Debi Shaw

This afternoon we visited Ostuni, a city in Italy’s Apulia region known as "La Città Bianca" for its gleaming white buildings. Ostuni's history stretches back over millennia with settlements from ancient tribes to the Normans and beyond, however what visitors can see today dates from between the 1400s and the 1700s. Ostuni's history is evident in its Gothic cathedral and medieval streets, and the panoramic views that sweep across the countryside to the Adriatic Sea are one of its draw-cards.

Ostuni has quite a different feel than what I was expecting. Known as the ideal Italian getaway with its closeness to the Adriatic sea, its location amongst the olive groves and its extensive history, I was very much looking forward to visiting this town. However, after experiencing the beauty and quaintness of Locorotondo, Monopoli and Cisternino, Ostuni seemed to be lacking. Being a bigger city it has more cafes and restaurants filling the main square and the few historic buildings and churches were closed. It was just lacking the vibe we love of the smaller towns.

After checking out the only church open, and the most prominent one, we continued walking through the town to the prime viewing point of the city rising above the green valley and sea in the distance. We could understand why it was called the white city and we can see its appeal.

After having a wander through town and the steep laneways we chose one of the many restaurants to sit and enjoy yet another delicious Italian lunch. We had the most delicious fresh salads, Brad’s was with octopus and mine was with chicken. The freshness of the ingredients over here make all the difference. It was a lovely light lunch followed with a few Hugo spritz while we waited for our driver to return.

Ostuni doesn’t have that rustic feel we love and does have a modern vibe to it with the collection of bars and restaurants crowding the middle of town. It really isn’t a place for people watching and the views were of the other restaurants and I think that is what made the difference.

It is certainly a lovely town to visit but it hasn’t knocked the others off my “favourites” list.Weiterlesen