Lido Pizzo / Punta della Suina

Actually this is the second post dedicated to Punta della Suina, but there is a good reason for this. We did explore it better, and we can tell now without doubts that it is a real paradise on earth.

The coast of Salento / Побережье Саленто

Here is an amazing video of the coastal beauty of Salento: from breathtaking Localita Ciolo to scenic Leuca, from white sands of Torre San giovanni, Torre Vado and Torre Mozza to the stunning rocky coast of San Gregorio and natural pool Marina Serra! Are you still doubting where you should have vacation this summer? 🙂

Захватывающее дух видео прибрежных красот Саленто: от головокружительного Localita Ciolo до панорамной Леуки, от белых песков Торре Сан Джованни, Торре Моцца и Торре Вадо до великолепного скалистого побережья Сан Грегорио и природного бассейна Марина Серра! Вы все еще сомневаетесь где провести летний отпуск в этом году? 🙂

Apulia as a luxury travel destination / Апулия – люксовое туристическое направление

Bora-bora beach

Apulia corresponds to the main trends in luxury travel of 2014, becoming more and more popular as a luxury travel destination.

A desire for authentic experiences has recently become the key motivator for choosing the travel destination. Striving to discover new territories or to rediscover destinations that have been already visited, tourists want to have an active holiday and a close interaction with the local people, nature, culture and traditions. Seeking to be participants and to experience something real and true is one of the top reasons behind their travel choices. And here Apulia is a perfect match.

Walking On Sunshine musical filmed in Apulia / Киносъемка мюзикла Walking On Sunshine в Апулии

‘Walking On Sunshine’ musical by Vertigo Films and Eagle Pictures was filmed in Apulia. To be more exact, mostly Salento was the beautiful background for this funny and engaging musical with Leona Lewis, a British popstar,  as a one of the protagonists. The entire shooting, from the beginning to the end, took place in Apulia, the film will be in cinemas this summer from June 13. Don’t miss a chance to see the splendid Apulia region in all its beauty while listening to the wonderful music, including hits of the 80’s.

Here is the tralier, enjoy!

Мюзикл ‘Walking On Sunshine’ – производство Vertigo Films и Eagle Pictures – был снят в Апулии. Если быть более точным, в основном область Саленто послужила красивым фоном для этого комедийного и увлекательного мюзикла с Леоной Льюис, британской поп-звездой, в роли одной из главных героинь. Вся киносъемка, от начала до конца, состоялась в Апулии, фильм выйдет в кинотеатрах этим летом с 13 июня. Не упустите шанс увидеть великолепный регион Апулия во всей его красе во время прослушивания замечательной музыки, в том числе хитов 80-х.

Вот трейлер, наслаждайтесь!

The perfect villa for a wonderful vacation in Salento / Отличная вилла для идеального отпуска в Саленто

near the sea

Last autumn was so hot in Salento, it seemed more like summer, also because there were still people sunbathing and swimming in the sea, and we were not an exclusion)) At the beginning of November a company of my friends from Ukraine came to visit me, so we rented a villa near the sea in Torre Suda and in order to spend more time together and to have more fun, we also stayed there with our friends, even if there were 10 of them, there was no problem with the space, as there are 5 bedrooms in the house, each had a conditioner, and the parking area was absolutely spacious, we had 3 cars and there was still place for one more).

the backyard with garden and barbeque

Il Bacaro Restaurant, Lecce / Ресторан Il Bacaro, Лечче

The restaurant and steakhouse Il Bacaro is mostly famous for its foreign meat dishes like Brazilian picanha or Argentina and USA Angus, but I would say that this place has the biggest and fullest menu I have ever seen. Really, from all kinds of meat and fish to pasta and risottos, both traditional and exotic, with a great choice of starters, side dishes and desserts, and wine menu that includes the best Italian wines and many international ones, all this makes you want to come back here again and again 🙂

La Ficarigna Restaurant, Specchia / Ресторан La Ficarigna, Спеккья

Given the numerous messages I have received for advising this restaurant, I thought it was worth to bring it up in the blog posts. I am happy you liked so much this restaurant and I totally agree with you that it can be considered one of the best restaurants of Salento and Apulia.

pasta flambe preparation

Great characteristic restaurant, beautiful interior (there is also outside summer space), excellent service, but the thing which attracts me the most here is the menu, their sophisticated cuisine.

I have been to this restaurant several times, so I tried different things, and I can tell without doubt that everything is very tasty here… My favorites are: their specialty ‘pasta flambe’ (pasta flambata in una ruota di grana), which is not only a meal, but also a show, as they make it in front of your table.  And one more must-try dish is prawns flambeed in brandy, served still with the fire on them – this one won’t leave anybody indifferent.

Polignano a Mare / Полиньяно а Маре

Polignano a Mare is situated out of Salento, but still in Apulia, and it is too beautiful and enchanting to not be mentioned in here 🙂 Located near Bari, it is one of the favorite holiday destinations not only for Apulians, but also for the tourists from the whole world. Actually, this is one of the few places in Apulia with the strong presence of Russian speaking tourists, the other two are Porto Cesareo and Bari, to my knowledge.

Well, the most impressing thing about Polignano is the beautiful panoramas. Being like a platform of rocky cliffs, this fascinating town has so-called scenic terraces, high above the sea level. They are like balconies overlooking the Adriatic sea all along the coast of Polignano a Mare, full of marvelous colorful sea caves.

Il Baccante wine shop bar, Gallipoli / Винный бар Il Baccante, Галлиполи

An accidental find while having a walk along the main avenue of Gallipoli, wine bar Il Baccante surprised me with its welcoming atmosphere. In a search of a lovely place, where it is possible to listen to live music and drink a cocktail or a good wine, we came across this wine bar, which immediately gave a nice impression. Its interior is made in winery style, it seemed that we entered a wine cellar, with wooden shelves all full of different kind of wines. There is a bar at the entrance and the tables around and behind it. The atmosphere invites you to relax with the dim lights inside.

Apulia is among must-see places in 2014 by National Geographic / National Geographic рекомендует посетить Апулию в 2014 году

National Geographic Traveller published a list of must-see places to visit in new 2014 year, to sum up what is mostly in demand by travellers in the whole world: the authentic places with rich history and culture, genuine nature and traditions. So, it is not at all a surprise that Apulia has entered that list, at this region of Itay is truly unique. NGT also share some tips for travelling to Apulia, giving an advice to visit it in September-October (I would add also April-June and September) when there are fewer tourists around. The magazine calls Alberobello as ‘the fairytale landscape’ for its ‘fanciful trulli’.