We left Sunday at about two so we could get to our hotel after check-in time. It is a drive completely on the big toll highways. As we neared our destination the weather got ominous and the signs on the highway warned of high winds. Even with our low profile car we could feel it. We got to the hotel and it was spitting rain and gale force winds. There was a wedding going on in their restaurant. What a day for a wedding!

We checked in and Luther finally managed to find a parking place but then the car burglar alarm would turn on every time he locked up the car. He finally got it to stop and we decided a bottle of wine was in order. The hotel made a reservation in the only open restaurant around, a pizzeria, but we decided to make do with the snacks that came with the wine instead of going out in that weather again. Morning Adriatic Sea.

Next morning we checked out at 10:30 and headed for Lecce, a four hour drive away. I hate riding on those superstrade because I can’t see much. We are so low and the guardrails so high. I did notice all the dead olive trees along one stretch. There is a disease and they had to destroy acres and acres of old olive trees. But mostly there were literally hundreds of thousands of healthy trees. And grapes. Puglia is famous for its Primativo wine. Used to be it was all sold as cheap wine but they now make some world class wines.

We stopped on the way at a rest stop for lunch of wraps with crudo and cheese. Pretty good. It also killed about 40 minutes so we could get there after three. I am always full of trepidation going to a new town and having to park. We decided to go directly to the car park. The hotel had reserved for us. They gave us good directions. Turns out it was painless and the car park was just like a normal parking lot with normal spaces. That probably sounds weird but so many cities, never made to have cars in them, make these ridiculous spaces into parking. Never should they be called a car park.

We were a six minute walk from the hotel. Lecce is completely flat. It was also still very windy. The hotel, Palazzo Zimara, is in a 500 year old palazzo. Beautiful space. The gentleman, David, who checked us in and took us to our room was very nice.

Our friends Susan and Gary were meeting us there. Well they had issues with their train connections, late trains and ended up arriving at nine pm. We told the hotel to expect them then. And they graciously made reservations for us for dinner in La Scarpetta Hosteria. It was about an eleven minute walk so we headed out about 7:30. 

Just when we arrived it began to rain. And the door to the restaurant was locked. Eventually they noticed us and we got seated. Nice place. Mostly seafood. I wasn’t that hungry so I can’t rave about my food. We did enjoy watching all the action. There were two really big tables set up for big groups and they began to fill up as we finished. We were glad we had gotten there early.

We left and the rain had stopped but not the wind. I had fun taking pictures of the night streets, piazze and churches. There was an almost full moon. We hit the sack early. Pictures during our walk back.

Tuesday 7 October 

We met up with Susan and Gary for breakfast. It was great to see them. They had gotten in just after nine and the hotel had ordered a taxi for them. Luckily as there were none available at the station. They also managed to get something to eat nearby. They had only nice things to say about the hotel staff. We both agreed the spaces are magnificent in the hotel but the bathrooms and storage spaces were not thought out well. There is not one hook or rail in the bathroom for a damp towel. I’ve never been anywhere like that. Our room was also too hot and it was impossible to cool it down. I slept poorly. 

Breakfast was a la carte and not a lot of choices. I got scrambled eggs that were inedible. Never had eggs been so overcooked. Tomorrow I decided to just get fruit. 

We headed out for a walk about. We figured we would stop where we wanted. Mostly there are churches to see. We saw the church of Santa Teresa first. I looked up the legend. The sculpture was of a woman with her heart outside her chest. It was being stabbed by an angel. Evidently signifying holy ecstasy.

Then the Duomo. Nice space, rococo inside. Very ornate. Then we wandered the shopping streets, checked out a couple more churches, and in our wanders went through the old Jewish quarter. First the duomo and its piazza.

One of the old gates into the city. And a church.

Many of the religious “statues” we saw in the churches are made of paper mâche. There is even a museum. This one was on the street.

We stopped for refreshments then headed to our lunch destination, Le Zie Trattoria Casareccia. Salintino traditional cuisine.  

It was a small place on a semi busy street outside the walls. It was run by all the women (aunts and nonnas) and had been in business since 1966. One thing I had noticed on all the menus here abouts, the most popular meat served is Cavallo, horse. I won’t eat horse because I love them and always have since a small girl.  Susan and I got the fried pasta with chick peas. It is a traditional dish here. And then the polpettoncino al vino bianco ripieni di formaggio. So filling. We vowed not to eat for a few days. 

Our walk back was nice enough. There are tons of tourists here. Almost all American. I haven’t heard this much American English since we last visited the U.S.

Wednesday 8 October

My breakfast pancakes. Pretty good. Avoid the eggs in any form!

We decided to visit a museum called Museo Sigismondo Castromediano. Very interesting with many recovered antiquities. Here are pictures. My favorite is the last one which is a headstone for a deceased person. They misspelled his name and so had to insert a tiny letter to fix it 🙂

Along our walk.

We wended our way across town to our lunch destination, Zephyr. It is unique. Situated in an olive grove inside the city walls. Probably the only one! And it is a hotel too. It was a small menu for a light lunch. It was perfectly satisfying and in a lovely space.

The buratta on my tomatoes is made here in Puglia and I really wanted to try it. It was terrific.

Thursday, 9 October

I had the yogurt and muesli breakfast. Not bad. We hung around the room until checkout time. We were off on our way home with a stop in Termoli in the Molise region. It was my third visit but Luther had never been. We walked to the car park and found our car safe and sound. Off we went northward!

We arrived at about two and checked into our seaside hotel. Pretty basic but walkable to the town. We walked up there and had a couple glasses of wine. It was risposta so everything was closed. We went back and had a nap before going out for dinner.

Our restaurant was Osteria dentro le mura. It was situated inside the walls of the old town. Hence the name. Small family place. We got there early but there was a big table set for a group next to us. They came pretty early too. The family consisted of mom and dad and two sons. The one who waited on us was fluent in English.

My sum up. In the future, if we are going to a city and only that city we will not drive. Waste of two days and two nights. Not to say we didn’t enjoy our overnights, but it would have been more expedient to take the train. Lessons learned. The hotels in the costal beach towns were as expected, nothing special but clean and decent bed etc. The hotel in Lecce was very nice but had its issues. The city of Lecce is beautiful, especially after the tour groups leave. I am afraid it will become another Florence. Sad but true. I liked both of our lunches for different reasons. I would go back.

You saw the angry coast. I had to show you the morning coast. Sunny and very windy. Woke up in time to see the sunrise.

Stay tuned for full trip report!