Continuing from my post from last week about the Trulli in Puglia, now we head back up north along the coast. We stopped in Trani as our cousin had advised us to eat at the Le Lampare al Fortino where he proposed to his soon-to-be wife. The restaurant had a magnificent terrace overlooking the scenic harbour and an atmospheric inside with vaulted ceilings composed as part of the old fort which guarded the port. Le Lampare al Fortino features seafood dishes and modern interpretations of traditional Apulian dishes.

Heading north to the Gargano, we first pass run-down seaside towns until we reach Manfredonia where we begin to see magnificent cliff-side towns protruding into the sea. Seagulls fly overhead and the air is heady with the scent of the sea. This is the Gargano, where the contrast of limestone cliffs jutting out into crystalline blue waters delights the senses.  Even the trees feel different as they have a curious form. Their arched branches have been pruned to droop downwards. The towns of Peschici, Vieste and Monte Sant’Angelo are the highlights, as is the Foresta Umbra (forest) and the Tremiti Islands

We stop in Mattinata to try some typical sweets from the Gargano at Ciangularie. We know we are in the right place as the name itself means “gluttonous” in local dialect. Here we find traditionally prepared ostie (ostia wafer sandwiches created by the monastery of nearby Monte Sant’Angelo filled with a mixture of almonds, honey, cinnamon and cloves), scartellate (fried pastries shaped into corollas and dipped in syrup), taralli,  baci di Mattinata (biscuits of almonds, sugar, liquor and cocoa), mostaccioli (biscuits flavoured with cinnamon, lemon zest and fig syrup) and scaldatelli (ring shaped pastries flavoured with wild fennel).  

One of the highlights of the trip was going to fishing rigs called trabucchi which are built right on the cliffs over the water. These are protected historical monuments throughout the Gargano (and in Abruzzo). The trabucchi are atmostpheric, rustic fishing outposts dishing up the freshest fish from the Adriatic while offering unparalleled sea views. The experience of eating at a trabucco remains in my mind as one of the most unique experiences in my life.

 

 

The food served at the trabucco varies from rustic to sophisticated (a real juxtaposition with the surroundings). 

 

Onwards we carry on along the north of the Gargano Promontory towards the town of Apricena, where my husband’s grandfather originates, to see our cousin Andrea get married. We find empty campsites and deserted beaches which run for kilometres (these fill up on the weekends in June and then everyday during July and August). We pass huge inland lakes on our left and the sea on the right. White cow bottoms poke out from the roadside bushes, their tails swinging in the air. Town squares and roadside cafes are filled with old men sitting around in groups of two to five, observing life passing by and commenting on it. Finally we arrive at the highlight of our trip, the wedding.

 The couple chose traditional local dishes for everyone to enjoy. At the end of the evening, there was a final surprise – a unending candlelit table set under the stars, filled with every imaginable combination of pastries. 

Tel: +39 3470577272

This is a family run bed and breakfast in a 16th century farmhouse surrounded by olive trees. The pool and the food are the highlights while the rooms are simple but comfortable.

Mattinata:

Ciangularie

Tel: +39 345 893 3151

This trabucco is in a gorgeous setting. While the ambience is rustic, the food is anything but. Find here expertly prepared sophisticated variations on local dishes. Try the local microbrews. This trabucco is memorable.

Recommended dishes: mixed starter platter (cefalo in pastello su cipolla in agrodolce (fried gray mullet with sweet and sour onion), pepata di cozze (mussels cooked with garlic, parsley and black pepper), insalata di polpo con crostini di pane (octopus salad with croutons), cozze ripiene e fritte (stuffed and deep-fried mussels), tortino di alici e ricotta (anchovy and ricotta flan)), orecchiette crema di fagiolo nero, cozze e peperone (orecchiette with black bean puree, mussels and peppers), griglia mista (mixed grill of prawns, cuttlefish, sole, octopus and sea bream), zuppa di pesce (seafood soup), melanzane alla pizzaiola (aubergine/eggplant with tomatoes and cheese), torta di gelsi (mulberry cake) and sorbetto di pompelmo (grapefruit sorbet).

Corato:

Il Forno di Tiuccio