Homes for Gnomes

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Geo: 40.7862, 17.2376

From the Baroque beauty of Lecce, to the famously unique Trulli of Alberobello, the cone-shaped homes that look more like residences suitable for Hobbits or Dwarves, not humans! Extremely touristy, it's not a place I would normally find overly appealing nor worthy of a night's stay, but after seeing pictures on the internet, how could I skip a village full of Homes for Gnomes?

There really aren't any sights you must see here, other than strolling around and basking in the oddity that is Alberobello, a cute little town that is all too Disney, yetstill appealing, in a quirky kind of way. Originally, I had debated whether or not it'd be worthwhile staying here, as it looked like the type of place you could roll into during the morning, take a few pictures while strolling around, and maybe have some lunch, all before moving on to the next destination.

But the pictures of the Trulli made me curious, especially since many of them have now been restored and renovated as guesthouses for tourists. So why the hell not? Though anything more than a few hours here is Disney-overload, there are far worse places to spend an evening, especially when even the most touristy Italian town still has an abundance of excellent gelato, food, and wine to be found!

Like nearly all Italian cities and towns, Alberobello offers that nice contrast between the new and old quarters, with a surprisingly-modern new town offering a fine passeggiata, and the traditional look of the cute little old town, where all the tourists did their own version of the passeggiata. The difference between the two is that the locals were out simply for the sake of strolling, while the tourists were out in full force to assault all the souvenir shops peddling tacky Trulli-inspired trinkets, that were more than likely made by some poor little child labourer in China.

Though today's meals were only good and not great, the quality and freshness of the ingredients were brilliantly on display. Also obvious was Italy's proclivity for regional specialties, where fiercely-proud locals proclaim that their region is the only place that knows how to properly make a certain dish, that any version found elsewhere is a fake. At times, this pride can become quite extreme, with some locals bragging that a town just a few kilometres down the road has no idea how to prepare a dish, that it's only good in their town.

There are Foodie Heavens all over the World, but I would go so far as to claim that if Foodie Heaven had a Heaven, it may very well be here in Italy. Over the years, I've heard many tourists claim that the food in Italy may be good, but complain that it's all just pizza and pasta. Though there may be some truth in that, maybe you have to be from Italy in order to appreciate the variety within those choices.

Back home, you only ever see things like fettuccine, lasagna, linguine, or spaghetti on the menu - but seemingly every time I glance at a menu here, I find anywhere from five to ten different types of pasta, all very likely made fresh in the kitchen, with more than a few of them being varieties I've never even heard of before.

The gelato continues to be phenomenal in Southern Italy, though the choices seem much more limited than what you would find in bigger Northern Italian cities. But still, there are enough selections to keep things interesting, even with me sticking to a two-gelato-a-day diet, with two different selections in each serving.

After years of raving about Italian gelato, why I have l chosen to limit myself to only two a day? Well, through careful consultation with a dietitian before departing on this trip, we determined that nearly two weeks of a three-gelato-a-day diet would cause my stomach to expand too quickly, exceeding the yield strength of my leather belt.

How terrible would that be, for Canadians back home to see headlines of me being arrested for assault or even worse, murder, after maiming people with my exploding belt? So really, it's all for the protection of not only Italians, but for tourists, as well. Imagine how traumatic it would be for poor Little Jimmy from Kansas, when his father is decapitated right in front of his eyes by my bursting belt, all because I was selfish and decided to have an extra serving of gelato that day? But this sacrifice is OK for now, though I will come better prepared on any future trips to Italy - anybody know where I can find a leather belt reinforced with titanium?

Gelato Selections of the Day: An excellent melon and hazelnut gelato at Delizie, a place recommended by the waiter at Pizzeria la Perla, as having the best gelato in Alberobello. The second place I tried wasn't as good, having cherry and some other variety that escapes me, as it wasn't all that memorable.

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Photos

Homes For Gnomes ...
... the famous trulli of Alberobello - they look to be more suitable for Hobbits to live in, rather than Italians. Though some would say Hobbits are nearly as hairy as the Italians, at least when it comes to their feet.

The Siamese House ...
... one of the most famous Trulli in Alberobello, because the two roofs are joined - the story is that two brothers lived in this house, and after a woman came between the two, they split the two with a wall, with each brother occupying one side.

See and Shoot ...
... apparently, this little opening in this trullo allowed the residents to not only see who was at the door, but also shoot them, if they were undesirable!

Not Getting It ...
... nearly 40 C in Alberobello, and these people are wearing full arm length gloves? Maybe they're afraid of getting sunburned on their arms?

Cool Trimmed Trees ...
... It's basically become one giant mass of trees, and it's somewhat comical to see all the locals huddled underneath it to escape the hot afternoons.

My Trullo ...
... very cosy, though with a tiny bathroom and a comical kitchen - to cook on the stove top, you'd have to reach around a 90 degree corner. But these places weren't built for modern uses! Surprisingly, you could sleep up to 6 people in here, with the upstairs bedroom.

Cream and Chocolate-Filled Cornetto ...
... mmmmmmm ... with yet another fine Italian cappuccino, I might add!

Bruschetta at Pizzeria la Perla ...
... crispy and chewy toast, with tons of garlic. The bread here is bad, but pretty good once it's turned into toast. First course in a four-course meal.

Orechiette di Ragu ...
... "little ears" pasta - the pasta has been amazing so far, all tasting freshly-made, with a nice bite to it, al dente but without being hard. Perhaps the pasta could've been drained better, as it made the sauce a tad runny, a thick tomato sauce with ground meat. I suppose it's tough because of the shape, which naturally wants to hold water.

Costata di Maiale alla Brace ...
... I thought it might be grilled pork ribs, but it turned out to be only a pork chop. Still tasty and juicy, though. I laughed at the "green salad", which was just some wilted lettuce, of the type you might find inside a McChicken or Big Mac. The one good thing was that pork juice and fat had dripped all over the lettuce, though I'm still not quite sure how they could advertise this sad excuse for a salad as a separate course.

Timballeto di Cicorielle e Burrata ...
... confused as to what a burrata was, thinking that it was a ball of freshly-made buffalo mozzarella with cream inside that spills out when pierced, I ordered this dish, which turned out to be an omelet of sorts with chicory, which seems to be on almost every menu in the region. Good, especially with the shredded salty cheese on top, a type that didn't seem to melt very well. Rich, hearty, and good, but pricy for a starter at 10 Euros - and I come from Calgary, where everything is expensive! The wine was OK, a local brand called Fedora Castel del Monte - a simple, but somewhat plain white.

Prawn Risotto ...
... not sure that I've ever had risotto in Italy before! The thinly sliced ribbons of carrots were unnecessary, though the huge basil leaves were nice when ripped up and scattered across the risotto. I don't think I've ever seen basil leaves that big before!
The bit of pesto drizzled around the edge of the plate was nice, as it gave a bit of saltiness to the slightly-bland risotto. The rice was nicely cooked; every time I do a risotto at home, the exterior ends up a bit gluey, with uncooked crunchy kernels inside. A few of the prawns weren't properly de-veined, so there was a hint of prawn-ass detectable. The man next to me was always complaining, maybe he was right about the food at Il Guercio di Puglia? Overall, it was an OK meal.

Nooooooooooooooooo!!! ...
... though my second gelato of the day wasn't that great, I still shed many tears as a chunk of it fell to the ground. The shame ...