What was supposed to be a simple one-night stop in Verona—late afternoon arrival, a quick stroll, and then off to Lake Garda—turned into one of the most memorable surprises of my entire UK–Italy–Croatia trip. I expected Shakespeare quotes atop Juliet’s balcony and tourist clichés galore. Instead, after a flight delay and a bit of aimless wandering, I stumbled on history, architecture and of course the food that makes me keep coming back to Italy.

There’s something cinematic about Puglia. Maybe it’s the way light hits olive trees in the late afternoon, or the slow swirl of an espresso in a quiet piazza (I never drink coffee after morning but I have it every afternoon here). On this stretch of my southern Italy meander, we spent time in Ostuni, the famed “White City,” and Lecce, Puglia’s shimmering Baroque gem.

I’m not sure when I first heard of Puglia (Apulia on a map). It was probably a few years ago. And while not completely obscure, it definitely doesn’t get the attention (and the crowds) of Campania (Positano), Sicily, or Tuscany. I’d been quietly keeping tabs on this little corner of Europe—the heel of the boot—for a while, with a few scribbled notes and ideas on the back of an envelope.

Can you pull off a trip to Italy with less than a week’s notice? Absolutely. I did just that at the end of June when we (me & my partner John, but really me, the planner) spontaneously decided to spend a couple of days in Rome before heading down to Puglia (more on that soon). Maybe you’ll have a bit more runway than I did (pun intended, and fortunately I’d been here before) —but the beauty of Rome is how accessible - and surprisingly affordable - it can be. Some of the best experiences are completely free, especially when it comes to its stunning public spaces. A little know-how and a few solid recs go a long way, so here are some of mine—starting with my latest 48 hours in The Eternal City.