Cisternino

No trip to Puglia is compete (at least for me) without a trip to a Puglian village.  The small, hilltop villages have the most charming old towns and are generally kept up (as opposed to Taranto's old town, which is seriously sketchy).  They are white, originally to keep the inhabitants cool in the summertime. 

Nonna suggested we take a morning excursion to Cisternino and she made a good call.  It was peaceful and beautiful and charming and we all loved it, as evidenced by the 100+ pictures we took.  I included a sampling here, but rest assured, I took photos of every corner of this village.

Fabio knows I am a sucker for churches, and there are plenty in Cisternino, and every other Italian town for that matter.  This "chiesa piccola" had remnants of a mosaic built into the absid and is named for the patron saint of the eyes. 

 

The main church of the town had some statues that they used for their own mini version of an Easter procession.

 

 

 

 Matteo had a blast chasing doggies, and zig zagging back and forth across the street, darting towards the countless staircases.  Fabio had a great time chasing him and telling him to get down.  It was heaven for Matteo.  :)

The countryside in Puglia is so stunning.  Trulli dot the landscape and the trees were blooming and flowers were popping up. 

There was this gorgeous piazza that overlooked the countryside.  Some of the local men were hanging out there, true Southern Italian style, playing their game on the pavement.