I went to Italy alone and it was just the tonic

The spectacular seaside town Polignano a Mare.Credit: iStock

Long service leave. I'd always imagined it would be spent on sabbatical, somewhere far flung and glamorous. Instead, I'm two months into my hard-earned break and hanging out washing. As I peg out the kids' undies, I ponder the idea of a trip to Italy. The trouble is, my husband is in the middle of a work project and both children are in school. What if I went on my own?

Travel is one of my passions, but juggling family with a demanding job in investigative journalism has left little time to indulge that interest. Now the international borders are open, I have some extended time off and some birthday money to spend. The subversive idea of jetting off to Europe, sans family takes hold. I jump online to search for places I haven't been. Puglia stands out. I am attracted by the region's sparkling Adriatic coastline, lush vineyards and slower pace of life.

The heel of the Italian boot, Puglia is a land of ancient, sun-baked olive groves, whitewashed towns and some of Italy's best beaches. I find a small European-based operator called Secret Italia Tours advertising an affordable, 10-day small group tour of the regions of Puglia and Basilicata. But first, I need to sell the idea to la famiglia. They happily endorse the plan. Fortunately I have a supportive partner who has no qualms about kid wrangling for a fortnight.

Alberobello, home of the trulli, traditional Apulian dry stone huts with conical roofs.Credit: iStock

My eldest daughter has one condition: "As long as when we want to go to Europe you don't say 'no, I went last year'." My husband laughs and replies: "You obviously don't know your mother very well".

Once I have the green light, I am like a woman possessed and I've booked the tour and airfares within the hour. It's the most spontaneous decision of my life. I receive a puzzled email from Aldo, the tour operator in Malta. "You do realise the tour is next week?". Meanwhile, the four American couples on the tour, who had booked their trips pre-COVID are intrigued by the last-minute addition of a mystery woman from Australia.

I fly Sydney to Rome (via Darwin) in Qantas economy class, for an eye-watering $4400 return. The flight is cramped and eventful as the elderly woman next to me collapses in the aisle and requires oxygen. Thankfully, she recovers. About 24 hours later, I arrived at Rome's Fiumicino airport. My choice of pizza and a Peroni for breakfast raises some eyebrows as I waited for my connecting flight to Bari, the capital of Puglia.

After almost 30 hours of travelling, I finally make it to Hotel Oriente. I have another Peroni on the balcony and take a nap. It's dark when I wake up, so I decide to explore Bari by night.

I grab a tourist map from the hotel reception and venture down the bustling Corso Cavour and into the old town to join la passiegata. I spend hours wandering the maze of narrow, cobblestone streets and alleys, at times getting lost. The next morning, I meet our bubbly tour guide, Paola and the four couples on the tour, all retired professionals and business owners.

The first day is a marathon, a tour of Bari old town before we pile onto a minibus and drive to the enchanting fishing village of Monopoli. It is here our guide, a Puglia local, treats us to our first street food experience. Mortadella, burrata and pistachio pesto on a fresh bread roll from the sandwich shop, Gustavo. It is then a long drive to Lecce, known as Florence of the South, a stunning baroque town where we spend the next three nights.

After settling into our bed and breakfast, we walk through the beautiful walled city, mostly constructed of local sandstone then sit down for a welcome dinner. By this time, jetlag had kicked in and as the conversation moves to American baseball and war planes, I'm experiencing traveller's remorse.

What have I done? I've left my family to travel halfway around the world with people I don't know and have very little in common with. The next day the group heads back into Lecce for a morning tour of the city and a papier mache workshop with local maestro, Claudio Riso.

That evening comes the first of many tour highlights, a visit to the mid 16th century Palazzo Tamborino Cezzi. The owner, Leonardo Tamborino Cezzi shows us around his property and gardens. All while his battle-scarred old cat, Rocco struts around, stopping occasionally to lick the mercurochrome off his fur.

Emeritus Professor Tamborino-Cezzi, who used to teach medieval history, serves us aperitifs and after some encouragement, agrees to play us some tunes on his grand piano. It is an unforgettable evening and left me hopeful that this trip wasn't a mistake after all.

I am still missing my family but I'm also beginning to relish the freedom and independence of solo travel. With each new experience, the group dynamic improves and we are soon seeking out each other's company for aperitifs and dinner on our "free nights".

The tour group, mostly retirees, comprises Anthony and wife, Joanne; Richard and wife Lois; Leona and Gary; and James and wife Linda. James has the most endearing habit of always walking behind us, keeping a watchful eye on the group and our surroundings. On one such walk, he dryly remarks "it must be a bit like travelling with your parents".

Lois and her good friend Leona declare themselves my "second Moms", frequently checking on me and offering help, advice and sunscreen when I need it.

On our third day in Puglia we swim in the sparkling Adriatic and visited Otranto, at the very southern tip of Italy. We enjoy a seafood lunch and a visit to the cathedral and lighthouse, where on a clear day you can see Albania. We then head inland to visit Polvanera Winery and sample some Primativo wine and delicious, organically grown food.

For the next two nights we stayed in Matera, featured in the dramatic opening scenes of the James Bond movie, No Time to Die. A stunning complex of cave dwellings, known as Sassi, carved into the mountainside, Matera is one of the oldest inhabited places on earth.

In the 1950s, it was dubbed "the shame of Italy" because the living conditions were so poor and its residents were relocated to modern housing estates. Since then it's become a tourist hub and was named Europe's capital of culture in 2019. It's not hard to see why. Matera has a biblical, mysterious atmosphere and is the best place we stay.

Another tour highlight is a visit to Alberobello, home of the trulli, traditional Apulian dry stone huts with conical roofs. We spend the next two nights in the white hilltop town of Ostuni, which has stunning views of ancient olive groves and the glittering Adriatic coast. We enjoy many foodie delights on this tour, sampling olive oil from trees that were planted by the Romans, burrata cheese making and bread making.

The tour also features an all-too-brief visit to the spectacular seaside town of Polignano a Mare and the starkly beautiful Castel del Monte, a UNESCO-listed hexagonal castle built for King Frederick of Sicily in 1240. Our last two nights are spent in the tranquil harbour town of Trani.

At our farewell dinner, we shed a few tears. Paola told us she's never seen a group get along so well. We've forged unlikely friendships that I hope will last a lifetime. Back at the hotel, my "second Mom" Lois gives me a blue linen dress that she bought in Polignano a Mare. A touching end to my impromptu trip to the heel of the boot.

My friends are intrigued that I went on this tour by myself. Some think it brave, some disapprove, others are inspired. One Facebook friend remarks "Without 'encumbrances'? I envy you". Two colleagues are already planning some alone time in Europe next year.

My advice? Do it. Travelling solo is good for the soul. While the first few days were challenging, I soon embraced the long-forgotten freedoms and delights of travelling alone. For this harried working mum, it was just the tonic.

Lorna Knowles travelled at her own expense.

THE DETAILS

TOUR

Secret Italia Tours 10 Days Puglia and Matera small group tour. Experience southern Italy with a group of 12-14. Includes tours of Bari, Lecce, Matera, Alberobello, Ostuni and Trani. See secretitalia.it/tours

FLY

Qantas operates flights from Perth to Rome three times a week (from June. See qantas.com/au ITA Airways operates daily flights from Rome to Bari See ita-airways.com

STAY

The hotels included in our tour were Hotel Oriente, Bari (oriente-hotel-bari.h-rez.com); Palazzo Dei Dondoli, Lecce (palazzodeidondoli.it/it/); Locanda Di San Martino, Matera (locandadisanmartino.it/en/home/); Hotel La Terra, Ostuni (laterrahotel.it/); and Hotel Mare Resort, Trani (mareresort.it/it/home).