This time last year Bruce and I were packing for our month-long trip to Europe: two weeks in Italy to celebrate our 10th anniversary; two weeks in the Czech Republic for Joe and Marie’s wedding.
It was a trip of a lifetime. While there, I chronicled my food and travel stories for my former newspaper employer, complete with photos, some of which were taken by Stewart Rawson, the man with the camera in this top picture.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Other than Joe and Marie’s wedding, my and Bruce’s favorite part of the trip was when we visited the Itria Valley in the region of Puglia, located in the mid-heel portion of Italy’s boot. One afternoon we drove our rental car to Cisternino (Chis-ter-nino), a quaint, ancient little village with cobbled streets, plaster-and-stone buildings and lovely courtyards.
We rolled into town during siesta, which meant the businesses were shuttered and everyone was off the streets for a few more hours. We found one exception; a small gelato shop. We bought some gelato and sat outside in the quiet at one of the bistro tables. We noticed another couple sitting nearby.
They spoke English with an English accent. We struck up a conversation and became fast friends with Chris and Stewart Rawson. It was one of those encounters where everyone clicked instantly. Stewart is a videographer and photographer. Chris is a nurse. They told how they’d spent three years renovating a centuries-old apartment, just a short, inexpensive flight from their home in England.
The afternoon we met Stewart and Chris, they arranged for us to join them a short drive away in Locorontondo, Italy, at the home and cooking school of Carole and Mino Maggi. Mino’s a world-renowned chef whose property includes trulli —cone-shaped old structures — that include his childhood home, his cooking school, and bed-and-breakfast accommodations for tourists. (Mino’s the subject in the photo, above.)
The evening culminated with our joining Chris and Stewart at Maggi’s home for an incredible feast prepared by him and his students.
But first, we took a short walk from the gelato shop to Chris and Stewart’s home in Cisternino’s center.
Oh. My. Gosh. What an adorable, romantic, historical apartment with pinch-me views. It was small, but perfect for two. The architect who oversaw the renovation made incredible, modern use of every single inch of square footage in the most creative ways.
We had wine with Chris and Stewart at their wonderful place as rain fell on the courtyard one story below. I wished I could stay there for weeks. It was centrally located in such an amazing part of Italy, a region where trulli are as common as old barns are in the north state.
We received an e-mail from Stewart this week. He said their apartment is now available for tourists to rent. He sent a link, which features his photos of the apartment, Cisternino and some great video clips.
Even if you never get a chance to visit that magical part of the world, Stewart did such a wonderful job of capturing the essence of Cisternino that you’ll feel you’ve been there.
And it makes those who’ve been there want to return.
Pronto!
Here’s the link to Stewart and Chris’ apartment in Cisternino. Feel free to explore. To view Stewart’s videos, go to the top of the Web site and click on ‘Cisternino & Around.’ Don’t be surprised if you fall in love with Cisternino.
