Puglia and Basilicata by Lonely Planet, travel guide book review

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Review by Barb & Ron Kroll

Travel Guide Book Title:

Puglia and Basilicata
(Lonely Planet) ISBN 978-1741790894

Theme:

Puglia and Basilicata is a 248-page Lonely Planet guide book to the two regions of southeast Italy located in the heel of Italy's “boot.” Puglia is also called Apulia. Besides good maps, the travel guide features things to see and do, places to stay and eat, with information on culture, history and nature.

Sample Items:

In the Highlights section, Lonely Planet readers recommend the baroque architecture in Lecce, the summer passegiatta in Martina Franca, Trani cathedral, the mountaintop giant Christ statue in Maratea, sunrise in Matera, the hilltop ghost town of Craco, Valle d'Itria with hill towns like Locorotondo, vineyards and trulli, wildflowers in Piano di Sopra and Torre Pizzo beach near Gallipoli.

Notable Elements:

An Outdoor activities table lists what to do (e.g., hiking at Matera Gravina to see Rupestrian cave churches, boat trips to grottoes at Castro, cycling in the Vulture area, where you can taste Aglianico wines). Other things to do in Puglia and Basilicata include enjoying masseria (fortified farmhouse) lunches in Murgia, bird watching in Parco Regionale delle Gravine dell'Arco Jonico and neolithic sites in Daunia Pre-Appenines.

A sidebar describes Teatro Petruzelli, the Barese opera grand theater, which was devastated by fire in 1991. In another sidebar you learn about D.O.P. gourmet Altamura bread, baked in 300-year-old wood-fired ovens. Each loaf is a large, heavy wheel. A third sidebar provides information on trulli for rent in Puglia (e.g., Il Palmento, Trulli Italian and Truddhi).

Tone / Style:

The introduction to this well-organized guidebook explains the best times to go to Puglia and Basilicata (April to June and September, October have the best weather).

Using Brindisi as an example, city information includes population (87,900) and highlights. For Brindisi, these include cooking classes at Awaiting Table, the beaches at Marina di Pescoluse and seafood restaurants in Gallipoli.

Practical information includes hotels, e.g., Hotel Orientale, restaurants, e.g., La Cantina ti L'Artisti and cost of ferry crossings from Brindisi to Corfu and other destinations in Greece.

Visuals:

Lonely Planet Puglia and Basilicata features color photos of regional highlights and a two-page color relief map. Symbols identify hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, attractions and transportation information on 50 monochrome maps.

The authors
Destination Puglia & Basilicata
Getting started
Itineraries
History
The culture
Food & wine
Environment
Bari & the Terra di Bari
- Bari
  - History
  - Orientation
  - Information
  - Dangers & annoyances
  - Sights
  - Festivals & events
  - Sleeping
  - Eating
  - Drinking
  - Entertainment
  - Shopping
  - Getting there & away
  - Getting around
  - Around Bari
- North of Bari
  - Bitonto
  - Ruvo di Puglia
  - Trani
  - Around Trani
  - Barletta
  - Around Barletta
  - Andria
  - Canosa di Puglia
  - Minervino Murge
- South of Bari
  - Altamura
  - Gravina di Puglia
Northern Puglia & the Gargano Promontory
- The Gargano Promontory
  - Foresta Umbra
  - Vieste
  - Peschici
  - Vico del Gargano
  - Rodi Garganico
  - Monte Sant'Angelo
  - San Giovanni Rotondo
  - Mattinata
  - Manfredonia
  - Around Manfredonia
  - Isole Tremiti
- Il Tavoliere
  - Foggia
  - Lucera
  - Troia
  - Daunia Pre-Apennines
Taranto & the Murgia
- Taranto & the Tarantine Murge
  - Taranto
  - Parco Regionale delle Gravine dell'Arco Jonico
  - The Tarantine Murge
- The Murgia
  - Conversano
  - Grotte di Castellana
  - The Valle d'Itria
- The Adriatic Coast
  - Polignano a Mare
  - Monopoli
  - Egnazia
  - Torre Guaceto
Brindisi & the Salento
- Brindisi
  - History
  - Orientation
  - Information
  - Dangers & annoyances
  - Sights
  - Festivals
  - Sleeping
  - Eating
  - Drinking & entertainment
  - Getting there and away
  - Getting around
- Lecce
  - History
  - Orientation
  - Information
  - Sights
  - Activities
  - Tours
  - Courses
  - Festivals & events
  - Sleeping
  - Eating
  - Drinking
  - Entertainment
  - Shopping
  - Getting there and away
  - Getting around
- The Greek Salentine
  - Galatina
- The Ionian Coast
  - Porto Cesareo
  - Parco Regionale Porto Selvaggio
  - Gallipoli
  - South of Gallipoli
  - Santa Maria di Leuca
- Adriatic Coast
  - Castro & around
  - Otranto
  - South of Otranto
  - North of Otranto
Northern Basilicata
- Matera & the Murgia Plateau
  - Matera
  - Around Matera
  - Montecaglioso
- Potenza & around
  - Potenza
  - Venosa
  - Melfi
  - Around Melfi
Southern Basilicata
- Appennino Lucano
  - Aliano
  - Castelmezzano
  - Pietrapertosa
- Tyrrhenian Coast
  - Maratea
  - Rivello
- Parco Nazionale del Pollino
  - Orientation
  - Information
  - Dangers & annoyances
  - Sights & activities
  - Sleeping
  - Eating
  - Getting there & away
- Ionian Coast
  - Metaponto
  - Bernalda
  - Policoro
  - Tursi
  - Pisticci

Directory
Transport
Health
Language
Glossary
Behind the scenes
Index
World time zones
Map legend

Authors:

Paula Hardy, Abigail Hole, Olivia Pozzan

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