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Apulia, in the heel of Italy between the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic, is off the beaten track. Don't miss:
BARI Purses get snatched and cars get broken into in this Adriatic port five hours southeast of Rome. Still, in terms of personal safety, I'd take Bari any day over New York. The cathedral church of San Sabino and the even more glorious San Nicola di Bari are Romanesque jewels.
THE MURGE Apulia's central plain, with its curious stone-domed cottages known as trulli.
LECCE A glorious baroque fantasy in the south.
TARANTO, on the Ionian Sea. The Museo Nazionale is a must for anyone interested in the antique Greek settlements in Italy.
GROTTAGLIE, northeast of Taranto. Famous for its decorated ceramics and terra-cottas. Giorgio Armani's favorite: Ceramiche Nicola Fasano (45 Via Caravaggio; 99-566-1037). The shop will ship to the U.S.
PLACES TO STAY
Country hotels are my choice. Prices have been calculated at an exchange rate of 1,555 lira to the dollar. To call from the U.S., dial 011-39, followed by the local number.
IL MELOGRANO (345 Contrada Torricella, Monopoli; 80-690-9030. Double $230 to $310.) One of Italy's great hotels, in a vast olive grove between Bari and Brindisi. Noted for its excellent food, based on Pugliese tradition.
TORRE CASCIANI (Strada Provinciale Felline-Torre S. Giovanni, Ugento; 833-931-661. Double $52.) On the Ionian Coast south of Gallipoli. Try the first-rate local cooking even if you're not a guest. Call to be sure the restaurant is open.
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