"Two Californians colliding with the culture of the extreme south of Italy can be amusing and intriguing. We came to understand that the stories surrounding each town, building, field, and person animate the stones as much as the people in Puglia. An olive tree is not only a plant, a cathedral is not just a building, and an expat is not just a foreigner."

Stories from Two Californians in Southern Italy captures some of the spirit of a region that is becoming more known as its history, beauty, and culture casts its spell on visitors and locals.

This work of nonfiction is divided into chapters in which the reader experiences stories of culture and history both through the eyes of the writer and the inhabitants of Puglia.

The adventure commences with a drive south, from Rome and continuing through the olive groves of Puglia. "Olives everywhere," the Californians complain until a local Pugliese, Bruno, begins to unveil the stories that give meaning to the groves. From biblical anointings to Greek immigration 3,000 years ago, the story of the olive tree in Puglia is the first step into a land that begins to reveal its secrets. The reader is a fellow traveler and adventure seeker as the Californians explore St. Nicholas in Bari, the mysterious symbols in Alberobello, what expats seek and find, a revolutionary in Otranto, dancing in Nardo and the homeless man in Trani.

The reader is along for the ride through a magical region that breaks one's stereotypes, enchants one's senses, and captures one's heart.