3-Week Italy Trip to Puglia, plus Tivoli & Rome - May 2025

This was my least busy fast-moving trip. My days were filled more with ambiance & exploring than timed activities. For example, here’s the notes I jotted down on Day 5 while eating breakfast:
“Another day defined as peaceful, calm, just a leisurely breakfast in the shade of the umbrella on the ledge overlooking Matera’s sassi. Lingering over a cappuccino with maybe some sketching later this afternoon. A gorgeous B&B, some Bible reading early this morning, and I would already define this as a perfect day!”

So, let’s start!
Flights: Spokane to Minneapolis to Amsterdam to Rome. I took the Fiumicino Express train into the city- easily purchased with the Trenitalia app as I approached the train. I am familiar with the Rome area enough that I didn’t need to use any mapping to just walk to my hotel.

Rome: Mecenate Palace Hotel. This was a return hotel I stayed at last year. This time they upgraded me to the prominent view from the 5th floor overlooking Santa Maria Maggiore Cathedral. (Fortunately, my date was a few days after the pope’s funeral; otherwise, I couldn’t have managed to reach this hotel through the crowd!). I don’t know if the old style beautifully decorated feminine room was due to me staying here previously, or if this time they gave me this one because I had signed my correspondence with them with Mrs., so they knew “Jean” wasn’t a man. This friendly hotel also has this fabulous view from their breakfast/drinks/dinner rooftop. I remembered the breakfast being excellent & memorable, too. I went out walking a few blocks in each direction. I have wanted to go inside the Santa Prassede Basilica, but it closed thirty minutes prior, according to a man standing at the door. My adult kids always like seeing my first gelato, so why not now! ; ). Terra is on the ground floor of my building outside, and it was excellent! I chose one of the pistachio choices plus Croccante which made me very excited since that was the exceptional flavor at the Verde Pistachio gelato shop in Cadiz in 2023. Not quite the perfect Cadiz texture I’d been hoping to experience again but still good.

I’m not Catholic but wanted to go into the church to see Pope Francis’ tomb. There was a long line, so I waited until almost 7pm & it closed by 7:30pm. Later that evening, I was relaxing with the windows open, capturing some beautiful sunset photos & someone with a beautiful voice sang “Ave Maria” out front of the church - a special moment! Later I listened to their outdoor candlelight service from my open window until I was ready to sleep.

Breakfast was fantastic again this time, and they had special touches such as cheeses with nuts or other ingrained into them. We don’t get good ricotta cheese in the US. The little piping of ricotta topped with ground pistachio was delicious. And no coffee machine here - a real espresso or cappuccino - yum! I assumed I wouldn’t want to rush my first morning, so I purchased the 10am train to Barletta a few months ahead & just booked the short remaining 10-minute train onto Trani with the Trenitalia app while on the first train.

Trani - ooh, this is a special one! I’ll start with walking to my B&B. I could just use mapping on my phone - which I will do when needed, but I like to have a little paper map I make the week ahead of the trip and generally know the direction to go. I missed their little sign and walked too far along the harbor. When I hesitated and stopped to look at the map again, two of the men at adjoining outdoor restaurants walked over to help me. When I’m traveling solo, I notice & appreciate these kind interactions.

Dimore Marine B&B was chosen as soon as I saw their room views on Booking. The host was so welcoming! I’ll share something I learned from my chef at the Awaiting Tables cooking class in Lecce last year. He sent info ahead of time on the importance of corresponding with people in the Puglia region ahead of time. Relationship is important here. Don’t just make a reservation on Booking. In the comment box, add something sincere. This Trani host immediately talked to me like she knew me. She commented how she was glad I was happy to have the chance to see her city. Then she asked me if I would like her to speak in Italian or English since I translated my comments sent to her.

If you like to photograph (photos & memories are my souvenirs), I can’t recommend this B&B highly enough. My balcony room is at the perfect location in the bend of this little harbor to capture amazing photos with the church, boats & marina, etc. I have taken many stunning photos of just this spot with & without the cute balcony railing each time I stop back in because the sky, the hue of the buildings, etc. change throughout the day. The rooftop seating area also has these wonderful views, and breakfast is served there.

I stayed in Trani on Saturday & Sunday, so I experienced their evening passeggiata along the harbor! I especially love the ones in the south! I will add that it was both very touching but also a twinge sad for me to see the older couples with the wife taking her husband’s arm as they walked together - something my husband & I would have been doing. Again for photos - the cathedral at the water and the castle were both beautiful photo ops, besides all of the harbor photos I took. Plus, I found a door during the afternoon with such interesting aged 3D texture & a color palette of aged blues & golds. That photo is definitely going to become a canvas print for a wall in my home. : )

I was excited to go through the castle when I saw the ad for the current exhibit - Queen Margherita of Savoy’s exhibition of paintings! Her face was very familiar to me from seeing the painted stained glass of her in the Studio Moretti Caselli in Perugia in 2022. I already knew about her, and this exhibition showed she had exquisite taste in paintings she acquired. The early morning time was a nice opportunity to really absorb them without a crowd. It opened at 8:30am on Sunday, and I was there with just a few others - had most rooms to myself. And the bonus; I didn’t even have to buy a ticket! It was free on the 1st Sunday of May.

I had planned to stay overnight at Giovinazzo, but my last change to the itinerary dropped the overnight. So, let’s try a day trip! I quickly walked to the train station and just made it for the 10:24 one - whew! Except that the app purchase option closes a few minutes before the train arrives, and apparently I just missed that window. I could have taken the next train an hour later, but the afternoon less frequent choices to come back on a Sunday made me leery. I have a history of being burned twice with Sunday transportation in Italy, so I spent the rest of the day in Trani.

Walking back, I saw a beautiful pastry shop that my husband would have chosen, so I stopped inside in honor of him. They had a formal, long glass case of perfectly made small pastries. (Took a photo). I chose three & a small glass of sparkling water. Looking at my receipt, I spoke up, thinking they made a mistake because the total was only €3!

By chance while exploring, The Mediterranean Philharmonic Orchestra was performing Sunday night, featuring guest violinist, Ruslan Talas. How fortunate! I have never heard (& probably won’t again) hear a violinist that even comes close to his ability - just awe inspiring! Afterwards, I was lucky that The Kolors, a popular rock band, were still playing (started at the same time) for the city in the piazza next to my B&B as part of the “Road to Battiti” promotion. My balcony was a great seat to enjoy an hour of their performance, too.

Thank you so much, forum participants, who urged me to include Matera in this trip! What an amazing place! The train ticket from Bari was very easy with the automatic connection to a waiting bus at Altamura. Beginning my time in Matera with just a day of exploring was so much fun - reminded me of how haphazard Venice is to get anywhere & how each turn in the path can reveal the makings of a special photo. Many photos included a bit of wild-growing floral accents or weeds contrasting nicely with the stone.

I chose my dates for Matera based on the availability of a special B&B, Palazzo Degli Abati. While I was on the fence about coming to this city, this B&B was definitely the tipping point. Being there, it was absolutely perfect! I reserved directly with them, selecting the Junior Suite in Grotta - Senza Nidd. I slept in a cave! ; ) I liked that the historical story of the Senza Nidd family who lived in my room was shared when I arrived, along with a nice explanation of how to navigate the city in an easy manner. (I only needed to pull out Google maps once while spending the afternoon out walking.) My cave room was tastefully decorated & comfortable and didn’t feel claustrophobic. The private lounging area outside my door was lovely, too. Above my room their breakfast area/tiny restaurant provided a stellar ledge viewpoint experience! Finishing the first day, I met a mother/daughter/baby from California staying here. They use RS guidebooks, so we had fun chatting both days.

“Sassi di Matera Tour with entry to Cave Houses” had been reserved, and 8 of us (the English tour) walked through several parts of Matera for three hours to see & learn about the history. Our guide also pointed out where scenes were filmed from several movies, especially for the James Bond movie. We stopped in a few churches, she shared details in the cave homes, and a man enthusiastically led us in a song, playing the pig stomach traditional drum.

After a pasta lunch, I spotted a potential gelato shop. When I saw Liquirizia on the current list, I jumped at the chance. I love the taste of a deep, intense black licorice which is almost impossible to find. When I ordered it, she gave me a tasting spoon, first. Oh, yes, this was the real stuff - wowza! I ordered licorice & coconut, so the complementary flavor wouldn’t interfere with the licorice experience. Vizi degli Angeli’s licorice gelato - memorable two thumbs up!

Early in my planning I wanted to see Giovinazzo because it’s in a special coffee table Puglia book in my home that I absolutely love. I secured an inexpensive room to stay there. Later in the planning, a return to Alberobello kept coming to my thoughts - but only if I could stay in the same little trullo. It held a wonderful memory of a FaceTime call with my husband while I excitedly told him about my day & pointed my iPad at the ceiling, so he could see the conical roof overhead. I made a cancellable reservation for that trullo to give myself some time to decide. Alberobello won out, especially because I am staying at three seaside towns plus Bari already & it could be a day trip - 20 minutes by train from Bari.

Alberobello’s trulli make me smile. I love their design and the welcome simplicity. The Le Alcove Luxury Suites little “Poeta” room felt homey & good to be back with the sweet memories! I like the location of it near the main piazza where the older people congregate in the evening under the box-shaped trees. Another positive is Martinucci’s. They excelled at gelato & pasticciotto last year while I was in Puglia. Unfortunately some negatives: the town was much more crowded than last year during this same week. Loud school groups added to it. Another negative was the restaurant experience. I ate at the same restaurant but this year the staff & food presentation showed they just didn’t care. The purplish-pink spotlights that look like trulli are now a nighttime advertisement for T-Mobile gets two thumbs down. I still would say go to Alberobello; just arrive late & leave by mid-morning.

Something sweet - when I made the reservation for dinner in person earlier in the day, my name was confusing to them. “Jean” they said, looking at each other & then me? So, I said, “Gina” and received a nice “Ahh!” Gina was the name my husband gave me our first trip to Italy and was always a special name I still give for coffee orders. I was “Gina” the rest of the trip. : )

Bari - Panifica Santa Rita - I went there last year, so I knew it’s worth standing in line for this street food focaccia & frankly the entertaining experience! Take a ticket number, don’t bother Rino “the bouncer” with questions, and watch people lining a street block waiting an hour for their focaccia. The local in front of me ordered 12 rounds! I ordered 1/2. Gentile gelato was a worthy repeat, too - delicious! I’m enjoying trying at least one new flavor at each gelato shop this year. The castle was under renovation & Pinacoteca Art Museum was closed ( but a nice walk along the promenade).

I stayed at Palazzo Calo again because their location is perfect for the San Nicola Sagra events on May 6-8, and I like that my room is a spacious split-level with a sitting room, table, sofa downstairs and bedroom upstairs. It’s located just a minute inside the Bari Vecchio neighborhood. The design inside the building is modern with plexiglass walkways & greenery decor.

For those who say moving locations wastes a half day vs. doing a day-trip, instead, I decided to look at my watch this time for fun to keep track. I ate a multi-course breakfast in Alberobello at 8am, walked to the station & boarded the bus at 9am, arrived in Bari at 10am, walked from the train station, checked into/left off my bag, and I was exploring Bari Vecchio before 10:30am. If I had planned a day trip to Bari, instead, I would have only saved the 15 minutes checking in/ talking with the receptionist about the San Nicola event. ..plus I didn’t have to head back to the station, wait & ride back later that day.

I enjoyed all of the events of Day 2 of the San Nicola Sagra - the street food, the evening procession & fireworks. Since I attended the procession last year, I knew the prime spot to stand to both see & photograph it. No surprise - it started over an hour late! ; )

The second day at Bari I took a day trip over to nearby Giovinazzo. I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity, especially because I recently read that some of the RS tours are staying there instead of Vieste. This little city first caught my eye last year because it’s in the special coffee table book I saw in Lecce - “Puglia, a love story”. It’s the book my daughter later ordered for me as a very special surprise.

I spent two hours photographing the tiny historical center of Giovinazzo, and I can confidently say, go there if you are in Puglia! I rank it up there with Spello & an overnight on Isola Bella at Stresa. Go before it changes, before there’s any touristy gimmicks & crowds. Personally, it would be too small for an overnight stay - glad I stayed in Alberobello, instead.

Ostuni was my next city and one that I’ve heard mixed reviews. I took the train and had purchased the Ostuni station to Ostuni Citta bus link. I walked up the side of the station to the temporary bus stop with good signage. Pretty soon a large group of people were queuing up behind me. Interestingly, no one else had the ticket from the Trenitalia app, so I proceeded to show small groups how to use the app & acquire a ticket. It looked like I was in the minority, having a backpack to stay in Ostuni. Well, they soon had tickets; we just needed a bus! But the bus didn’t come…a clever guy in a small car was making money hauling carloads up the hill for €5/person. After 20 minutes, I joined three other people in his car. (Could he have been the actual bus driver? LOL!)

Ostuni first gave me the impression of a dirty town after my experience last year at pretty Locorotondo & lovely Martina Franca nearby. But, after thirty minutes & a gelato (amazing what a gelato can do) I started to enjoy it! It’s not the clean photos of Giovinazzo; it’s the contrast of dirty whites & intense blue sky with some interesting details that ask you to seek them.

The gelato shop, Mandorlata, is excellent! It doesn’t look like much from the outside, and there was construction work on the street outside the shop, but the owner was very glad to see me and showed me the variety of items, including coffee available. I stopped there my second day, also, just to verify for you that this is a good recommendation! ; )

I noticed the semi I’d seen in Trani the previous Saturday setting up a large stage in the main piazza. Apparently I’m a traveling groupie of the Live Battiti concert “Road to Battiti", tour by Radio Norba in Puglia! LOL! This weekend they were promoting Achille Lauro, an Italian singer from Verona. A fun event to have young people and older enjoying music in the piazza and again began much later than planned.

My second day, I started with a good morning walk after breakfast. I stopped at the famous terraced outdoor restaurant, Borgo Antico Bistrot, for a cappuccino. The previous evening it had been packed! When she asked if I wanted anything else, I suddenly remembered I hadn’t eaten one passiaciotto, yet! I ordered it, and wow, it was even better than the ones last year! A cappuccino, passiaciotto & a beautiful view - a very nice beginning to Mother’s Day! Later I stopped in the St. Francis cathedral and stayed through the last half of the service. It made me emotional, thinking about my husband. Time for a long walk around the lower circumference. I stopped back in the same church later that day and during my last morning in Ostuni.

I really wanted a nice dinner in Ostuni! I try to have one extra special meal per trip, and this day was feeling a little emotional. After reading the texts my husband & I shared a year ago on this date while I was in Italy & he was home, those sweet conversations seemed like I should enjoy these thoughts with a special night here! Ristorante La Reggia was the perfect setting down in the cave-like room, elegantly decorated & a professional wait staff. I enjoyed everything about this restaurant experience!

La Terra Hotel was an excellent location in the old center of Ostuni. I reserved a room directly with them through their website. They have a small terrace at their building top, an adequate breakfast, and I should share that there was only one power outlet in my room, besides the minibar refrigerator. The room is old but clean, and the location was perfect with a nice staff. It was probably my least favorite hotel during my trip, but hotels in the old center are scarce. I enjoyed talking in Italian the last morning while waiting for my taxi (yes, not taking a chance on that bus!) with the receptionist on topics of the music concert & groups of bicyclist staying each day I was there.

While waiting for the train to arrive, I started talking with a couple from Scotland because we both had an ORI London bag or purse. This is an official “enabler” promo - LOL! I bought my ORI crossbody navy purse after Pam brought one in that style to our local RS monthly meet up…and Mardee is probably somewhere in that enabling line! I love it for travel because it’s slightly bigger than my small crossbody, yet lightweight. Since I just have my Cotopaxi as luggage, a slightly larger purse has helped a few times when I added my sketchbook - although my normal contents are: reading glasses, iPhone, pen, lipstick, coin purse, a little TP, mints, & 3 Purell singles. It’s extremely lightweight to carry all day. My iPhone has a Loopy on it which also helps me ensure that I have my phone with me just by feeling for that little bump through the thin front zipper pocket fabric. Anyway, we had a great conversation about Puglia, about travel to other continents and about golf that pleasantly passed our waiting time at the station.

Monopoli was the last city I added to this itinerary and mainly because I wanted a short train ride from Ostuni. I am very glad I came here for a 1-night. It has a beautiful area next to the sea in the old center - many photo opportunities, and the locals responded positively to even the amount of Italian I can speak.

I stayed at Palazzo Indelli & interestingly, so did more bicyclists! When I talked to some of them, they said the ladies in their group are using the e-bikes - reminded me of my wonderful afternoon last year exploring the countryside outside Alberobello on an e-bike. This group was using Puglia Tours.

Monopoli has a gorgeous basilica - the prettiest interior I have seen on this trip! The old center is much more catered to tourists than I was expecting - very nice restaurants. I ate a good lunch & dinner this day. I went into an exhibit in the castle, expecting it to be the exhibit plus access to the castle structure, but the only open portion was the exhibit rooms - disappointing & not worth the entry price.

I had a reservation to stay in Conversano one night before heading back to the coast at Polignano a Mare as my last Puglia city. Unfortunately, the bus stop to go to Conversano had a lot of “1” ratings - either the bus didn’t come, or there was confusion of where the bus was going to stop. I asked the front desk and she recommended asking Info Point. That lady gave me the information, but when I looked up the street on Google maps, I knew this wasn’t something I should be doing. I already stick out quite a bit being tall & having white hair. I didn’t want to walk that distance in that area. So, I looked on Booking and reserved my Monopoli hotel for an additional night. Instead of needing to miss breakfast, I could sleep in, relax & do some sketching.

I took a nice walk after a late breakfast (excellent breakfast at the hotel!), stopped into a few of the churches, including the stunning basilica again. A woman was practicing wedding music on the organ, so I walked down this grand aisle to the familiar wedding prelude! : )

Afterwards, the Info Point tourist center was open, so I stopped to see what activities she could suggest for that day. Wow, I really scored! There was availability to join a few other people for an oil tasting & light meal at Oleifici Rotondo Luigi. Transportation was included for a fantastic afternoon walking through some of their olive tree fields, seeing the steps of how olive oil is processed & being served a pleasant, delicious meal in the shade of a grapevine trellis. www.oleificirotondoluigi.it It was good to have the chance to talk about current agricultural concerns & more history on the ride back to Monopoli, also.

In Monopoli, I stayed at the Palazzo Indelli Hotel. They are in a nice location at Piazza Garibaldi. The room was a balcony room - perfect to enjoy the sound of a man singing & playing guitar in the evening while I relaxed & wrote.

Gelato - Gaspiereli in Monopoli was excellent. I have been trying different flavors and stopped here as soon as I saw they had Liqirizo. Could it be as great as the one at Matera? No, but their Croccante w/pistachio instead of almonds was fantastic!

Polignano a Mare was a definite repeat on my return itinerary to Puglia. I looked up every date in May many months ahead to find any availability to stay in my same room with the amazing large terrace balcony at the POSEA B&B. When I first stepped out on the terrace and saw the famous view in front of me with perfectly sunny, calm weather, ahh! Such a good choice! My favorite room & location of this trip!

Cooking classes have always been on my list of activities each trip. During my planning I wasn’t necessarily looking for a high caliber one - more an activity during my second week to be spending half a day with other people, so I reserved the “Apulian Cooking Class with full apertif” through Pugliamare. I did enjoy the conversation with our small group, but I wouldn’t recommend this cooking class. We only made one very basic dish & were finished within two hours. Also, the chef made the dough and just handed us ropes of it to form into orecchiette & capunti.

Poliginano a Mare is stunningly beautiful! It was my introduction to Puglia last year, and I was so glad I included it again this year! The turquoise color of the water with the cliffs and golden & white tones of the buildings are such a gorgeous contrast. It’s definitely my “happy place” for relaxing & photography!

My last meal in Polignano a Mare was back at the lovely decorated Mint Cucina Fresca restaurant - a tiny place that serves interesting dishes that are either vegetarian or with fish. Last time I sat at their little table at the front door level. That sounds like a negative, but no, it’s in a very cute spot! I chose the Couscous di Legumi Antichi, and it was even better than the tuna last year that I enjoyed. The chef was very happy I liked the dish, had made a reservation again this year and came out to thank me. (This is an example of my earlier comment about making connections ahead of time with businesses in Puglia.)

I was looking forward to returning to Caserta to enjoy the massive elegant palace & expansive gardens! Oh, and the pizza last year was fantastic -yum! I keep an eye on the train strike website for upcoming strikes and saw I wouldn’t be able to travel to Tivoli on Saturday. Thankfully, I was able to cancel the hotel in Caserta the week before while it was still refundable, so I changed that night to Tivoli. I gave a little sigh when I saw a peek of the beautiful palace during the train’s stop at Caserta.

A B&B in Tivoli that I had on my short list was still available, so I booked B&B Regina. It’s in a great location in a piazza in the center of the city, and the host - Filippe, is one of the nicest, hospitable hosts! He insisted on making a reservation for me to dine at the famous Ristorante Sibilla - an excellent meal & best zucchini flowers I’ve ever eaten. He’s good friends with the owner, so I received his discount! My B&B room was decorated with beautiful antiques & is very clean, and there’s a nice rooftop lounging area, too. At breakfast I met a couple who were planning several days in Rome and then joining the RS Southern Italy tour. I told them about our forum. : )

The next two days were my original plan for Tivoli. Last year when my husband died very unexpectedly in the US while I was in Sulmona, our forum contributor, Nelly, who lives in the Abruzzo region was absolutely the nicest person to me! I wasn’t ready to face Sulmona yet this year, but I was hoping “Nelly” & I could meet up during this trip, so I could thank her again for being such a good friend to me when I was in shock. I rented a little apartment in the medieval section of Tivoli over the weekend, and she was able to come stay as my guest. The terrace for this apartment, Domus Colonnato su Villa d’Este is situated out over the corner of the Villa d’Este garden - wow! (Some people waved up at us.). Nelly noted this one for future stays. A fun comment: last year I had listed Casa Gotica in my TripIt plans to be sure & photograph in the medieval section. Guess what is located a few doors from this apartment!

We purchased the 3-day ticket to see Villa Adriana & S. Ercole Pincitore on Saturday & Villa d’Este on Sunday. We spent three hours at the Villa d’Este grounds - what we would consider the minimum. Saturday’s dinner was very special! She drove us out of town to Parco Laghi dei Reali Ristorante for a fantastic trout dinner experience!

Both of us thought Tivoli hasn’t received enough love on this forum. The city is outstanding to stay overnight, and the sites are well worth a couple of days, and there’s some notable church interiors! Yes, Tivoli is promoted as a day tour by many, but how about the chance to wake up in a medieval neighborhood with quirky photo moments all around & being able to enter the gardens at 9am while it’s uncrowded & peaceful with great dinner choices afterwards? : )

I took the early 30-minute direct train to Rome with the commuters. Spur-of-the-moment I signed up the night before with “Eat & Walk Italy” for their pizza & tiramisu cooking class. Several months previously, it was very difficult to find sites willing to sign up activities for a solo person. A hint for other solo travelers is to check options when the date is close & others have signed up.

For my one night in the Rome center, I stayed at Hotel City Palazzo Dei Cardinali located between the Spanish Steps & Trevi Fountain. This hotel is very elegant and even had a nice sofa & ottoman to relax in my room! I chose their least expensive one, and it was one of my largest hotel rooms during this trip. Crisp white sheets, robes and pretty bathroom. The breakfast was good, too. I am noting this hotel to stay here again.

Last year I wanted to go out to the Art nouveau (Italian stile Liberty) section of Rome, but that didn’t happen. So, I purposely picked my hotel for one night in Rome over in the Barberini neighborhood. I walked the two miles over to the Quartiere Coppede. I was almost there and spotted a Greek church with a gorgeous mosaic in front with the Lamb of God, etc. It was beautiful inside, also! Then a few blocks up Via Tagliamento, and I was in awe! The extravagant architecture is exquisite! Let’s just say that I needed to go back to my hotel to recharge my phone before heading to my pizza & tiramisu class because of all of the photos I enjoyed capturing. I took photos, paused & just stood gazing at all of the large & small details, then took more photos, repeat & repeat! I took the #63 bus back down to Barberini after chatting with a woman from California at the huge fountain & saved my feet.

The pizza & tiramisu cooking class was with Eat & Walk Italy. I signed up the day before, and they contacted me to see if I could take one of the alternate times. A family with three young children & I were the class of six so a very different dynamic than the normal cooking class group. We had fun learning from Chef Carlotta. I’ve made pizza many times at home and learned how to make tiramisu in Verona, but this was a good choice, plus the food was delicious! It’s held in the Gusto Ristorante near Piazza Navona. I did notice the pasta & tiramisu classes running at the same time in the other room. The later class filled a very long table.

Afterwards I faced a few difficult places head-on: Piazza Navona, the last place I sent photo texts to my husband; the hotel where I was sleeping when my husband died at home; the Pantheon- his favorite spot in Rome & a few other places I remembered us doing things together on previous trips.

I ended that evening walking back to my hotel, having a long hot shower & wrapping up in one of their lush, thick robes to FaceTime my adult kids.

The last morning in the center of Rome was relaxing! After walking in the vicinity and photographing more monuments, I took the metro over to Roma Termini to walk over to the Basilica di Santa Prassede. Wow, amazing mosaics that reminded me of Ravenna. The frescoes on the surrounding walls complete the beauty!

One last stop over to Terra for a last gelato before I headed to the last hotel. My last night in Italy is at the Rome Hilton Airport hotel - this is my typical standard to be at the Rome airport the night before my flight. Since I have three flights to return to Spokane, Washington (live in Idaho), any extra sleep that morning is precious!

I’m relaxing in my airport hotel room with a cup of tea & a bag of Taralli - a favorite travel snack since going to Puglia last year. (I need to make them at home!). Travel didn’t feel as carefree this year, but I am appreciating the chance to continue a hobby that I love, stretch myself, return or see new interesting & beautiful places and treasure life. Thinking back over the three weeks, it makes me smile! For that I am grateful!

Lessons learned: comparing this trip to the one in Spain in February, I had many more activities planned for the Spain trip. I think I will lean towards that plan in the future.

Packing: I packed as light as possible because my left leg/knee was bothering me a month before this trip. I only brought two patterned 3/4 sleeve blouses, a black 32 degree long-sleeve, two dresses, and a pair of black pants & black leggings. I looked at myself in the mirror this morning & didn’t want to burn the shirt, so I’m not sick of this limited wardrobe, yet - LOL! Everything was sink-washed nightly to keep the rotation going well….until I reached Tivoli. Items didn’t want to dry overnight there, so I carefully bagged anything damp and hung them to finish when I reached Rome.

Two items for the plane:. Cotopaxi Allpa 35L & a navy ORI crossbody purse. That is my new standard. Not having a tote in the airport & train stations was so much nicer! I was around 13-14 pounds total weight between the two when I headed to the airport.

Souvenirs purchased: a small wood-painted San Nicola (St. Nicholas), a pair of earrings in Ostuni & a scarf in Rome. I’ll be making 1-2 photos of my Puglia photos into enlarged canvas.

Transportation:. no trains were late. Ticket verification happened on about 50% of the trains. The more expensive Frecciarossa trains were purchased at least a month ahead. All tickets were purchased using the handy Trenitalia app. All of the trains running up & down the main Puglia line were newest with nice space for bikes & large handicapped bathrooms. The oldest trains were on the route to/from Tivoli. Be sure you have the correct ticket for the Leonardo Express to the Rome Airport!. The train conductor was processing a lot of credit cards in my train car! The American guy across the aisle from me was trying to use the metro/bus pass, and it cost him €64 Euro for this €14 ride.

Crowds: Rome was very crowded in the popular spots but fine around my hotels. Nothing in Puglia had crowds detracting from the experience except Alberobello.

Maps: I always make a 1-sheet screenshot map of each city with the priorities noted on them. I used them a lot last year in Puglia to just glance occasionally at them and then wander. This year I rarely looked at them during the day, other than Trani. I defaulted to the maps app on my phone - becoming so easy to just be talked/guided to a hotel or train station!

Coffee: I ordered either an espresso or cappuccino for breakfast. A few times when I ordered an espresso & confirmed I wasn’t asking for an Americano, I either received a slight smile or even one time the breakfast lady put her hand to her heart!

Some encouragement for solo dining:. One restaurant owner in Trani gave me the once over glance after a worker asked and then told him they didn’t have a table for me. Being the first city, it hurt a bit. But, the next day, a restaurant owner was going to have me wait and come back in an hour. As I started to leave, he asked if I was “one person”. When I said yes, he said, “Come! I will find you a table!” And the meal was excellent. Otherwise, I made reservations for about 20% of my meals and just let my eyes & nose choose the other ones.

Speaking Italian: I had studied Italian so much the year leading up to my 2024 trip to Puglia and was able to mostly converse in Italian on that trip - a big goal that year. This year I just didn’t have that energy to prepare, but I did review my 3-pages of words & sentences. The effort was appreciated again this year, and multiple places complimented me on even the little effort of being able to say my hotel room number in Italian at breakfast. The pizza class chef told our class to say Italian words ”with confidence” & made a funny expression! ; ). I certainly appreciated “Nelly’s” ability to converse with everyone in Italian - love the sound of it!

Jean, you write the best trip reports, even while still on your trip! Made me want to throw a few things in my bag (probably way more than you packed!) and head out the door. Safe travels home and thank you for sharing.

Jean, what a well-written Trip Report, as always, full of information and reflection. You put so much heart in your writing. And I vividly remember your Trip Report from last May. ( heart emoji)

Wow, what a fabulous trip! I took the RS tour, which covered Giovinazza, Matera, & Alberobelllo, but am hoping to duplicate an independent trip similar to your itinerary. I do-not feel comfortable with a rental car, and rely on public transportation. Your trip report helped me to see that traveling to this part of Italy by train is an option. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Bravo Jean, you continue to inspire with your willingness to “go for it.” We also would love to do Puglia independently. Ok to PM you at some point with questions?

Awesome report, Jean! Bookmarking and I will be going carefully through this for details for our Puglia trip this fall.

Big thanks for all the useful details. I'll probably have some follow-up questions...

Beautiful report.

Aaah, I've been waiting for this report. 1) I love the way you write, as if it was your lifelong profession. 2) It makes me want to stop putting off my plans to visit this region and just go already, even adding in Tivoli if possible. 3) I enjoy shorter stays and just wandering and exploring as well, and I sometimes feel like you're the only person on this forum that understand that.

I'm sure when I finally book this trip, I'll read and re-read your reports (as well as the others here) for ideas.

What a lovely man your husband must have been. I'm so sorry for the loss you've endured, yet inspired by your determination to continue to thrive in a new and meaningful way. What a wonderful role model you are for your children.

You are indeed inspiring, Gina What a great pseudonym for Italy! (Mine is Lorella as no one can say my name without a vowel on the end.)

I, too, am bookmarking for future reference!

Jean, what a resource this trip report is! Thank you, thank you. I think I’ve bookmarked every one of your reports.

What a wonderful report, Jean. I am so grateful I got to spend those two days with you in Tivoli. We fit in a lot in just two days! I'm glad we persevered to find the restored Grotto di Diana at Villa d'Este, and I loved our trout dinner in front of the cozy hearth they grilled it on! And your hotel/apartment finding is beyond excellent. I can't believe we were right on a corner of the Villa d'Este park.

I too am going to bookmark your trip report and try to find a time to see more of Puglia. And I will use your excellent hotel recommendations! Safe travels and I hope we can connect again someday.

What a lovely trip! Beautiful places and good memories.

Thanks for another vivid trip report. I had to pull up Google Maps so I could track your progression. I love that you manage your entire trips with public transportation.

I've never ventured south of Rome in my solo travels, but your colorful reports have convinced me that I've been missing out. I've bookmarked this report to my future travel folder. You've probably saved me months of research! Just kidding, sorta. Thank you, thank you.

Your absolutely spot on with making connections with businesses ahead of time. Sometimes it's as simple as stopping by a restaurant earlier in the day to book a table. In the evening you're greeted as a friend.

And as another Jean, I do the same as you, adding Madame when traveling to France. On arrival at a hotel in Paris, the receptionist apologized profusely that I had been assigned a room with a shower instead of a tub. Apparently women prefer tubs, who knew? That tubless room is now my preferred room in Paris. UK seems to be the only place where being Jean is not a problem for us.

Welcome home!

Jean-loved following along with you. You bring so much heart to your travels.

I haven’t been to Puglia but your reports are making me want to go.

And Greece is wonderful. You will love it when you go. Greece and Italy are my two favorite countries to visit.

Ahhh, Gina....what a wonderful yet bittersweet trip! I love reading the details and know you had a wonderful time.

Safe travels back to N. Idaho!

Tammy and David, feel free to PM questions as you’re planning trips to the Puglia area. Hope you enjoy your trips there as much as I have during these two times!