The main brunt of the tourists, having gone home for the summer, leave behind a pristine coastline and empty, stone cities in the interior. In this space, they can be quietly and meditatively explored.
Travelling through Puglia in the early autumn, one can expect a mix of traces of the region's Greek, Norman, and Spanish past — represented by twists and turns within the architecture of the region — along with nods to the modern world found in the the chintzy, 80’s hot pink motels on the coast and the sun-faded, elegant ivory homes spotting the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Moving inward to the mountains, through patches of Trullo-style homes, farmlands, monasteries, Masserias, and olive groves, expect fresh seaside air, towns from a distance that gleam like all-white palaces (namely, Ostuni, “La Citta Bianca”) and small town markets that sell a bitter orange soda called Chinotto and home made sandwiches with stracciatella, pistachio, anchovy, and squash blossoms.