Palazzo in Puglia in Heart of Village - 5 Km. from Adriatic

"Sognare" means" to dream" and is the name of my Palazzo in the heart of a small town just 5 km from the beautiful Adriatic. This is a lovingly restored palazzo with vaulted ceilings and walls of stone. The main floor has a living room with two couches ( one a pull-out bed); a dining room and a kitchen with a small outside terrace and a full bath.The first floor has a master bedroom suite with bath and balconies overlooking the main piazza and church and a second guest bedroom with twin beds and a balcony. It has it's own bath. There is also a small outside terrace on this floor. The rooftop is my garden and there is a splendid view of surrounding olive groves and a distant view of the sea.

This region of Salento is known for its hospitality. I am known as the "Americana" and welcomed with open arms. There are tiny towns dappled closely throughout the region and simply charming to explore. The sea is just minutes away and the coast line spectacular either with white sandy beaches or limestone outcroppings from which one can dive or lounge. This is the real "Italy"; the one in which all closes at 1:00 for "pranzo" and naps and reopens at 4:00.

During the summer months, there are festivals in each of the tiny towns, each with their own patron saint and highlights. My town, Giurdignano, ( you can google it to find exact location) has two wonderful restaurants, a little supermarket, daily diverse little markets, two bars and even little men who come through selling their wares to those who don't have cars. One of the fun things to do is sample the various "masserie". These are beautiful restaurants which have their own farms and make all of their own food and olive oil and sometimes wine as well.

Ostuni, Alberobello, Matera are all worth exploring. Lecce, called the Florence of the South, is just 30 minutes away. The closest airport is Brindisi.

For those of you who want to experience the unspoiled Italy, to bask in her simple charms, strolling in Otranto in the early evening, eating the most spectacular of foods, exploring the magnificent coast and country, "Sognare" is a perfect match.

As for me:

I am a divorced American woman who had a breast cancer scare and decided to follow my dream sooner than later. I had gone to school during college in Florence and fell in love with Italy. I pursued my dream with the idea of finding something old,near the sea, in a part of Italy where things remained as they were, before globalization took hold. I found just that and more in Puglia. I cannot stress enough the friendliness of this region, its wealth in history and beauty. And.... food and wine. This part of Puglia is purported to supply most of the olive oil in all of Italy. My town is surrounded with old olive groves and if you google "Giurdignano" you can see it's fame for Dolmens and Menhirs. Both Otranto, 5 km from Giurdignano and Galipoli( on the other side of the peninsula) are old seaside fortress towns.



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