In planning this trip, I have found wonderful public transportation options. At the moment my itinerary is : Bari, Monopoli, Lecce. This should work out well I would love to add a few days at a traditional masseria. Has anyone done this using public transportation options?
As I am going solo, I am also looking for some cooking classes or excursions . It is nice to meet some people along the way.
Thanks for any suggestions.
We visited Puglia, including Lecce, last November. We had a rental car until we got to Bari at the end, so weren’t using as much public transportation as it sounds like you’re planning.
I did want to mention the masseria where we had a really outstanding Sunday lunch. Masseria Filippo de Raho is close to Lecce, so I’d imagine that a taxi ride would be relatively easy to manage both in time and cost. I’d say the lunch was Michelin Star worthy, although it’s not a Michelin place. As we didn’t stay there, I can’t offer any experience with their lodging, and while they have some niceties, I don’t believe they have been converted to a total spa resort, unlike so many other masserias nowadays. Their Website lists several Exoeriences they offer, including a cooking class, but again, we were just there for the one wonderful lunch. We did have to push a button on the intercom at the gate to get buzzed in with our car, but once we made our way along the driveway to their building, it felt welcoming and not like an exclusionary resort. Website is https://www.filippoderaho.com/en/
Regarding cooking classes in Lecce itself, we had our last dinner there at Alle due Corti, a really nice restaurant that also has cooking classes.
There’s also Awaiting Tables, which we’re looking at for a week-long cooking course on a future trip.
