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SLOW TRAVEL PLACES AROUND THE WORLD
Text by Lara Dunston / Photos by Terence Carter
Slow travel is about taking it easy, settling into a place for a while and savouring each moment that you’re away. Before you abandon everything, however, there are some guidelines to consider. Making restaurant reservations is a sin. Strolling and dawdling is encouraged, and getting lost is expected. A picnic in a park, seafood by the sea and lunch with new friends are all fine ideas. Time spent each day sipping coffee or wine on a sunny terrace is obligatory. Let spontaneity and serendipity be your guides.
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LBEROBELLO, PUGLIA, ITALY
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Alberobello, in the southern Italian region of Puglia, is renowned for its abundance of enchanting trulli. There are 1,500 of these perfectly preserved, whitewashed, conical-shaped houses, dating to the 16th century. Busloads of tourists teem into the lanes of the fairy-tale town each day for an insight into how locals live their lives; most are still inhabited. Go one better and get firsthand experience by renting your own rustic trullo set amongst vineyards, olive groves and cherry trees in the surrounding countryside. Some come with swimming pools, though there are beaches a short drive away. However, if you’re a true slow traveller, you’ll be content with leisurely bike rides along dirt roads, inhaling the scent of rosemary and laurel as you catch your breath, snatching fragrant wildflowers from the bees for the dining table, and making pizza in your traditional outdoor oven for moonlit evening meals. If you do venture out, drop into Ristorante Paradiso di Puglia, where the friendly Rosato family serves handmade pasta and homemade limoncello. If you ask, they’ll write down the recipe for you.
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