Rustic Puglia

October Special

Claire — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:19:01 +0000

Enjoy everything that Puglia has to offer without the crowds and the heat of summer. Stay at Rustic Puglia for just £95 per night (minimum four nights) in October with no fixed check-in/out day. Cisternino, Ostuni, Martina Franca, Ceglie Messapica and Locorotondo are all within 20 minutes’ drive, and the beautiful baroque city of Lecce and the Sassi cave dwellings in Matera are an easy journey by car.

birds and bees

Claire — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:58:00 +0000

We’ve had a bit of bad luck recently with our animals. Firstly, on going and inspecting how the bees were getting on Andy found that the hive was completely empty. We were very sad to lose them and hope that they didn’t find their accommodation to be below standard! Our friend and local bee man Antonio has promised us another swarm but this may not occur until next Spring, so we’ll try again and hope that we’ll be producing Rustic Puglia honey before too long. Next loss was one of our chickens who free ranged a bit too far and probably strayed into the jaws of a dog or fox. Normally our dogs keep an eye on them and see off any potential marauders but it’s been so hot that they’ve been flaked out indoors and neglecting their guard dog duties!

Trullo Lavanda – another gorgeous holiday villa to rent

Claire — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:51:00 +0000

When we saw Trullo Lavanda it bowled us over with its rustic charm. It’s situated at the top of a track with great views and peace in abundance. There’s plenty of outside space for eating, reading and snoozing, a large 11×5m swimming pool, and with three double bedrooms plus two sofabeds it sleeps up to 8. For more information click here.

Trullo Oliva, a very special place to stay

Claire — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:23:59 +0000

Of all the renovated trulli that we’ve seen, we think this is one of the prettiest around. Situated at the end of a country lane but just minutes from Cisternino, the house is a perfect holiday home in every way. It has been sympathetically restored so that you can appreciate Trullo Oliva’s ancient origins but has a luxurious, modern edge which gives it elegance and style. Newly represented by Rustic Puglia, there’s still plenty of availability so snap it up for your summer holiday 2010.

Bees mean honey

Claire — Wed, 26 May 2010 08:38:44 +0000

Andy did a fabulous bee keeping course while we were in London and bought a hive to bring with us when we moved here. At long last it is inhabited when the local ‘bee man’, Antonio, brought us a swarm to fill it. We picked a lovely spot well away from the property and shaded under trees for the hive and the bees took to it straight away. After a week or so to allow them to settle, Andy opened up the hive to check for the presence of a queen – essential if the brood is to survive and to get lots of honey. Unfortunately there was no sign of eggs or grubs which means we may be queen-less, he’s going to check again in another week and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that all will be well.

Beautiful new holiday villas

Claire — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:36:28 +0000

We’re thrilled to represent three new holiday villas on our website, all of which have the Rustic Puglia seal of approval. Villa Sessana, Trullo Vecchio and Lamia Armonia are all situated on the beautiful 10-acre Terra Sessana estate in the Ostuni countryside – Terra Sessana is run by the wonderful Mario and Laura who live in the impressive Masseria on the estate with their two young children. Villa Sessana sleeps five, Trullo Vecchio has two double bedrooms and Lamia Armonia is ideal for a couple. All the properties are self-catering, have their own private gardens and small swimming pools, with amazing views of the meadows and pastures around but just minutes from the famous cliff top town of Ostuni and the beaches on the coast beyond.

Maiden voyage

Claire — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:59:39 +0000

andy with baby owl

We’ve been serenaded by the calls of two baby owls at night, whose home is in a nearby pine tree. One of them took fright when the tractor was bailing up the hay on our land, and took its maiden voyage from the pine tree straight into a large cactus. Still feeling too close to all the commotion it flew off again but went straight into the side of our house. Luckily no damage was done and Andy carried it to an olive tree a safe distance away from both the tractor and our cats! Now we can hear both their calls again, so we’re relieved it managed to get back to the family home.

A pool at last

Claire — Sat, 08 May 2010 07:55:51 +0000

When work started in November we never imagined it would take quite so long to complete, but this is Italy!

We think it was worth waiting for – the water looks cool and inviting, the gazebo provides lots of shade for lounging, and the flowerbed wall and fence is designed to help keep curious children at a safe distance. It measures 4.5 x 11 meters with Roman steps at one end, going to an initial depth of 80cm down to 2m at the deep end. We’ve chosen a salt water system which keeps the water beautifully soft and hygienic without the use of environmentally damaging harsh chemicals. We hope you like it!

workaway

Claire — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:52:29 +0000

Some friends who do something similar in Le Marche recommended Workaway to us, a website where volunteers who want to combine a bit of work with their travels and hosts who need help with their projects post their profiles. Volunteers then search to find projects that interest them and contact the host to see if there’s a fit – in return for five hours labour a day hosts provide food and accommodation. We ‘ve had great fun these last two weeks with our first Workawayers, one from America and the other from German, who have been painting, weeding the grounds and planting our vegetable garden with all sorts of goodies. To find out more about Workaway click here

beautiful nearby trullo for sale

Claire — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:10:53 +0000

Fancy becoming neighbours? Our lovely friends from Verona have sadly decided to sell their holiday home after eight years of spending their summers here. The location is perfect, on a long driveway off a track leading from the road that we’re on – guaranteed peace – and the garden includes that all important swimming pool. There are two double bedrooms, one ensuite plus a family bathroom. A big kitchen diner with pull out double bed under a trullo alcove and a cozy nook with a fireplace for winter. For more information click here