The guide you Desire

22/06/2025

Introducing the old stories hidden behind the gold of my region: the olive oil. Leading a unique sensory experience of tasting, experiencing the freshness and richness of flavors and aromas of every single drop by the shade of the stunning olive tree garden of Masseria Specula.

05/11/2024

For the column:
𝑾𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑻𝑶 𝑺𝑬𝑬 ✨
To close this column I choose the southern city of the region: Lecce, located in the Salento area, the province heading down to the southern city of Santa Maria di Leuca in the hill of Italy.

Nestled in the heart of Puglia, Lecce is a stunning baroque city known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and jaw-dropping architecture.
Often called the “Florence of the South,” its narrow streets, ornate churches and sun-kissed piazzas are a photographer’s dream. Whether you’re wandering through its ancient Roman ruins or savoring local delicacies, Lecce offers a timeless taste of southern Italy.
Don’t miss this city along your journey in Puglia!

20/10/2024

If you’re planning your journey in Puglia or you’re already landed in this region, I’m pretty sure Alberobello is on your list. But why it become so popular and charming? ✨⬇️

This fairtytale village named Alboris Belli, “beautiful tree”, because of its location in the middle of a beautiful forest, calcareous and rich in stones, is where you can find the highest concentration and best preserved examples of Trulli: over 1500 structures that in the 1996 gave to the city the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• And what is this strange cone structure ?? 🛖
The Trulli, plural of Trullo, are limestone dwellings of corbelled dry-stone construction, characteristically feature pyramidal, domed, or conical roofs built up of corbelled limestone slabs. They were a temporary or seasonal residence, or a permanent dwelling for peasants and agricultural workers, that’s why you can found them all along the Itria Valley.

• Fun fact:🥁
In the 15th century, the Kingdom of Naples, adopt the Prammatica De Baronibus, an edict that subjected every new settlement to a tribute. In 1481 the Counts of Alberobello, imposed it on all the residents property.

They were none too pleased, so they settled on an unconventional solution: what if we don’t have a permanent residences at all?
So tbegan to avoid mortar in favour of dry stone construction, for the simple reason that dry stone dwellings are easier to dismantle. When the early inhabitants of the trulli heard the tax collectors were approaching, they could remove the roofs and perhaps even take down their houses altogether and when the tax collectors moved on, they could simply rebuild their homes. 🏚️ Clever, isn’t?

09/10/2024

Polignano a mare - new polis, new city. Lately “a mare”, added in 1862 by King Vittorio Emanuele, to emphasize the navies of the newborn Italian state.

This stunning borgo, located 30mins down from Bari on the eastern coast of Puglia region, was founded by Caio Mario, Roman politician and military, between the II and I centuries BC, when surprised by the storm freed his hawk and in the place where he landed, founded this new city.

The famous cove in this picture instead, is “Lama Monachile”: his name derives from the ‘monic seal’, whose presence was noted in this place in the past. Dominated by the rocks of a height of 24m it is also the scenery that every summer hosts the sportive competition RedBull cliff diving.

02/10/2024

Visiting Puglia in autumn/winter?
Checking the menus and finding basically everywhere “fave e cicoria” (fava beans and chicory) ?
Let me explain why you shouldn’t miss this dish and why it’s so important for us! 👉🏻

This tasteful combo represents a traditional food that is being eaten since ancient times: it comes from Magna Grecia, the time when the Greek empire colonized southern Italy and even Aristophanes mentioned these two ingredients already in 405 b.c.

It is just mashed fava beans and wild chicory. But why it is so popular and special? It is the contrast between the bitter flavour of chicory and the sweet of the beans. And trying it with homemade fried bread and a glass of primitivo red wine, will let you enjoy a simple, tasty and nutritious dish from our countryside tradition. 🍲🍷

17/09/2024

When in Puglia, usually arrives or departs are from Bari.
The main city, capital of the region and well connected with the main train station and airport.
Let me introduce her : the 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚 🍕👑
The first and only, the Queen of the barese cuisine.
A soft, airy flatbread with a crispy exterior made of durum wheat flour and a mashed potatoes in the dough, covered with cherry tomatoes, gross salt and sometimes green olives.

You can eat it while walk in the narrow streets of the historical city centre or along the promenade looking at the horizon and enjoying the sea breeze. It only has a rule: to be accompanied by a Peroni beer🍻

And, if still hungry or looking for an in deep tasting of barese flavours, unmissable to try the raw fish: red prawns, oysters, mussels or cuttlefish 🦐🦑🐚
A drop of olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice and then you can say to have truly tasted the Apulian flavours!

12/09/2024

Wondering in Puglia and getting hangry by 5-6pm?
Looking for a refreshing drink, but not hungry enough for a proper dinner? we have a solution: 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙖

Not an aperitif, not a proper dinner
The apericena is that right amount of food that goes perfectly along with a refreshing drink.
Usually cold cuts and local cheeses, like capocollo from Martina Franca and caciocavallo, then some bruschetta with burst tomatoes, onion and cappers. What else? Ah! The unmissable olives and tarallini, the apulian greatest snack ever invented.

Along with your glass of primitivo rosè wine, remember to order an apericena and let yourself be overwhelmed on a journey of flavours of the Apulian tradition 🧀🍷🍅

09/09/2024

Given my name (Desirè), a really creative pax during a tapas tour in Barcelona, coniate this funny name for my page: “The guide you Desire”.

I’m a young lady from Puglia, 100% Italian, recognisable by the hands shaking in the air and a big smile on the face, always looking for good food and a glass of wine (if primito rosè even better).

My career in the tourism starts in May 2022 and sharing with people from all over the world the beauty of my country, my region and let you create memories through the flavours and smells of the local products, is what makes me deeply happy and proud.

In the end… to be a traveller, doesn’t it means to join a journey of flavours? Let me lead it! 🍝🇮🇹🍷

03/09/2024

Barcelona - 4 days itinerary 🇪🇸

After living 1 year in Barcelona and all my friends always asking me for recommendations and what to see and where to eat, it’s finally the time to share my local information with all of you! 😂

I tried to set up the itinerary adjusting what to see day by day according to the districts/ areas and public transports connections. Save this post for you next departure and share with friends!
I hope you all can fall in love with this amazing historical city and love all its sounds, colours and flavours ❤️🇪🇸

09/08/2024