I would recommend this property mainly for four reasons:
1. The sheer beauty and atmosphere of the appartment;
2. The completeness, design and quality of it's fittings;
3. The welcoming attitude of the owner, his manager and the towns people;
4. It's quiet location in easy reach of several highlights in the arera.
1. You will pass the old gate into a narrow street, walk into a small courtyard and the caretaker will unlock the door. That's when you enter a stunning space that, you will realise, is to be yours for some days to come (in my case, regretfully, only three). High, spotlessly white vaults convey the feeling of entering a little palace or chapel. This main room, as well the adjacent ones, have been perfectly restored, leaving the leading part to be played by the original shape of the old dwelling itself.
It's roomy, it's airy and every step around the house provides a new and amazing perspective. It's truly unique. And it's spotlessly clean!
2. The kitchen, the bathrooms and the bedroom provide everything you could possibly need, of superior quality and (modern) design. Those who like to test their cooking skills with the wealth of gorgeous food the Puglian shops and markets have to offer: take your time in this well equiped kitchen and serve the result in the tiny but lovely patio. Recommended for wine and oil lovers: the azienda Santi Dimitri just outside Galatina, nearby, with their amazing white Ruah from Fiano grapes, as well as their Sharav from Primitivo. Top quality oil as well.
3. The owner I never met, but his e-mails were very friendly and he went out of his way to help me solve a personal problem even after we got back home. Caretaker Nico Francesco and his son are very helpful with information and getting your car parked, in a semi-legal way, in front of the house that is. People at the tourist info, as well as everybody else in town we talked to, were extremely nice to us.
4. Galátone, itself a laid back little town certainly worth a few strolls, is well positioned within easy reach of highlights like Nardó, Lecce, Gallipoli, Otranto and of course some lovely beaches.
So all we have to regret about our stay at this property in Galátone is that it was too short...
