Ostuni: "La Citta Bianca" (The White City)

On Sunday, May 24, we left our first hotel, a beautiful Masseria, and cycled to our next hotel. Along the way we stopped at an ancient olive oil press and had lunch at a fascinating place called Il Frantoio. (that place deserves its own entry). After lunch we rode to our home for the next two nights - Ostuni.

The town is called La Citta Bianca (the white city) because its buildings are all completely white. It's an impressive site because Ostuni sits a mile from the Adriatic on the only hill in sight. The story is that Ostuni escaped the plague by whitewashing all the houses or that the sun shining off the walls scared off invaders. In any event, it's a very interesting place. The old city is full of small, winding streets and hidden alleyways but with a very busy and entertaining town square. On our first night, there was a large party on the square with traditional dancing, singing, awards and stuff. Later, after the official party ended, the square filled with young people who sat outside of one of the many cafes and listened to a rock band.