We drove to Gallipoli today, another seaside town. It has a beach, although small, and lots of boats to take visitors all around. As you enter the town, you see a large fort that commands attention and maintained the town’s safety.
Their main church was very basic, compared to so many we saw all around Italy. I broke down and bought another sun hat, to add to my collection at home.
We really enjoyed Gallipoli, but were ready to drive to Lecce, across Puglia to the east side of Italy’s “heel.” We took highways instead of narrow, winding roads and zipped along at breakneck speed! Of course, we still got passed by every car and truck like we were standing still!
We arrived to our hotel, which wasn’t actually in Lecce, but about 3km away. That was a bit disappointing because we had to drive into town to experience what Lecce had to offer. It wasn’t a big deal, although remember that Jim is still walking on a leg that he damaged in Matera. He still made it okay.
After parking just outside one of the seven gates surrounding Lecce, we walked into town and found it to be just as charming as we heard. The first destination was the incredible historic centre, one of the most beautiful in Puglia. The Piazza del Duomo, the Basilica of the Holy Cross, and its Palace of the Celestini, as well as all the Gates of the Old City, are the greatest examples of Baroque architecture in Italy.
It was overwhelming to think about how the builders of these beautiful buildings could create something so special. Also, the excavation of ancient buildings continues. There were several digs occurring as we walked around, with ancient ruins unveiled.
However, as we walked to all of these buildings, we were overwhelmed by the crowds of tourists that met us at every turn. It seems that busloads of people, both on tours and from cruises, wanted to see Lecce as much as we did. So, as much as we wanted to enjoy the city, we didn’t stay as long as we had hoped.
Finding a restaurant for an early lunch was our next goal. After passing a number of restaurants, filled with lots of people, we ended up at a small place that specialized in typical US food. It was a hoot. The sign inside said it all. We shared a sandwich, fries, and it was a fun change of cuisine. Notice the packets of Heinz ketchup and mustard!
Now, time to return to our hotel to get ready for our very early morning trek of 1.5 hours to return the car at the Brindisi Airport and then board a flight to Rome. I wish we could have stayed longer to explore other areas besides the touristy ones, but maybe on another trip!