Summer in Taranto

A guide to beaches, food and more on the west coast of Puglia

I've been waiting for three years to finally take my Tuscan mother in law, Angela, to visit her father's homeland: Taranto, Puglia. Ever since researching for my cookbook Tortellini at Midnight, when I did all the Italian family history research and discovered how far back the history goes in the old island borgo of Taranto, I have wanted to bring her here to show her her roots.

We walked the main street, Via Duomo, wondering which of the old, grand palazzi belonged to the noble family of her grandmother Anna, trying to guess which door was one Nicola, the postman, would knock on, until the day he met Anna and they fell in love and eloped. The girls followed a stay kitten down a tiny, dark laneway, where I found a relative from Nicola's side of the family -- a poor family of construction workers -- had lived in the 1800s.

So it was a very special trip as we wanted to share some favourite spots with my mother in law on her first trip to Puglia (blowing her mind as she had never been anywhere south of Rome!), while also visiting some new places and keeping the girls happy with trips to the beach most mornings. It was our first full-blown summer in Puglia experience and that inevitably slowed us down a little bit. Most of my trips have been either in autumn and winter, I personally love being anywhere in Italy in these months but especially southern Italy (this New York Times article agrees).

It was almost too hot to be at the beach but the water was incredibly refreshing and sparklingly clear, so it helped ease everyone a bit. Besides it was just stunning. I definitely recommend taking things slowly, get out in the mornings, try not to do too much in the middle of the day and fit in some long afternoon naps somewhere cool and quiet, if visiting in the summer. You’ll find the locals out doing their passeggiata in the late evenings when a breeze flows through the towns — kids, elderly, dogs, everyone. This is when things come to life.

First of all, I need to introduce you to the beautiful place where we stayed for the week. We were house sitting for new friends, Julie Ann Marr and her husband Francesco Creanza, who have created a beautiful home (above, what a dream) in the white washed town of Oria, which lies between Brindisi and Taranto, the Adriatic sea and the Ionian sea. Together they run workshops and cooking classes from their home and also from their newly renovated studio in Altamura, which is famous for its bread. So if you're in Puglia looking for a really beautiful food experience, learning about local traditions and cooking together, contact Julie and Francesco through their website, Everyone at the Table.

Here is our list of the things we particularly loved about this trip to Puglia:

• Cooking in Julie and Francesco’s well-equipped kitchen. It was such a joy that we cooked and ate here most nights, on their plant-filled terrace under the stars.

• The Cassola at Basile (Via Pitagora, 76, Taranto), a rich seafood stew full of all the delicious local seafood that Taranto is known for. Also great for a plate of crudi, Taranto’s favourite raw shellfish, especially their raw, sweet mussels (which were finally made a Slow Food Presidium earlier this year).

• Wandering the crumbling old borgo of Taranto. It’s not for everyone but street photographers and history buffs will love it, I just love these kind of port cities.

• The bombette (crumbed veal, rolled up with ham and cheese and roasted in a woodfired oven) at Zio Pietro in Cisternino, but also the atmosphere, the tables in the laneway, and the courteous, fun staff!

• Also in Cisternino in Piazza Mazzini, opposite the shoe shop Cuppino, a divine (slightly pricey) little second hand shop run by a charming signora where I picked up some irresistible antique plates.

• The Ionian sea! And in particular the pristine, crystal clear water at Campomarino beach (don’t get this mixed up with the town of the same name in Molise, a 4 hour drive away!) and San Pietro in Bevagna. Tuareg at Campomarino was a great beach resort with a simple bar with all you need - ice cold plates of watermelon, spritzes, friselle (top photo above).

• Morella winery — such a brilliant discovery (though Marco had drunk their wines a decade ago in Melbourne), a husband and wife team run this winery in Manduria. He’s Pugliese, she’s Australian, they tend to ancient primitivo vines that are cultivated with biodynamic principles that are made into surprisingly elegant wines.

• The gelato and bocconotti at Caffe Tripoli (fourth photo above), and just the general atmosphere at this beautifully elegant, old school cafe in stunning Martina Franca.

• The granita (lemon and mulberry!) at old-school Il Mago del Gelato (Piazza Garibaldi) in Polignano al Mare (third photo above).

• The Ceramic quarter in Grottaglie (second to last photo above) and especially finding some treasures to squeeze into my suitcase from Nicola Fasano ceramics — also a coffee break at the cute literary cafe Casa Merini (via delle Torri 4).

Have you been to this part of Puglia? Is there anything else you’d like to know? For more details, links and photos, head over to my latest blog post here!