micheline map of Italy). We eventually found an exit and having gone about an hour out of our way meandered into the Gargano. Hey - it's all part of the experience.

The approach from the north was very uninteresting, and we were wondering what the fuss was all about. However, as soon as soon as these thoughts entered out heads the road began to climb. We saw the limestone cliffs, the crystal blue water and small villages cut out of the rock - the beauty was unmistakable. The Gargano is a truly beautiful place, and had it been later in the year I would have loved to stay at a resort and lounge in the sun. Alas, it was early May and the wind was fierce and the water cold.

Our first stop was Peschici, an idyllic small village of just over 4,000 people, perched far above the water on an amazing cliff. If you have ever been to Greece this village could have been taken from any part of Greece and placed right onto the cliff. It was too early for lunch so we wandered around and enjoyed an espresso at a cafe on the town square. The town is very small but as with all villages in Italy there is a beautiful church, Chiesa di Sant'Elia and an old castle. After we toured the village and got some more caffeine we headed to our next stop, Vieste.

Vieste is one of the largest villages in the Gargano - it's also  more touristy. On the day we arrived, we felt like the only people in town. Officially, tourist season is last June through August.  We toured  the castle and the church and then decided that it was time to eat. We had researched a few different places but decided to try Ristorante Vecchia Vieste (translated as old Vieste). The moment we walked in we were greeted by the lively owner who ushered us to our table and offered us some wine, which I kindly accepted. The wine was the house wine and came from a tap! The wine was slightly bubbly, perfectly fresh and fruity. It was exactly what the day called for. The restaurant was built in cave that was at one time a stable. The entire place is brick lined and if you are over 6' 4'' you will hit your head on something. Vecchia Viste specializes in tipico antiche (traditional recipes) and shines at preparing simple and flavorful dishes. Still in a bit of a food coma from the previous day's lunch, we opted for a simple lunch of anti-pasta and pasta. We started with a plate of cured meats and some crudo of shrimp and fish. The crudo had a light but spicy olive oil drizzled on top with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. The flavors were incredible. The shrimp was so sweet and the fish was tender, rich and had a fresh sea spray flavor. The pasta course was next and we orderd Orrechietti con rapini and Trocooli con polpa di riccio della scogliera (pasta with octopus and sea urchins). Orrechietti is the classic pasta of Puglia. The pasta is hand made by pinching pieces of pasta between one's thumb and index finger. The resulting shape looks like an ear or orecchio in Italian. Both dishes were amazing. The  octopus and sea urchin were such an unique flavor combination I was dumbfounded by its complex and beguiling flavors. The orrechietti was perfectly cooked and so simple that we were in pasta heaven. After our meal I enjoyed an espresso followed by an amaro (Amazza caffe). After lunch we noticed that time had flown and we needed to make time as we needed to be in Canosa di Puglia iby early evening to meet with Francesco. He was to show us the way to our next stop, Tormaresca to see the winery and stay the night.

The Gargano is a nature lover's paradise and has much more to offer than we had time to see. In our brief visit to this tranquil spot of Puglia we were enamored by its beauty and look forward to more exploring the next time we go to Puglia.