TUCCI GANG TAKES PUGLIA
Tucci in his power stance with a crisp glass of Italian white. We love him.
Stanley Tucci casually strolling the canals of Venice, Italy in the Season 2 Premiere of Searching for Italy.
Well guys, it finally happened. Stanley Tucci visited our beloved region of Puglia for his “Searching for Italy,” TV show on CNN. He was seen in a market admiring the produce and posted to his Instagram account of 1.3 MILLION FOLLOWERS: Greens in Puglia. Scanning the comment section is enough to give a Puglia fangirl an anxiety attack: Puglia is the new Almalfi!
Will this be the nail in the coffin for the undiscovered, untouched and pure region of Puglia we know and love? Time will tell.
HOWEVER, there’s some good news. Searching for Italy season two premiered May 01, 2022, highlighting Venice. Rumor has it that filming for Season two has wrapped, meaning Puglia may still have some time to be her authentic self if it airs next season. Season three premiere date for Searching for Italy has yet to be announced.
Our next retreat to Puglia, Italy is April 22 - 29, 2023 and if I were you, I’d want to visit before the TUCCI GANG takes to our uncrowded Adriatic Beaches and Agriturisms. Will gelato prices go up once the Tucci foodies flock to our hole-in-the-wall staple spots? My prediction: yes.
I first visited Puglia in 2016 while studying for my meditation certifications. The land was wild and overgrown and I loved every dirt road and rugged terrain. In 2021 I returned with my two children, my mother and my partner, Mike. He knew how special Puglia was to me and actually asked me to marry him under the Porta di Santo Stefano gate in Martina Franca. I said yes.
The Porta di Santo Stefano gate in Martina Franca. Picture by Aldo Dith @dithphotography
Puglia will always hold a special place in my heart, walking around the white city walls that have held up for centuries makes one feel so small and so young. In 2016, Puglia was a place of deep reflection for me, where I realized we are all so connected in so many ways. Puglia taught me to slow down, truly, that everything will get done and not to shame yourself for taking a pause, a nap, a breath, a break. I come back to this often.
The trulli accommodations at La Rosa Dei 4 Venti in Puglia. The hammock infamous for glorious naps.
I can’t be mad at Stanley Tucci for visiting my favorite place. He definitely knows what he’s doing in the food and travel world. After all, I do love the way Tucci highlights the simple, unfussy places of Italy, and I hope that the locals will benefit in some way from his massive platform. I will always love Puglia for what it was, what it is, and what it will become.
I look forward to hosting a retreat and taking a trip back next Spring, as the Earth wakes up and shows us her pretty colors. Hopefully alongside a few of your friendly faces, sampling the olive oils of the retreat grounds, petting donkeys and lounging by the pool in between shala sessions.
xx Ciao Bellas 💋