Our next stop in Puglia, after the incredible lunch at Masseria il Frantoio, was probably my favourite part of the trip: Ostuni, The White City. It’s famous for bright whitewashed walls – extra bedazzling in the Italian sun – dotted with coloured doors, green cacti and potted plants.

It’s really one of the prettiest little towns I’ve ever been to. I think the photos speak for themselves…

We explored the charming hilltop town, winding through narrow lanes and little passages, through white-washed houses and quaint cafes.

Every nook and cranny was incredibly picturesque, and it took about an hour to walk 20 metres with all the photographs we were taking. You could honestly wander all day.

We reached the top of the town to be greeted by 360-degree panoramic views of the arid countryside creeping out towards the blue ocean.

Our end goal was a restaurant called Taverna della Gelosia that we’d picked out after careful deliberation. And I’m so glad we did!

Tucked away in the labyrinthine medieval streets, we were led down some steep steps towards a quintessentially Mediterranean courtyard. It was a gorgeous oasis of calm, beautifully decorated with bright flowers and lush plants.

One of the main reasons I adore traveling around Italy is the food, naturally.

I love the fact that as soon as you sit down in any restaurant, you’re given complimentary starters to get you through the period of perusing the menu. 

In Puglia, often bread baskets include taralli – a perfectly crispy, baked bread snack common in Southern Italy. They’re often flavoured with onion, herbs, garlic, sesame seeds, chilli or salt, making them stupidly addictive. We also got a carafe of the house red too – an essential with any lunch in Italy.

First up we had deep fried mozzarella balls. Juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, just how they should be.

My main dish was a very large pork shank baked with leeks, apple and honey. Utterly delicious. Also, how fab are these plates?

He had a far more delicate-looking, inside-out vegetable lasagne which was as wonderful to eat as it was to look at.

And to finish off a perfect meal – light and fluffy almond sponge cakes, on the house.

Until next time Ostuni! xx