October 2017

Pour yourself a glass of red (or white), this may take a while…

We stayed at Casa di Kuki in Monopoli in late September 2017, and it was a wonderful experience.
The owner is a lovely lady - Gioia, who was an absolute joy, very welcoming and helpful without being intrusive. She advised us on trips (Polignano a mare, Alberobello, etc), local restaurants (there are so many to choose from), bars, cafes and shops, including supermarkets and greengrocers full of great local produce. Gioia’s daughter - Kuki baked us a cake to welcome us, and it was delicious.
The apartment is delightful and is contained in a building which used to be a church in centuries gone by. It is located centrally in the Old Town (Centro Storico), near restaurants, bars and close to the port, but quiet and peaceful when you just want to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of Old Italy.
It has air-conditioning and is decorated in a beautifully quirky manner, as Gioia is an accomplished designer. There are two double bedrooms (one of which is accessed via stairs as with a mezzanine), a living area with kitchenette, and a bathroom with spacious shower. There are 3 flat screen TV’s if required. All the rooms have sliding mosquito net covers which we kept closed, apart from when we wanted to access the small balconies to dry clothes on the airer.
The private terrace on the roof is a fabulous large outdoor space with sun beds, tables, chairs and a sofa, and it includes outdoor cooking, washing and showering facilities - absolutely amazing!
There are lovely views to the Adriatic Sea from the terrace and over the medieval Castillo Carlos V, we enjoyed the sun there from morning until late into the afternoon.
The terrace is accessed by quite a steep (but manageable) stairway. It is best attempted with care and some banister-leaning if vino (rosso o bianco) has been enjoyed…
There are a number of beaches nearby for sunbathing and swimming, but we had difficulty leaving our terrace behind!
Monopoli itself is a beautiful place with lots of lovely old buildings, narrow stone-paved streets and alleyways, wide open squares and old churches, including the stunning Basilica Cattedrale.
I would usually hire a car, but decided not to this time round because there are traffic restrictions in the Old Town. However, car-hirers could easily park outside and enjoy the short walk to the apartment. Also, I found the trains easy to use as the stations have machines which are multi-lingual at the press of a button when purchasing tickets.
Finally, we would not hesitate to recommend Gioia’s amazing apartment very highly to anyone who is interested in a fantastic holiday in a beautiful town in Puglia in the south of Italy, especially if you want to enjoy good food and wine whilst there.
Ciao Gioia, grazie mille per un'esperienza fenomenale!