The Big Gay Podcast from Puglia

We literally grabbed Regan and Allie off the street for this short episode. The sisters are from the US. Regan is a wheeler. She uses a wheelchair and has been navigating Ostuni while visiting for the Allora film festival.

We ask Regan how her visit has been, given the narrow cobbled streets of many of Puglia's old towns.

It was a delight to hear that Regan's experience had been very positive and much better than had been anticipated at the other end, before getting here.

She also praises the organisers of Ostuni's first Allora International Festival of Cinema Art and Music for their thought in presenting an inclusive and accessible festival.

Photo: Torre Guaceto, one of Puglia's accessible beaches.

Food is an integral part of Puglia’s identity.

Puglia is Italy’s biggest producer of olive oil - around 40% of Italian extra virgin olive oil comes from Puglia - and Italy’s 2nd largest wine producing area, well known for rich, full bodied reds.

Our tradition of la cucina povera (“peasant food”) serves up simple but inventive dishes using seasonal, locally produced, fresh and flavourful ingredients.

And we gave the world burrata.

Recorded at FoodExp 2022 we speak to Italian food writer and travel consultant Paolo Vizzari, Virginia Newton from Copenhagen’s 3 Michelin-starred Geranium, currently the 2nd best restaurant in the world.

We find out about Quintessenza, Trani’s only Michelin-starred restaurant from Michele Di Ceglie one of the chefs who support Stefano Di Gennaro and we finish off with some blow your mind carbonara from the Carbogang guys who came all the way from Trento in the north of Italy to cook for us - and we are very happy they did.

Read more about our visit to RebelExpFood including further links, photographs on our Eat Puglia 2022 podcast episode page.

As Italy's first ever LGBT+ History Month draws to an end we speak to one of its co-founders and organisers, Alessio Ponzio.

Alessio talks about Italy's fascinating queer history. From the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the late 19th century that led to Italy becoming a destination for same sex tourism to the reshaping of men and Italian masculinity in the second half of the 1930s under Mussolini's fascist regime

We also consider Puglia's dark history. In 1939 gay men were sent to an internment camp on the beautiful Island of San Domino in the Tremiti Islands, where they suffered harsh conditions. Mussolini unwittingly created Italy's first openly gay community.

Find out more about LGBT+ History Month Italia on their website. More information about the podcast episode and links to futher information can be found on our podcast page for this episode.

For the launch of season 3 we’re in a safe pair of hands as we ride with Ostuni’s top and most satisfying Tuk Tuk tour guide, David 5-Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from Golapa, Ape Calessino Ostuni.

We learn some fascinating facts about Puglia’s città  bianca. Why the old town is built as it is, what the different color doors mean, and why some of those doors are so small (and it’s nothing to do with southern Italians being shorter than average).

The episode is recorded live as we go on tour around the old town with our favorite Tuk Tuk driver.

We paid for our tour and we also gave David 5-Star a big tip to show our appreciation for looking after us.

Be sure to take the tour when you visit Ostuni, it really is educational. Go Golapa and ask for David 5-Star as your guide (be sure to let him know you listened to the podcast). 

Golapa Ape Calessino facebook page has detail of their services.

Check out our blog for fuller detail on our David 5-Star Tuk Tuk tour experience.

We connect with leading gay travel blogger Louis LaFata of wolfyy.com (over a slightly dodgy Skype connection) to find out about what inspired him to give up his profession and travel, the frustrations of lockdown and our collaboration with wolfyy, which sees the launch of their gay guide to Puglia as our region is recognised as Italy’s top gay summer destination and one of Europe’s top 5 gay destinations for LGBT travelers.  

Read more about our collaboration.

Undisputed capital of the trulli in the gorgeous Valle d'Itria, Alberobello is one of Puglia's most iconic - and perhaps most visited - destinations. But with tourism front, back, left, right and centre finding authentic Alberobello, the Alberobello that so inspired Pier Paolo Passolini can be hard to find. But it still exists.

In our #lockdown guide we inspire and guide you on your visit and with a local eye "stress test" two travel blogger guides suggested to us: Never Ending Voyage and the short (but cute) Short Guide to Alberobello brought to you by the beautifully curated Along Dusty Roads.

And after that our companion guide to Alberobello can be found here at the BIG Guide to Alberobello. Safe and happy travels.

Our Alberobello Podcast Guide Page.

Benvenuti a Polignano a Mare. Welcome to Polignano a Mare and to our city guide podcast.

Our city guide podcasts supplement our online guide found at gaypugliapodcast.com.

Each podcast will include some background on some of Puglia’s most popular destinations. Maybe a little history, some trivia but most importantly information on how to make the most of each destination.

How to get around, what to see and do, where to go to eat - and what to eat.

We are an inclusive travel blog and podcast. We might have some information that is of particular relevance to LGBTQ+ travellers, but we all love to eat, drink, visit the beach, sight see and shop. Our recommendations will be of interest to anyone visiting Puglia and the destination covered.

As a Valentine's Day bonus, we speak to wedding planner Viola from Emotions in Puglia about planning a wedding in Puglia. Recorded at Puglia's BTM tourist fair in February 2020.

This was recorded for a fuller "Weddings in Puglia" episode, but covid happened and the episode was abandoned...

3,154 votes were cast in our Best of Puglia 2020 survey. We asked our local gay community and visitors who came to Puglia on vacation to tell us their favourite destinations, restaurants, gay beaches, bars and clubs in Puglia, as well as their favourite things to do.

David and Scott review the nominees and reveal your best of Puglia 2020.

A list of the full results can be found on The Big Gay Podcast from Puglia website.

Greg and Andrea live in northern Italy but spent three weeks travelling all around Puglia at the end of summer 2020. In the second of a two part podcast we pick up with them again in Santa Maria di Leuca, from where they travel up the Ionian coast to Gallipoli and beyond. Find out why they are full of praise for the much overlooked Taranto, and hear them enthuse over their joy of ceramics ("from breathtaking [pieces of art] to the functional", made in Grottaglie.

Greg and Andrea live in northern Italy but spent three weeks travelling all around Puglia. It was Greg's first time in our region, and for Andrea a return visit after 20 years.

In the first of a two part podcast they take in the Gargano, Imperial Puglia, Matera (in the neighbouring region of Basilicata), the Valle d'Itria and end up in Santa Maria di Leuca.

They are effusive in their praise for Puglia and don't hold back in describing their highlights, from restaurants to places of beauty.

Find links to the restaurants and other recommendations from the Big Gay Podcast from Puglia travel guide here.

David and Scott stop off in Lecce for a spot of Christmas atmosphere and pizza (Lecce officially has the best pizza in Puglia), albeit because of Covid19 it had to be delivered.

The delicious pizza inspires talk about traditional Christmas dinner here in Puglia and in the UK. For David means 13 starters, 2 first courses and 2 mains before moving on to desert...

And, as it's Christmas, the boys finish off with a little Christmas gift for those who managed to make it past the pizza.

Buon natale e tanti auguri.

While staying at Lune Saracene at Spiaggia d'Ayala in Campomarino inspired by Scott's last stay in a B&B, David and Scott share some true tales of terror - including a story of demonic possession in Ostuni's Parco della Rimembranza remembered by David when he was just 8 years old...

For the second naked podcast Scott and David head to D'Ayala Beach - Puglia's most popular gay naturist beach. Where it's hot, hot, hot and not just because of the golden Salento sun...

For socio-economic reasons so many young men continue to live at home with their mothers well into their 30's here in Puglia. So where do they go for their Grindr hookups?

David talks about car sex and Scott asks about the phenomenon of married Italian men having sex with other men. It's not an evolution, rather Italian society is such that many gay men remain in the closet, marry and cruise for sex with men.

Strong language and frank discussion.

Scott and David visit the gay section of Torre Guaceto's naturist beach. Secluded and relaxed, it is one of Puglia's most popular gay beaches. Adult content and themes are discussed.

See the pictures and supplemental information - including directions how to access the beach - at the Gig Gay Podcast from Puglia Torre Guaceto FAQ.

After the Big Gay Podcast from Puglia's final summer fling at Por do Sol in Gallipoli where we meet Sergio from Italy Gay Travels we head to Porto Salveggio with David to refect on the covid-19 summer that saw us travel from Vieste and Peschici in Gargano at the very north of Puglia, to deepest Salento at the very heel of Italy's boot.

Follow us on Instagram or check out our Puglia guide.

We meet with Colombian supervet Dr. Jairo. Currently undertaking research for a second postgraduate doctoral degree at the University of Bari's renowned Department of Veterinary Medicine, he tells us about his love for reptiles and his continuing mission to make us love and understand snakes. And if you want to know the difference between poisonous and venomous reptiles, and whether your chances of survival are better if a crocodile or alligator attacks you, listen in.

For the record, we do have snakes here in Puglia which Jairo explains are hard to find. But you certainly won't find encounter any crocodiles or alligators in the wild.

Before the Covid-19 lockdown we travelled to Reims in France, the champagne region, to take part in an Erasmus Plus programme. We took some prosecco with us to see whether people could tell the difference between the prosecco and champagne. Back in Italy we ran the same test with Italians.

In this the first part of 2 we are in Puglia for the Italian end of the test. In part 2 we will go back in time to February and switch location to Reims for the original taste test.

We should say, we appreciate that describing champagne as "French" is unnecessary. Champagne only comes from France and is only champagne if it comes from the champagne region ...

We visited Vieste and Peschici in the Gargano. What a beautiful place to be. OK, it's not really a day trip from Ostuni, but the beaches and the entire area are stunning. David had to decide whom to send our first postcard from Puglia to: Sir Ian McKellen, Tom Daley or Dame Judi Dench. Who did he choose ...?

David is back. We talk about driving in Puglia, dispelling the stereotypes of Italian drivers. Which is not to say that Italian drivers are without bad driving habits ... look out for roundabouts, and overtaking. Then there are the challenges of parking (first find a space then try and fit into it). Look out also for ZTL restricted traffic zones. Drive into one of them and you can look forward to a €180 fine dropping through your letterbox 8 months later.