Lovely Puglia, plus Rome, & Limoncello.
 

Finally getting started on this...It makes me think of that song from the movie Oliver! based on Oliver Twist that goes “Food, Glorious Food”! Although there were some definite duds! This was my 14th trip to Italy, but I had never been to Puglia, and after reading lots of trip reports about the area, I thought it was time I went there. Since Rome is my favorite place, I had to include it at the end of the trip. Another wonderful trip to Italy! Except it was HOT!

Due to age & arthritis, I move a lot more slowly than most. While a knee replacement means I can walk better and do stairs, I still try to minimize both when possible (yes, I know it’s impossible to avoid both sometimes), and stay longer in each place than most people think is necessary.

I’ll note here that all of the places where I stayed did not have somebody there 24 hours. Sometimes this is OK, sometimes not! I’m not looking for luxury because it’s usually out of my budget. My main criteria are a good location, an elevator, and hopefully a walk-in shower (NOT a tub!). Since learning that everybody in Italy uses WhatsApp, I installed it on my phone, which turned out to be a very good thing, since my phone didn’t work the entire time I was there (mostly not a big thing). I’m checking into why. I did:

Flew into Brindisi, 4 nights Brindisi (I find that jet lag affects me more as I get older, so I want 4 nights in my first stop), 5 nights Lecce, 5 nights Polignano a Mare, 3 nights Bari & 5 nights Rome, flew home from Rome.

I take a taxi from the Brindisi airport, 25 Euro flat rate (no meter for this route), to the Maria Vittoria Charming Rooms & Apartments, Corso Garibaldi 100. There is a little glitch, the instructions they sent me for getting in aren’t working. Of course, this is where I find that my phone isn’t working. I can WhatsApp them, but of course I need WiFi to do that. I notice a café open less than a block away, so I go over there and ask them if I can use their WiFi and explain what happened and that I will be back to eat there. He easily gives it to me, I contact the owner of the B&B, and they are there in a few minutes to straighten everything out. She says that the weather can affect their system!

The B&B is in a great location, just over a block from the beautiful, very blue Adriatic! The room is nice, shower is not huge but is big enough that I can bend over to wash my feet and has good water pressure, which is always good (I don’t have huge requirements here as long as it’s not tiny :)). Breakfast is good (you can get bacon & eggs for an extra charge & letting them know the day before, but hard-boiled eggs are included). I heard some concerns about Brindisi when I posted my itinerary, but I liked it, especially being so close to the sea. It didn’t have a bad feeling at all, quite the contrary. It has a nice vibe, and everyone was very welcoming.

By the time I get checked in and a couple things unpacked, it is late afternoon, so I just walk down to the sea and enjoy the sight of that beautiful water, take a look around, and take in the ambiance of the area. Later I go to dinner at La Cantina ti ‘artisti on Via De’ Terribile for dinner. Huge mistake for my first meal in Puglia. I was very much looking forward to the food! It’s pretty bad. The Mussels with Breading, then baked, had so much salt (and I usually like some salt) that you couldn’t taste anything but salt. Then the Torbi pasta with Shrimp & Artichokes was slightly less salty, but still way too much salt, plus the artichokes were so tough I could barely cut them, let alone eat them. I don’t usually complain about a dish to a waitress, but I had to tell her that salt was all you could taste. Of course, it wasn’t her fault, but I was hoping she would tell the chef and perhaps he would adjust his salt in the future. I will note that the wine was good; I don’t have a note of what it was, but I always ordered the local wine, which was generally great. As a “sorry” for my dinner, she did bring me a complimentary frothy lemon drink that was good. Things can only get better, right?

They do when I stop for a limoncello about a block from the B&B, which is the best part of the night.

The next morning at breakfast I meet some great people, a couple of young women who have each left their three children at home with their boyfriends to have a little getaway, and a couple from Washington DC, who have come from Rome and are on the original route of the Appian Way, which actually ends in Brindisi. This is one of the benefits of a B&B where everyone eats together. Later, I walk back through Piazza Vittoria Emanuele to get another look at the sea before working my way up through Piazza A. Sottile Ade Falco to the Piazza Duomo.

Along the way, I have lunch at Tata Poke on Piazza Matteo, a Poke Bowl with octopus, salmon, nuts, cucumber, edamame, olives, ginger, Basmati rice, olive oil & Balsamic vinegar glaze. It’s delicious!

The Duomo is lovely if a bit plain compared to most churches in Italy. Some beautiful stained glass windows. To the left of it is the Strada Colonne, which is the end point of the Appian Way. It starts as a street sloping down to a long staircase down to the sea. I really like a railing and there isn’t one, but it’s OK because there is a side of a building, so I’m good. It’s very hot, probably mid-80’s. When I get to the bottom of the staircase, there is a café, so I think maybe it’s time for a Negroni. I love those! I just sit there for a while enjoying the view and sip it, because it’s not exactly a drink that you drink quickly!

Later, I go to dinner at Pantagruele. The Sea Bass Escalope with Honey Vinaigrette is delicious. Then I have Spaghettoni with Urchin Mash & Mullet Roe. Also delicious, and the only time I find sea urchins, since it turns out I’m there the wrong month for them to be able to harvest them.

More to come...

on for the ride.

Me, too. More, please.

Enjoying your report and looking forward to more. I've noticed liberal use of salt in southern Italy and have definitely had a few salty dishes here and there.

I've been eagerly waiting for your trip report, Susan! Loving it so far. Bummer about your first meal.

Andiamo!!!!!

Thanks, everyone. Here's some more:

After dinner, I’m thinking that I’ll go back to the same place for limoncello, which was Anto’s Square S.U. It’s a large outdoor section shared with a small café next door. The previous night, there was only one other table with people eating. However, I hear the music and noise as I’m approaching it. There is a big 50th birthday party going on for somebody. They have a live band, every seat is taken plus people standing. Guess I won’t have my limoncello there, and there aren’t a lot of other possibilities around. I go into the small café to see if they have limoncello. It was a little odd, the young man said he had to check with his father. I certainly don’t look underage! His father says OK, so he pours it into a plastic cup. I’d rather have glass, but no big deal.

The next morning at breakfast, the couple from DC on the trail of the Appian Way are talking about a golf cart tour they took in Rome to the Appian Way and Catacombs, which they highly recommended. I had thought about going there this trip, since it’s something in Rome that I haven’t done. I take buses all over Rome and had checked out how to get there. It’s not difficult, but I’m a little leery about catching the bus back. Anyway, I hadn’t thought about a golf cart tour and will check it out.

I head up to Palazzo Granafel-Nervagna and Column Hall ((16th C), which had looked interesting when I passed yesterday on the way to the Duomo. It has a small area of excavation, but the neat thing is the column head that has been put here to save it from salt and sea air. There were originally two on the top of the Virgil staircase in front of the harbor entrance. I go upstairs to find the restroom, and there is some sort of political meeting going on. I don’t seem to have written anything in my notes and don’t remember exactly what it was. A guy is giving a presentation on some sort of new surgical technique.

I wander back down, looking for someplace for lunch, and when looking down Via Ferrante Fornari, see a restaurant, so I’ll try it. I rarely make a reservation for lunch, because I’m not sure exactly where I’ll be when I’m ready to eat. The restaurant is Molo 33 Ristorante & Pizzeria. As soon as I enter, the woman says they don’t serve pizza at lunch. This happens several times in Puglia, pizzerias that don’t serve pizza at lunch. Not sure why. She takes me out the rear to outdoor seating. Right across the street is Piazza Mercato, and the people are taking their stands down. I’m thinking this is a lot of work to have to do every day! Actually, I don’t know if the market is open every day. I order Frito Misto with calamari, sardines & shrimp. It’s quite good, I wouldn’t say fabulous. I have to say that I understand cooking the whole shrimp with head attached for flavor, but I hate having to peel the shrimp. Such a pain!

I continue wandering without paying attention to my map. I know if I keep heading left and down, I’ll reach the sea. This thinking actually works! :) I know I’ve already said this, but the water is so beautiful! Not turquoise blue like the Caribbean, more of a cobalt blue or what is not surprisingly called marine blue. There is certainly more to see in the way of churches, but it’s so hot. I head back to the B&B to put my feet up for a while. I check out the golf cart tour. The company is Biga. I think the DC couple booked it through Viator, but you can book directly with the company, better for them. The tour does look interesting. Of course, the description talks about many uneven stairs, which is not surprising. I’m just afraid there are no railings. I read more, and the catacomb visited is under St. Sebastian’s, and I’m surprised to find out they have Bernini’s final sculpture. I love Bernini! Had no idea there was one of his sculptures out there. Now I really want to go. Have to find out about railings on the stairs.

For dinner, I go to the café where they helped me the first day with their WiFi, Antica Focacceria Boscaini, about ½ block from the B&B on Corso Garibaldi, a small family-owned place. A little odd, there is no focaccia on the menu! I don’t care when I taste the pizza. I order La Daniele, pizza with tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto & mushrooms. Wow, yum! I’m surprised to be saying that it’s as good as the pizza I had in Naples, which I didn’t think could be matched. So good! Most places want you to go inside if you’re paying by credit card, so I talk to the owner when I pay. I tell him his pizza is as good as that in Naples. He says, well, Naples is a little different, and proceeds to tell me all about their methods, including that they make their own mozzarella. The wall separating the front from the kitchen doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling, and he tells the chef to hold up a ball of mozzarella for me to see. Fun! I’m still dreaming about that pizza! :p

Brindisi hasn’t been that busy ‘til now, but Corso Garibaldi is definitely the place to see and be seen on a Saturday night! Lots of people out and about. Lots of bare midriffs, some of which look great, others not so much. The young ladies at the next table are fixing their lipstick after eating. I wonder where they’re going and who they’re trying to impress.

The place for limoncello is full again, this time with the crowd watching soccer, so I go back to the little café next door. The young man apologizes for giving me a plastic cup the night before, says it was due to the crowd, and this time gives me a small glass. It’s different from any I’ve seen, so I ask if I can buy the glass (I’ve done this in the past, sometimes with success, sometimes not). He says he’ll have to ask his father, who just then comes in. Upon being asked, he says “Impossible!” I say really, impossible? He explains that he only has six of them. OK, I understand. The young man tells me to wait and goes off into a back room. He comes back out and shakes his head, then goes behind the counter and offers me an espresso cup, says it’s a gift! So nice!

The next morning at breakfast, we’re talking about a bunch of things and I forget to ask about the stairs/railings in the catacombs. The couple checks out, because even though they have extended their stay in Brindisi by a day, the B&B is full, so they’re going somewhere else. I’ll have to see if I can email the company to find out.

I’m off to the Temple of San Giovanni al Sepolcro, hoping they’re not closed due to it being Remembrance Day. It’s 11th C, at one time run by the Knights Templar and was a place Crusaders stopped to pray for success on the way to the Crusades and on the way back to give thanks for surviving. Entry is 3 Euro, and it’s well worth it. Beautiful frescoes, most of them not complete but lovely just the same. Beautiful arches (the building is round). There’s a door on one side leading out into the garden. It’s quite rough and uneven, with a board sticking out the front of the bottom step, so I pause to decide the best place to step without tripping. All of a sudden, the lady selling the tickets is next to me offering her arm (she had seen me pausing). So nice, even though I could have done it myself. She doesn’t speak much English but manages to communicate that I should get her attention when coming back in and she’ll gladly help. The garden is nice, some roses still in bloom, there might be more in bloom at a different time. When going back in, I’m fine, so I smile and tell the lady it’s easier coming back in.

Time for some lunch, so I go a couple of doors down from the church on Via Sepolcro to Il Tempio dei Sapori. The Eggplant Parmigiana is delicious.

It’s very hot, so I head back down by the water, where there might be a little breeze. I sit down at one of the cafes and decide to have another Negroni. I would be happy to just sit here enjoying the view and the drink, so that’s what I do. A short time later, the couple from DC comes by, so I’m able to ask about the catacombs. She assures me there are railings on all the stairs. They continue on to the big staircase, which is close by, and come back to have a drink, so I invite them to join me. We have a lovely conversation, mostly about our various travels and are probably there over an hour. They actually came over on the Queen Mary. He wanted to, she didn’t, but he talked her into it. They both loved it and will be taking it back to the US at the end of their trip. He suggests we all go over to the stairs and take a couple of pictures, so we do that. Very nice bumping into them again.

Back at the B&B, I finish packing and later go back for more pizza. Yum again! There is a parade for Remembrance Day, lots of people watching.

I’m glad I changed my original itinerary to include Brindisi. I enjoyed it, and surprise, the best meals weren’t seafood. They were that fabulous pizza!

Wonderful!

I wish I could be with you right now!!

I think pizza is a dinner dish in most of Italy and it makes sense in the south when heating up the hot oven might make the restaurant uncomfortable..just a guess, however...

Thanks, ek. I did think of that about the pizza, but I had some at lunch later, so not sure.

I know you love limoncello (me, too!) but its really not typical of Puglia and I think that's why you are having some frustration finding some...its more a drink of Campania where the lemons are so famous...

Would you be ok with trying a typical local dessert drink?

I know there is a liqueur made from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus--fichi di India.
That area of Puglia (Bridisi/Bari) has their own special red after-dinner drink which is sweet: ALEATICO DI PUGLIA. Maybe give that one a try....write the name down on a piece of paper and show it to the barman.

OR, ask for a "typical after-dinner drink," My Italian is horrible but I bet someone else here can help, or just ask for "liquori nostrana," or "Liquori dolce di la zona..."
I KNOW that is not good Italian but pretty sure they will understand.....always ask for things "di la zona..." And when you see foods in the market, the ones that say "nostrano" are the local ones..... Again, my Italian is poor but I get by....and so will you!

Love your report!!!

Thanks, ek. I am always up for trying new things, especially local specialties. I'll make a note of this in case I get back to Puglia. I didn't really have trouble finding limoncello, just that the place close to my B&B was full on those two nights and I didn't want to go further afield. (I do remember the huge lemons on the Amalfi Coast that you can slice and eat, rind and all, like you would an apple!)

What month were you there? thinking of visiting Puglia for our 2.5 week trip next May. Would love some beach time.

I arrived on May 30 and had 17 nights in Puglia and then 5 in Rome. It was very hot!

A few things about Puglia in general:

The drivers are much more courteous than in other cities, always stopping for pedestrians when they are in a crosswalk, and even if they aren’t (a little less so in Bari).

The people are universally pleasant, welcoming and helpful.

A smaller percentage of locals speak English than in other areas of the country. This is NOT a criticism, just an observation.

The next morning, I have a taxi coming to take me to the train station to go to Lecce. When we get to the station, the driver asks if I think I need help. I had found out that it was probably one of those where you had to go down a long staircase, walk over to the other side, and up another staircase to get to the correct platform, so I say I might. He grabs my bags, goes in and down the stairs in no time. I tell him to wait a second because I want to tip him. He says it’s not necessary, but I do anyway.

Once in Lecce (where the train comes in on ground level), I get a taxi to Attico Barocco B&B on Via Giacomo Matteotti. It’s a great location, not far from Piazza Sant’Oronzo. Gianni at the B&B had sent me a message yesterday on WhatsApp to see what time I would be arriving and had let me know that the room wouldn’t be available that early but I could leave my bags. (I didn’t expect it to be ready so early, my train arrived at 9:45.) I like Lecce right away, it has a good vibe. The B&B is nice, the shower is good. They’re not serving breakfast right now but have an agreement with a café a couple doors away where you can get a discount.

I knew I wanted to take a day trip from Lecce so I could see several towns in one day. I tried in vain to book one ahead of time. I emailed Green Italy Experiences and YLTOUR DMC, sending them each four or five emails, but not getting a response. Green Italy never did respond. YLTOUR finally responded, but they only do private tours, and it was way too expensive. I did find an itinerary I liked through Get Your Guide, but they refused to take a reservation for only one person. While I understand that they feel they might not be able to fill the van if they take singles, it doesn’t help me much. They say they will be happy to have me come if I pay for two people. Uhmm…I don’t think so!

Anyway, I was hoping somebody at the B&B could help, and Gianni came through with a company. He was extremely helpful, called to see if they had availability while I was in town, it didn’t really matter which day, and they did have a spot. It included Otranto, which I wanted so I could see the mosaic floor in the cathedral there. Great! He reserved it and told me where to go on the Piazza Duomo to pay for it and pick up the ticket. It all worked out well, since I was going there the first day to buy the combo ticket for the churches. First, though, it’s time for gelato. Don’t know how I happened to go four nights in Brindisi and didn’t have any! Back on Piazza Sant’Oronzo, I get some, I don’t seem to have written the name of the place anywhere. It’s at the opposite end of a covered section from Martinucci’s. My favorite is Nocciolo (hazelnut), but they have some that is Nocciolo with chocolate sauce on top that has whole hazelnuts in it. Yum!

On to Piazza Duomo. I pick up my ticket for the day trip, then the combo ticket, which covers a half-dozen places for 11 Euro, and you can add 10 Euro extra to go up the Clock Tower. I’m figuring that the tower will have more stairs than I want to do, so I don’t plan for that. However, when I buy the ticket at Anico Seminario (you can also buy it at Basilica of Santa Croce), I find out that there is an elevator, so I add the tower to my ticket. I wasn’t too much off in my thinking, since the elevator only opened in 2022.

If you love Baroque Architecture (and I do), Lecce is the place for you! It’s amazing how much there is all in one town that isn’t that big. I figure as long as I’m in Anico Seminario, I might as well check it out now. There is more art upstairs, but I don’t feel like going up there, so I stick to the ground level, where there is a large courtyard with interesting stuff surrounding it. I start with Cappella S. Gregorio Taumaturgo (there is a huge crown sitting the hall outside it), a lovely small chapel which gives me the first taste of the intricate Baroque décor. Interestingly, there are also several modern sculptures placed around the chapel. Moving on, there is a library with seriously old books which is interesting and outside that some old music with old type from a very old printing press.

I’m hungry, so I walk back to Piazza Sant’Oronzo to Café Alvino. I need to try the Rustico, a flaky biscuit filled with bechamel, mozzarella and sundried tomatoes. Yum! It’s very good but quite rich.

I’m on the search for cruschi. After reading so much about it, I thought it would be easy to find. In several food shops where I ask about it, the clerks have no idea what I’m talking about and have never heard of it! In one shop, I finally see one of those packets to make pasta that has cruschi on the label. I look at the label, and it’s a mix of red bell peppers and cruschi. Maybe I’ll come back for a couple of these. I know I’ll be passing it again when I come back to do the tower.

A little more wandering, and I head back to the B&B to put my feet up. Later, I have a reservation for dinner (although I didn’t really need it) at Pescheria con Cottura, Via die Mocenigo 23, which is off Piazza Sant’Oronzo, so not too far from the B&B. This was a great choice. Before they take you to your table, you’re taken to a large table with lots of fresh seafood spread out and a menu written on a blackboard to choose what you want. They start by bringing a bowl of Fried Fava Beans with your wine. Great, I later bought a bag to bring home. Then I had Tuna with Crispy Cipolla & Avocado Sauce. Yum! Really delicious. I hadn’t ordered a side dish, thinking maybe I’ll save room for dessert. I order Chocolate Spumoni with an Orange filling. The dessert is also a Yum! When I leave, I make another reservation for my last night.

I head back over to Piazza Sant’Oronzo to Martinucci’s for a limoncello. I enjoy watching the people, and it’s a nice atmosphere.

I think I would love to follow in your footsteps, this sounds like my kind of trip.

Adelaidean, glad you're enjoying it!

I’m not too anxious to get up early the next morning (not unusual for me!), but I figure I’m in Italy…I can sleep in a bit and have gelato for breakfast if I want to, so I do! :) I go to Martinucci’s on Piazza Sant’Oronzo and order the Pesto Di Mandorla e Fichi Gelato, almond pesto with fig sauce. Another yum!

The combo ticket includes the Duomo, Basilica di Santa Croce, Chiesa di Santa Chiara, Chiesa di San Matteo, and Antico Seminario & Museo di Art Sacra.

First, I’m off to the Basilica di Santa Croce, pretty close to my B&B. What can I say except that it’s amazing! Can’t imagine the time involved in all that intricate carving. I love all the cherubs in the Baroque style and find that I’m taking lots of close-up pictures of them in all the churches. Also love all the columns that have a swirling design going up them.

Next, I go back through Piazza Sant’Oronzo and continue on to Chiesa di San Matteo. Another amazing church. One very odd thing about this one, though, is that there is nothing on the ceiling! Very unusual. It looks as though there might have been something, but even if it were under restoration, it doesn’t seem likely that they would totally get rid of what had been there.

I continue on towards Museo Faggiano, even though I’m not sure I’ll go in due to pictures I’ve seen of the sometimes steep and sometimes uneven route through the museum. Along the way, I pass Pollicestro Boutique Hotel. They have a little courtyard somewhat inside but before you enter the hotel and have some metal sculptures, one of a bass violin and one of an entire piano. Very cool! When I reach Museo Faggiano and see some more pictures out front plus take a peek inside, I decide my first inclination was correct and don’t go in.

I continue back toward my neck of the woods in search of lunch and decide to stop at Il Ristoro dei Templari on Via Asciano Grandi. I order to Orechiette with Tomato Sauce & Meatballs. It’s very good. I’m not much of a beer drinker, but it’s very hot and a cold beer sounds good, plus the TIPA Beer has such a pretty label on the bottle! Don’t you think that’s a good reason to choose a beer? :) It’s actually quite good. When I go inside to pay, they have a small display of Knights Templar memorabilia.

When I get back to Piazza Sant’Oronzo, I realize that you have to go right up to the walls to look down into the theatre in the piazza. While I’m there, I notice a church that is right there, Chiesa di Santa Maria della Grazia. It’s open and is right there, so I figure I might as well go in. Quite a bit less of the ornate Baroque style, but still some, and still a beautiful church. It’s difficult to find a church in Italy that’s not worth going in to check it out.

Back to the B&B to put my feet up. Gianni had sent me a WhatsApp earlier to say there was an American lady about my age, also travelling solo, and he would be happy to introduce us. I replied that I was always happy to meet new people, and he answered that he would like to offer us a glass of wine on the balcony at 7:00 pm. Sounds fine to me! He really was a great host. We meet on the balcony and have a very nice hour together and watched a beautiful sunset. She is another one who has come on the Queen Mary and will be going back the same way. I thought, how unusual to meet two different people who had come that way. She actually wasn’t feeling very well, had cancelled the tour she was supposed to take today and wasn’t sure she would be taking it tomorrow either, even though they had offered her that option. When I saw her a couple of days later, she had tested positive for Covid, so we weren’t able to get together for dinner. Fortunately, I did not catch it!

I don’t have a reservation for dinner but have two options I’m going to check out on Via Principi di Savoia. The first is completely full, so I continue to the second, La Putea Osteria e Ristoro. It turns out to be a lot further than expected, almost at the end of the street. I can see the Porta Napoli Gateway (Arco di Trionfo) from my seat. Didn’t really mean to walk this far, especially since I have to walk back after dinner!

Oh well, I decide I want something a little lighter and order Sweet & Sour Caponata with Pine Nuts, which I never got, and a salad with tomato, mozzarella, tuna, capers, red onion and arugula. It’s very good. There is a cat which I thought was theirs, very cute. I like to see cats, which has happened several times, since I lost my 19-year-old cat in April. When I’m done, I mention that I never got my appetizer because I don’t want to be charged for it. A few minutes later, she brings a wrapped portion of it, but I explain that I wasn’t saying that I wanted it now! Time for the walk back and bed!

Really enjoying your report, SusanP. It brings back a lot of great memories of my trip to Puglia. And I recall well how incredibly hospitable and generous Gianni at your Lecce B&B was during my stay in spring 2023.

studenttobe, your report was one of the ones that made me decide to go to Puglia and is where I got the recommendation for the B&B! 😀

Thank you for posting this SusanP. You are bringing back wonderful memories of our own trip to Puglia and Lecce in particular.

That's always good!

Really enjoying revisiting Lecce with you. And I enjoyed seeing Brindisi for the first time through your report.

re: pizza. I believe it's common for places to serve pizza only at night, I think for the reason ekscrunchy suggested above. Traditional areas/restaurants are more likely to do this, but I've occasionally encountered the practice even in super touristy cities like Rome.

For future Lecce visitors: When you buy the multi-site ticket to see the baroque chuches, there's an app that you can download, LeccEcclesiae. It has audioguides for Piazza Duomo, Santa Croce, San Matteo, and Santa Chiara, in Italian, English, German, French and Spanish. [Maybe you can download it without buying the tickets. I don't remember exactly, but it's still on my phone.]

Travel_Nerd : https://www.chieselecce.it/en/

Thanks for this tip, Leely

Leely, thanks for adding that tip. I think I did see that option. I'm afraid that after being to Italy so many times and having visited so many churches, I don't mind if I don't know all the history behind it. I still like to visit the churches just to see the beauty. :)

The next morning, I decide to check out the café a couple of doors from the B&B, Al Ventuno, where I get a discount for breakfast. When I leave the B&B, I’m very surprised to see, in the window of a shop next door, the same cat that I saw at dinner last night. I’m sure it’s the same cat, I can tell by the dark mark by his eye and his red collar. This is not a short distance from last night’s restaurant! Apparently, this cat has a wide-ranging walk at night!

I order the Black Forest Waffle, which is delicious. Then, I had been hearing about Caffe Leccese (a bit of cream in the bottom, then espresso and almond syrup, served over ice with a spoon for you to stir it all together). I’m not a coffee drinker but figure I need to try it. It’s actually quite good. However, a short time later, I have a slight headache, so maybe it’s a good thing I don’t drink coffee.

I’m going to Chiesa di Santa Chiara. Yet another amazing church. While all these Baroque churches have some similarities with the intricate architecture, there are differences. This one has something I’ve never seen in the many churches I’ve visited, a nun and priest in the painting above the altar. Quite unusual.

Next, I want to go in Chiesa di Sant’Irene. You can’t get in at the end nearest Piazza Sant’Oronzo, so I continue on down Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. I see the Truffle Shop I had seen the other day and decide to go there first. I was pretty sure they would ship your order to the US, there might have even been a sign to that effect, and I love truffles. They do ship, so I have fun picking out a bunch of items to ship home. :p I’m only sorry they can’t ship the truffle sausage or truffle cheese. I have them ship it all to my son, since I don’t want the package to arrive at my place before I get home, and I have a couple of weeks to go. (Note that I think they would have held it and shipped it at a later date if I had wanted that.)

By this time, it’s time for lunch. I pass the entrance to Sant’Irene because it says there is an accessible entrance to avoid the stairs on the other side and come across OO Paladini, Via Paladini 2. I have the Fava with Chicory Spread. It’s OK, not my favorite thing, not really a lot of flavor. It’s very filling, so I can’t finish it all. They have some food items for sale, so even though I’m not that fond of whole anchovies, I have used them and know they can add a lot flavor to dishes, so I get a couple of cans to take home.

I continue on to the “accessible” entrance to Sant’Irene. Their idea of “accessible” is the same number of stairs, but with a railing. While I appreciate the railing, it certainly would not be considered accessible to someone in a wheelchair! When I get to the top of the stairs, there is a man at the door who doesn’t speak any English, but I realize he’s telling me I have to go around to the other side to enter. I’ve walked a lot today; I tell him I can’t do that (and of course I couldn’t question him as to why they would have an accessible entrance where people couldn’t enter!). The other entrance is just across the church from this one, so I’m trying to ask why I can’t just go across. A young woman sees what’s going on and comes over, I explain what has happened so far, and she says, yes, come across with me. Then with a twinkle in her eye, she says, just don’t look at anything until you pay to come in! Turns out it was covered by the combo ticket, because this is the Duomo. I don’t understand this at all, the Duomo is in the Piazza Duomo, which is not in this location, plus the church clearly says Irene on the outside. A mystery, at least to me.

Anyway, the church is huge and fantastic. Some Baroque style and some more plain, although it would only be called plain in comparison to Baroque. Lots to see. If you stand at the front of the church way on one side, it reminds me of the Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain, even though they really aren’t alike, because the beautiful arches in the ceiling seem to go on a long way.

When I come out of the church on the “accessible” side, I somehow get turned around, and after a while, I realize I don’t know where I am. There is nobody around and no shops where I could ask for directions. The map I have doesn’t have every street marked, and in this area is lacking. I’m studying it to try to figure out where I am when a young couple asks me if they can help. They only speak a little English, but I say I’m trying to get back to Piazza Sant’Oronzo, because I figure that’s a word they will probably understand, and they do. They start to tell me where I need to go, but it’s not at all clear. I start in the direction they had indicated, but then they are next to me and say they’ll show me. Again, the kindness of strangers. :) This turns out to be a good thing! It wasn’t at all a direct route, but once we get to a spot where I know where I am, I thank them profusely! I’ve walked a lot, so back to the B&B to put my feet up.

Later, I don’t want to walk very far for dinner, so I go looking and stop at Miro, a short walk from the B&B. They have a Marinated Anchovies appetizer on the menu. As mentioned, I’m really not a fan, but I like to try new things and am wondering if it’s like sardines in Italy (far different from sardines in the US), so I decide to try them. So glad I did. Yum! And they are beautifully presented on a long white plate, lined on one side with cherry tomatoes and the other with red cabbage. While I’m enjoying them, a woman stops by (I’m sitting outside as usual) and asks if they are good. I assure her they are. She says she is trying to decide where to eat, and moves on to people on the other side of the street, a different restaurant. Then she comes back to my table and asks whether she should join me. I say sure, so she sits down and looks at the menu.

Turns out she really doesn’t like to eat dinner alone. She’s from New Zealand, and we go on to have a great dinner together, talking about our trips and all sorts of things. Later, she mentions again that she’s not crazy about eating dinner alone, and I say it’s easy to get used to it, and people are much more likely to talk to you if you’re alone. I’ve often ended up in conversation with people at the next table, usually they’re surprised that I’m travelling alone. I point out that she would not have come over to my table and suggested that she join me if I had been with someone, and she agrees. This will not be the last time we share dinner. Fun!

I've bookmarked this post. What a great resource!

That’s so nice to know, SusanP!

Hope it helps you plan a trip to Puglia!

The next day is the day trip to Otranto, Castro, Santa Maria de Leuca, & Gallipoli. I wanted a tour for these towns, since it wasn’t as easy to get to them, and if it had been by train or bus, I then would have had a longer walk to the center than I wanted and would have needed to use a taxi (if there were any) or a local bus, and then have to worry about getting the local bus back. Also, I could easily do more than one town in a day. This tour is with a driver rather than a guide, which I’m OK with. I walk over to the castle in Lecce, not very far, to the pick-up spot for me, others are picked up at a different spot, so they must go by where your hotel is. There are only four of us, a couple from England and a young lady. Our driver doesn’t speak English, but he has one of those apps where he can speak into it and it will translate it for us, or we can speak into it and it translates it for him. As it turns out, the young lady on the trip is from Switzerland and speaks fluent German, French, Italian & English! She easily translates for the rest of us. (If we had had a guide, I definitely would have wanted him to speak English.)

As I mentioned, I wanted to go to Otranto to see the mosaic floor in the cathedral. We’re dropped off at the edge of town by the castle. Since there is no guide, everybody can do what they want. It’s a bit of a walk, not far, down a slope to the cathedral. The floor is great, covered with mosaics of animals. Don’t forget to look up, because it also has a beautiful ceiling. As is usually the case in Italian churches, other things to see as well. I like Otranto, it has a good vibe. I leisurely make my way back toward the castle and have a look around town. I didn’t plan to go inside the castle because I didn’t think I had time, but you can walk in at the entrance and see a little of a courtyard. I’m just looking around and am surprised to hear my name called. I turn and find that it’s my new friend from NZ. I knew she was taking a half-day tour today but was surprised to run into her! We talk about having dinner together again tonight, I tell her where I have a reservation, so she says she’ll message me later.

We had less time in Otranto than the tour allowed for because our driver had given us the option of staying there for a shorter time and doing a detour from the tour route to see the lighthouse that is the eastern-most point in Italy and then time to go into the grotto at Zinzulus (6 Euro) and we had all agreed to this plan. It didn’t take long to stop at the lighthouse, and there was that gorgeous blue water!

At the grotto, there was a little miscommunication when I asked if there were a lot of stairs and the driver said no. We all started down, there was a chain railing most of the way, but there were a lot of stairs! And it’s very hot! I keep going anyway until we get to a point where I’m not sure I want to go any further. We can actually see the entrance to the cave, but there are still a bunch of stairs going down and then a whole bunch going up to reach the entrance. Since I did get to see the neat craggy rocks around the entrance, I decide to sit down for a few minutes and then start back up. Also, I figured if I went all the way, they would all be waiting for me to catch up on the way back up, and I didn’t want to hold up the group. More beautiful blue water.

We move on to Castro and I walk around a bit and go to the Castro Cathedral. This is much different from all the Baroque architecture in Lecce. The outside is more much plain but impressive, more like the stone used in the castles that every town has. The inside is probably not as impressive as others, but there are some lovely partial frescoes. I think the others may have gone down by the water, but I’m tired and feel like I need to have something to eat. I go back up to the square by the castle and have lunch at Bar Foute dei Messapi. I order an Enea, which is basically a sandwich made with fried pizza dough and including mozzarella, tomato, prosciutto and lettuce. It’s pretty good, but maybe I should have sat inside. It’s extremely windy! But I like looking at the umbrella pines, which I love, on the other side of the square.

The next stop is Santa Maria de Leuca, the southern-most spot in Puglia, and there is only one word necessary: Gorgeous! That beautiful blue water with the sun sparkling on it was just stunning. You also look down on a large marina, so boating is a big thing. There is a church there, but I didn’t go in. Although it was so hot, I just liked looking at the water. Everyone seemed to be done, so the driver gave us the option of cutting the time short there and having more in Gallipoli, and we all agreed.

So now we’re in Galllipoli. The driver drops us off about a block from a bridge that he says we need to cross to get to the historic center. After getting to the bridge, there is one of those little tourist trains (3 Euro) that take you around. I’m looking at the bridge, with more walking after that, looking back at the train and wondering if I should just take that, because I’m tired. A minute later, the English couple is standing there doing the same thing. We’re all tired. We look at each other, laugh, and decide to see if we can find out when it will leave next. He goes inside the gelato shop there and finds out about the driver, who comes out a few minutes later.

The train goes over the bridge, past the shore, and turns into the historic center. I actually got a few pictures that turned out better than expected, being taken from a sometimes-bumpy ride. There were a couple of churches I was interested in seeing in Gallipoli on my list, but of course, there is no getting off and back on this type of train. Oh well, in the past few years, I’ve decided to appreciate and enjoy the things I can do and not worry about those I can’t. If I didn’t go somewhere just because I wouldn’t be able to do everything, I’d never go anywhere! The train is only 15-20 minutes, so I have plenty of time to go in the shop and have gelato.

I get back to the driver just a little before the others and at first don’t see his van, but then spot it across the street. He explains with his interpreting app that he would like to send me a link to give him a review, which I easily agree to. Even though he doesn’t speak English (although he’s trying to learn it), he did a good job and made some adjustments in the itinerary according to the wishes of his customers. I’m disappointed that when I later go to give a review, the link doesn’t work. I wanted to give him a good review.

I’m so tired when I get back to the B&B that I cancel my dinner reservation because I don’t want to walk that far for dinner and message my NZ friend to let her know that I’m going back to Miro, where we met the night before, because it’s very close. She says she’ll meet me there but might not be able to stay. That turns out to be the case, because her family, all in various spots (some in NZ, some in places in Europe) have set up a family joint Skype call, so she chats for a few minutes and we agree to go my first restaurant tomorrow night. I have to smile when I show her my notes to give her the address, she’s surprised I have such organized notes. Not her style at all! Most Fodorites would probably be horrified at her itinerary. I forget where she had come from before getting to Lecce, but she spent three nights there, then had one night in Monopoli, one in Polignano a Mare, five in Malta & five in Sardinia before going to Milan, where she would be picked up to go to the Dolomites for her daughter’s wedding.

For dinner at Miro, at repeat the Marinated Anchovies appetizer because it was so good. Then I have one of those meat and cheese platters that I’ve seen delivered to lots of people since I’ve been here. Three meats, three cheeses, delicious. There’s a small bowl that I think contains olive oil, with a small spoon to drizzle it around if you like. However, when I stir it, I realize that it’s too thick to be olive oil and must be honey, which turns out to be correct. Here’s the thing…how did I get to be this old without knowing I needed to put honey on my cheese?! I’ve had jam (fig or otherwise) on Pecorino or Parmigiana Reggiano, but never honey. So good!

Susan, I really admire your attitude, you have adjusted your expectations to your limitations and your positivity just shines through.

Thanks, Adelaidean.

Your day tour sounds like an excellent solution! I barely squeezed Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca in one day (admittedly I am not an early riser--there's something to be said for having to keep to someone else's schedule).

I was thinking about adding Santa Maria de Leuca with Otranto but was figuring it might be too complicated as a single day using public transport.

How did you locate this driver, Susan? I may consider it if it's within budget.

Yes, it would be difficult to do multiple towns in one day with public transport, so I figured this was a good way to do it. I found the tour through Gianni at the B&B. I just looked up the name, it was infolecce.it and cost 80 Euro, which I didn't think was bad at all.

Finally getting some more done...Not surprisingly, I sleep in a bit the next morning and decide to have gelato again for breakfast. :) I go back to Tentazioni so I can have the Nocciolotto again. So good! This is at the southern end of Piazza S. Oronzo, and when leaving, I notice down the street to the right there are a few tables that look like jewelry vendors, so I decide to check it out. I’m not really interested in what they have but notice to the left is another church which I can see is open, so might as well go in. It’s Chiesa del Gesu del Buon Consiglio, not covered by the combo ticket, but no charge. Yet another beautiful church with another great ceiling, certainly worth seeing if you haven’t already had enough Baroque architecture!

Rather than retracing my steps, I see I can continue on Via Rubichi to get back over to Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. I pass Palazzo Carafa, which is now also the town hall. There is a neat sculpture and also a large metal statue of Bishop Alfonso Sozy-Carafa. Always more to see, no matter which route you take.

I’m on my way down to Piazza Duomo to go up the tower, which I had added to my combo ticket. The elevator takes you up, and here’s the thing…I wasn’t really impressed with the view. Just not that great. I wouldn’t recommend paying extra to go up, just my opinion.

On the way back towards Piazza S. Oronzo, I stop for lunch at Gusto Liberimma and have the Parmigiana Salentina (Sformatino of parmigiana with eggplant, tomato sauce, pecorino & basil). It’s delicious! I continue on to the shop that had the pasta mix that included cruschi (it’s a combination of cruschi & red bell peppers) to get a couple packages and also get some sun-dried tomatoes that look really good.

Dinner is back at Pescheria con Cottura with my NZ friend. I order the same thing I had at the beginning of the week because it was so good. We go on to have another enjoyable dinner. Later, she is going the opposite direction, but when I come back onto Piazza S. Oronzo, I decide to go back to Martinucci’s for a limoncello. A very nice evening to end my time in Lecce.

The next morning, Gianni had arranged for a taxi to take me to the train station. He had checked online and said it looked like my train would be leaving on ground level, though there could be a change, but that was unlikely. As a side note, he said they are doing some work on the station now and when they are finished with that section, they will be adding an elevator for me to use when I come back. (I have to smile at how he assumes I will be back!) The train was indeed on ground level, but of course that doesn’t mean it will arrive there in Polignano a Mare…

Arriving in Polignano a Mare, sure enough, it’s again one of those cases where you have to go down a long flight of stairs, walk across to the other side, and up another flight of stairs to get to the exit. I’m at the top of the stairs just starting down when a young couple next to me say, here, let us help you. He takes my suitcase and she takes my carryon and they quickly are at the bottom of the steps and put them down for me. This is not really unusual, I find I often get help without ever asking for it. The kindness of strangers is alive and well! At the other side going back up, there is a ramp, so I don’t have to do the stairs.

Unfortunately, there are no taxis at the train station in Polignano a Mare. I find out later that there are few in the town, period. There are some golf cart-type vehicles that will take you around, but there are none around at the station. If I had known, I would have tried to arrange a pick-up ahead of time. Silly me, I figured PaM was enough of a destination that there would be at least a couple taxis at a train station. Just outside the station, there is a big map of the town. I have both the address of my apartment and that of where I need to pick up the key. Naturally, that is further away. I’m looking at the map and wondering if it’s as far as it looks. It is!

However, I have no choice but to start walking. (I have no idea why it didn’t occur to me that I could possibly go back in the station and find somebody to call me a taxi! Must have been the heat, and it’s only going to get hotter.) I walk and walk and walk! Finally, I get to what I think is the correct street, but of course it’s the only one I’ve passed that doesn’t have a street sign. However, since I can’t go any further, it must be it. There’s only one place open where some men are unloading some stuff, so I ask to make sure it’s the street I want, and it is. When I finally reach the office, there is nobody there and no place to be able to use WiFi for WhatsApp. This is really the only time where no phone is an issue. However, there is a man with his granddaughter who was right behind me, and when he sees I’m not getting an answer to the doorbell, he comes back and calls them for me. More kindness of strangers! I only hope she arrives in a car, not walking, because I sure don’t want to have to walk to the apartment!

The host, Cecilia, was there in a few minutes. She checks me in and drives me over to the apartment, Beb petalirosa-Dimore mare. The address shows as Via Aureliana Turris, but the entrance is actually at the end of Via Modugno. If you’re like me and can’t afford a place right on the water, this is a great option. It’s a very nice apartment, one bedroom plus a pull-out sofa in the joint sitting room/kitchen with table & chairs. No oven or microwave, just a hotplate and a small kitchen area, but it’s fine for me because I don’t plan to cook. It is a few steps below street level which I suppose might bother some people, but not enough that no light gets in, so it’s not dark. It’s a good location, not far from Piazza Garibaldi and the arch entrance to the Old Town. Cecilia is terrific. She has brought a plate of fruit (can’t remember the name of it right now) and sits down and marks up a map with things I might be interested in. I’m taking a cooking class, so she includes where I have to go for the meeting point.

I ask her about the boat trips to the caves, because when I checked them out ahead of time, it said they didn’t leave from the center of PaM but from three beaches away and that there was local transportation to get there, but it was very unclear just what that meant. She shows me on the map the spot they start and says she would be happy to pick me up and drive me there, then come back and take me either to another beach if I so desire or back to the apartment. Wow, I consider this way above & beyond! :) She makes a reservation for me for two days from now and lets me know what time she’ll pick me up.

I had planned to go out for a little while to take a look around, but it’s later than I thought it would be and I want to put my feet up for a bit and get a shower before my cooking class tonight. I had originally booked it for two days from now, not really wanting to do it on my arrival day, but they had emailed me that they needed to change it to today, and an hour later. It also originally included a market visit, but due to the later time, the market would be closed, so that was eliminated. Thanks to Cecilia marking where I needed to go, I find the meeting point, which turns out to be in the opposite direction of where the class takes place in the Old Town. It would have been much more efficient to meet in front of the arch into Old Town instead of having to walk all the way back over there. We pass some large decorative frames of light displays that she says will have much more by the time of a festival they are getting ready for, unfortunately the day after I leave.

We’re making focaccia, panzerotti and orecchiette. It’s part demo, part hands-on. We have three Americans and four Italians, young ladies doing it with a bride-to-be. This creates an interesting situation when one of the Italians asks a question and the teacher gives a long answer in Italian. I decide to speak up, saying we didn’t get any of that. The teacher seems a little perturbed with me and explains that she was answering a question and that the young lady didn’t speak English. I point out that if somebody asks a question, we could all benefit from the answer. She pauses but then does repeat it in English. It was indeed something we all needed to know! I’m glad I spoke up, because she did translate from then on. Other than that, the class was good and everything we made was delicious. I have taken many cooking classes on my trips. My only complaint here was that it’s the first one I’ve taken where they didn’t give us copies of the recipes. If I had known, I would have taken notes. Fortunately, one of the Italian ladies had been taking down information on her phone, so the rest of us were able to take a picture of what she had. This at least gave us the quantities.

Coming out of the class, I find it’s easy to get turned around in the Old Town. On the way in, I hadn’t really been paying attention, since I was just following other members of the class. I ended up at one of the walls that looks out at the sea, which was nice, but also not the direction I needed to go! Walking the other direction (I think), I stop in a shop to ask the woman which way to go. She does not speak any English, but here’s the strange thing…she comes out and, speaking all in Italian, tells me and shows me which way to go, and for some reason, I can understand what she’s saying!

When you come out of the Old Town, there is a row of restaurants to the left on Via Roma. I decide to have a limoncello and, surprisingly, just might have room for dessert. At Begula Restaurant & Bar (part for dinner, part if you just want a drink), I have Panna Cotto Ciocolatta, delicious, and a limoncello and just watch the activity on the street and Piazza Garibaldi. Nice!

That’s so nice to know, SusanP. I’m glad you had such a great trip.

SusanP..if you are still in Polignano. maybe you know already IL SUPER MAGO DEL GELO...at the entrance to the old town but not inside: A Puglian classic...



https://www.ilsupermagodelgelo.it

I love that you have gelato for breakfast, Susan. On my last trip to Venice and Croatia, I was usually still full from lunch that I'd have gelato for dinner. 🤣

Yes, gelato is good any time! 😁

ek, I did have that place on my list. More about it is coming. I'm not still in Italy.

The next morning, I just have some of the fruit Cecilia brought and go out to explore. It’s very hot, definitely in the 90’s. I head over to find Porta Picc, a restaurant she recommended, to make a reservation for dinner. They don’t have anything for tonight, and I have a bit of trouble making one for a couple nights away, even though there doesn’t seem to be a list of reservations. The guy finally gives me one to sit inside. I come back to Piazza Garibaldi and make another one at Casa Mia.

By this time, I’m ready for lunch and stop at Millenium, just before Ponte Lama Monachile, and order the Sand Veit. This turns out to be a sandwich on thick, crisp focaccia with mozzarella, Martina Capocolla cured meat, sundried tomatoes and arugula. Wow, this is definitely a yum! One of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. I continue on across the bridge, stopping to enjoy the view of Lama Monachile beach, you know, the one you see in all the pictures of Polignano a Mare that’s enclosed by cliffs on both sides. Of course, it’s beautiful.

Continuing on, I suddenly hear my name and turn to find that I’ve run into my NZ friend again. We’re both on our way to find the statue of Domenico Modugno, of Volare fame. I thought I had read that it was difficult to find, but it wasn’t at all difficult. The large statue has him standing, singing with arms flung out, and everybody is getting their picture taken in the same pose. This is a time when it’s nice to have somebody else to take your picture, so we do so for each other. Fun! She is continuing on to swim, but suggests that we get together for dinner. I mention I have a reservation, and she says she’ll message me.

Right by the statue is a square where I can sit down. I see on my map that it’s Monumento Marinai D’Italia. I actually sit there for some time. I still have water, and it’s too hot to do much else! I move on, back over the bridge and manage to get a few good pictures of the young people jumping off the cliff. Looks like fun! When I get back to Piazza Garibaldi, I decide to go back to Begula for a Negroni, as well as more water. Later, when I get back to the apartment, I’m very thankful for good air conditioning!

After a few message exchanges with my NZ friend, I change my reservation at Casa Mia to my last night and we go to one the host at her B&B recommended, Bella ‘Mbriana, on Piazza Vittorio Emanuel II in the Old Town. For some reason, beef sounds good, and we both order the Grilled Tenderloin with Mushrooms, which is delicious, and end with the Chocobon for dessert. She had been to Monopoli the day before so was telling me a little bit about it, said it was about a 20-minute walk from the train station to the center, which meant it would take me a good deal longer, but she thought there were a couple taxis. However, something was going on there which might mean some closures (don’t remember now what it was).

I had originally planned to do a day trip to Monopoli, so this was not good news, and also perhaps one to Alberobello. The connections to get there were not as easy as they might have been. Plus, it was SO hot. Not surprising to me (since I’m not good at doing day trips, I get to a place, like it, and never get around to it), I never did do any day trips from Polignano a Mare. Plenty to still see in Puglia. That’s OK, it’s a reason to go back. :)

The next day was supposed to be the boat trip, but I received a message from Cecilia that the waves were going to be too rough and we needed to postpone it to tomorrow. I had been scheduled for 1:00 pm, but wondered if I should take the 10:00 am tour instead to lessen the possibility of this happening. She thought it might and booked it. I decide to do a little more exploring in the Old Town. Every turn you take results in something else you want to take a picture of. Across from Chiesa S. Maria Assunta, sort of tucked in a corner, I notice a shop that says it’s local food. Finally, success with cruschi! There are several varieties of peppers. I can see that the two teenagers taking care of the shop don’t really know much about it. Maybe if I come back, the owner will be there, plus I need to check out my suitcase to see how much I think I can fit. It’s even hotter today, over 100 (I heard somebody say it was 43, which would be 109!)

There are several places along the wall in the Old Town to get great views of the sea. Near one is a restaurant where I’ll be able to see the water, Sunshine, so I go there for lunch. The waiter says they have fresh, just-caught Sea Bass (which would be very expensive in the US and obviously not as fresh as that). It’s served with lemon, pink pepper & arugula and is delicious, despite getting around the bones in the whole fish. When I come back out, there’s only one thing to have—gelato—and Il Supermago del Gelo is right there. I know this is supposed to be the place to have gelato, so I suppose it’s heresy to say that their gelato, while very good, is not better than everyone else’s. In fact, I had better gelato at the two places in Lecce. Still, it was good and, importantly right now, cold! When I finish, it’s just too hot to stay outside, so I go back to the apartment and that great air conditioning.

Later I go back to Begula, the dinner side this time. With my new appreciation for anchovies, I order them served with warm bread & butter & lemon. Very good, if not quite as good as the marinated ones I had in Lecce. Then I have Grilled Octopus, which is delicious. There is a guy set up nearby with a piano who is very good, so there is nice music to go with dinner.