Puglia Italy. A Boomers Club offer

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Puglia Southern Italy – Culinary discovery –  Special Offer to Boomers

Puglia: 8-night Culinary discovery tour

• Sept 8^th to 16^th 2016
• 8 nights/9-day tour
• This will be a very special tour with only one departure for 2016
• Maximum 12 guests
• Web price AUD 4230 per person* twin share
• Boomers Club offer. Save $400 per person = AUD$ 3830 per person

Trani, Bari, Andria, Alberobello, Peschici, Locorotondo, Polignano. Martina Franca.

Summary

This tour is based around the blog recently featured in the Boomers Newsletter covering the travels of the owner of Wine and Food Traveller, Bruce White. “if you want to experience the real Italian Lifestyle come with us on this tour, and be taken to places that only the locals know about”

Puglia is a place where food and wine is truly locavore, reflecting maturity and ease, complexity and freedom. The quality of Apulian ingredients is in the very nature of the lush region and stems from farming and fishing techniques. Discover what Slow Food is all about as we explore and meet the best in the business.

Tasting the region

Apulian cuisine has always been defined as “poor” for its simple ingredients; yet, it satisfies any palate. Its basic elements are three: durum wheat, vegetables and olive oil, combined with meat and fish to create original dishes with genuine and unmistakable flavours.

The hallmark of regional cooking is homemade pasta made with durum wheat or a mix of durum and soft wheat: from recchietelle (also called orecchiette) that, in its many versions, is a symbol of the region, to the famous strascinati, that once were the main course for the poorest families and are now ordered and served in the best restaurants. Then, mignuicchie, fenescecchie, troccoli, sagne ‘ncannuate, cicatadde and other original types of pasta are still made according to historic traditions.

Particularly, the combination between pasta and vegetables is unexpectedly surprising, like strascinati with cabbage and fried bacon or spaghetti with string beans, tomatoes and cacioricotta cheese.  In fact, Apulia is one large, aromatic vegetable garden that boasts unparalleled flavors and colors. When combined with homemade pasta, fresh fish, or even good meat, they leave the palate with unforgettable sensations.

This region, with its 800 km (497 mi) of coast and two seas, offers a great variety of fish specialties for those who know how to appreciate it: raw, marinated, poached in delicious fish soups and even with cheese.

Itinerary

Sun Sept 10th:

Individual arrival in Trani and check-in the hotel; welcome dinner in local restaurant with a menu based on freshly caught fish, handmade pasta and local vegetables – inclusive of regional wine pairing.

Mon Sept 11th:

Leaving in the morning after breakfast we will stroll around the town of Trani from the harbour to the Romanic cathedral going through the Spanish, Venetian and Jewish quarters, tasting the history of this town at every corner. After a panoramic drive in the midst of stunning olive groves we will reach one of the most emblematic osteria in Italy. Lunch will consist of 10 plus courses and will portray the completeness, simplicity and complexity of the Apulian cuisine. Afternoon tour to UNESCO heritage site Castel del Monte – Frederic II hunting and holy field. Back in Trani, free evening and dinner.

Tue Sept 12th:

One-of-a-kind culinary experience discovering Puglia and its landmark famous for its tasty vegetables and wild greens, blessed under the Apulian sun and making-up most of the modernly acclaimed Mediterranean diet. Leaving in the morning after breakfast we will drive to Bitonto with its Romanic church, following the rustic and crispy smell of the ancient bakeries we will visit the oldest oven of all, with 800 years of non-stop focaccia baking. We will then drive to a family of olive oil makers and masters of olive agriculture since 1400 tasting EVOO and preserves. Back in Trani, the rest of the afternoon will be free while dinner will see us engaged in a traditional dinner with view on the harbour and the boats.

Wed Sept 13th:

Third day and ready to discover more in a panoramic drive towards the Gargano peninsula. Drive along the beautiful Italian spur and taste the essence of this land, stop for a walk and some coffee in Mattinata and have a taste of local sweet treats with heavenly aromatic candied orange peel or lemon zest of local old citrus varieties. We will have lunch on our way in a cute little trattoria overlooking the deep blue sea before checking in at our friend’s Mario and Lynsey B&B in midst the Gargano National Park. After some relax we will go out for a very local seafood sandwich dinner in the bustling center of Peschici.

Thu Sept 14th:

After breakfast on the panoramic terrace of our b&b we will head to Peschici’s San Nicola bay (part of the way we will be able to walk if the weather allows) and learn more about an old fishing house (Trabucco) owned and still run by Mario’s family for generations. There will be also some time for a romantic walk along its seashore and for a relaxed sunbath with a glass of sparkling before an exquisite fish meal at the adjacent restaurant “Trabucco da Mimi” with open air tables, jazz and a fair amount of merrymaking. Dinner is free tonight.

Fri Sept 15th:

If Paris had the sea it would be a “small” Bari. This is what we proudly say in town. This tour will give one more perspective of Apulia’s culture with an insider walking tour of Bari old-town where women make orecchiette on the street. Take some free time to explore the capital of Apulia and enjoy one of its bars, café or cozy restaurant where to savor your free lunch. Our final destination today is a 17th century farmhouse, a multipurpose masseria where lands and animals are still part today of the socio-economic family model. Dinner with the owners will be like a postcard from history with traditional orecchiette pasta making, recipes and seasonality of produce dictating the menu.

Sat Sept 16th:

Charge your soul within Alberobello old-town, UNESCO heritage site and bottomless supply of unforgettable glimpse; take some time to visit Trullo Sovrano and Rione Monti where the density of conical shaped houses is at its height. Enjoy your free time and lunch in Alberobello and then head towards Polignano a Mare, the city that gave birth to “Mr. Volare” – Domenico Modugno, for a romantic stroll in its little alleys. Sip into the glorious “caffè speciale” a curious mix of coffee, lemon zest, cream and almond liqueur. After some free time back in our accommodation, dinner tonight will take us to Locorotondo, another beautiful hamlet of this magical region. Enough is never enough

Sun Sept 17th:

Meeting after breakfast and departure for baroque downtown Martina Franca and tasting its renowned Slow Food sentinelle Capocollo Ham. Use the rest of the morning to wonder in this scenic little town with a long and strong history of freedom and wisdoms. After your free lunch we will complete our visits with an afternoon stage in Ostuni, also known as the white town for its incredible whitewashed walls and narrow little streets. Dinner tonight in our masseria will be full of memories from a short week-long stay in Puglia but the amount of emotions and impressions will seem like having been part of it all for much longer. Have a good night rest, tomorrow will be time to say goodbye.

Mon Sept 18th:

Check-out from the Farmhouse in Locorotondo after breakfast.

INCLUDED:

• 3 nights in boutique chambred’hotes in Trani inclusive breakfast, Le stanze di Corteinfiore, http://www.corteinfiore.it/camere_di_charme.php OR UPGRADE: Suite in the same structure
• 2 nights in family-run b&b in Gargano National Park inclusive breakfast, ZIani, http://www.ziani.it/ OR UPGRADE: Gli orti di Malva, http://www.portadibasso.it/#!orti-di-malva/c1wod
• 3 nights in historic Masseria, farmhouse with trulli, in Locorotondo inclusive breakfast, Masseria Aprile, https://masseriaaprile.it/it OR UPGRADE: Masseria Montenapoleone, https://masseriaaprile.it/it
• 3 lunches inclusive beverages in Slow Food restaurants as stated in the program
• 5 dinners inclusive wine pairings in Slow Food restaurants as stated in the program
• 1 dinner with orecchiette pasta making inclusive wine pairing as stated in the program
• All tastings, visits and experiences with local artisans/owners included as stated in the program
• All transport in luxury minivan throughout the entire tour
• English-speaking local food & wine expert and tour leader for the entire itinerary

Excluded

• Airfares
• Transfer to and from the airport at arrival/departure
• Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
• Meals/beverages not stated in the itinerary
• Optional gratuities/tipping
• Personal expenses
• Visa entry fees
• NB: transfer for individuals or group from Bari/Brindisi airport to hotel in Trani can be organized at extra cost

Your guides

The tour will be guided by our local experts with an extensive knowledge and experience in leading culinary tours throughout the Italian peninsula with special focus on Puglia and neighboring regions of Italy.

Accommodation

We have selected a boutique hotel in the medieval old town centre of Trani, a family-run B & B right in the midst of Gargano National Park and a picturesque and active fishing village, and a 17th century farmhouse in the countryside outside Locorotondo and in the Itria Valley, world renowned for its Trulli houses, and conveniently close to some of the most outstanding landscapes and hamlets – Alberobello, Cisternino, Ostuni, Fasano and Martina Franca.