Paolo [and his family] are excellent hosts. They responded quickly to our queries prior to the trip. We were met by Ana [Paolo’s mother] on arrival and she gave a very comprehensive briefing on the Trulli and the local area, albeit in Italian. We were able to make a reasonable translation of her comments/advice using our cell phone translator. The house was stocked with immediate breakfast provisions fresh fruit etc and the family arrived with a four course meal for two on our second night. All very tasty and totally unexpected.
The Trulli house is on a working farm [olives, grapes,and a host of other produce], It is on a side road off SS581 about 2.5 kms outside Ceglie Messapico. Paolo provided excellent instructions and photos to enable us to arrive without any difficulty. The Airbnb photos are accurate and the Trulli house is not only a pleasure to stay in but provides a unique country experience, not to be missed. The house comprises a central living space with alcoves off for bedrooms [2], inside kitchen large open fire place and separate modern bathroom. Cooking is done in a separate kitchen accessed from outside to save from having cooking smells inside the house. The bathroom has a large window for natural light and ventilation. The house is extremely secure. Cooling is easily achieved by opening windows [available in all rooms] and for the cooler part of the year, there are wall mounted heaters and air conditioners.
The house is well equipped for self catering and offers both initial cooking [oven and gas top cookers] and reheat [microwave] the furnishings and bed are comfortable. The apartment was spotlessly clean on our arrival.
There are many excellent restaurants in the area; indeed, this is one of the key attractions of the town for both tourists and locals alike. [We can recommend Al Fornello da Ricci on Via Montevicolo– a one star Michelin which has very reasonable prices].
Two mountain bikes are provided [free of charge] but access to a vehicle would be a definite advantage if one wishes to venture beyond the town. The railway station is on the near side of the town if one wishes to use that means of transport to visit the larger centres on the coast [Bari, Brindisi, Taranto or even Lecce to the south.]
Overall, seven night stay in Ceglie Messapico was most enjoyable and the setting was magical. Paolo’s Trulli house provided us with a good base for exploring northern Puglia. Thank you, Paolo and family for making our stay in Ceglie so enjoyable.