Last June my husband and I stayed in the bustling walled city of Otranto. This year, returning to the Salento, we wanted an apartment with outdoor space where we could relax and eat outdoors, yet be close to Otranto. We found this at Casa Ulmi in Uggiano La Chiesa. When friends, loyal longtime summer residents of Otranto, came for lunch by the pool, they said we had found "a little bit of heaven." And we had.
Teresa, who lives in her own house on the grounds, has created and manages a beautiful spot. There are just a few apartments (four I think) in a restored ancient edifice with a large patio covered by bamboo where we had breakfast every morning. When we ate lunch at Casa Ulmi, we chose a table in the shade by the pool, wonderfully clean and unchlorinated!
The apartment itself is spare and tasteful in the style of Italian farm country, comfortable and fully equipped. It is filled with light when you open the modern shutters that effectively block out the heat and let in the breeze when you adjust them. There are screens on the windows and air conditioning.
Teressa, the owner, runs a very tight ship. The entire place indoors and out is spotless and in excellent order. And she acts as a concierge service as well, providing restaurant tips and pamphlets when asked. The kitchen came stocked with delicious ground coffee, olive oil from her olive grove, pasta and some local munchies, as well as just-picked fantastic cherries, and more. The first couple of mornings she stopped by with local breakfast treats and when invited to stay for coffee, we chatted in bad French as she speaks little English and my Italian is non-existent. Even without much language in common, I can say that she is generous, hard-working and truly invested in providing her guests with a wonderful experience at Casa Ulmi, which indeed she did for us. We will be back.
Jessica Wiederhorn