Sunday 8 September
After a horribly early and cold start and a 5am packed train from East Croydon, our flight to Bari lands on time and we make our way to the airport Metro for a 20-minute journey to Bari Centrale, where we master the ticket machine for travel to Lecce, then avail ourselves of fast food joint pizza and beer.
Train journey is just under 2 hours, followed by a 10-minute walk to our accommodation, where we are greeted by the charming Andrea (we communicate quite successfully in broken English and Italian) to his equally charming ground floor 2-bedroomed apartment. It's sympathetically and simply decorated. well equipped but with the rather strange feature of a sunken shower.in Kim's room. Like a bath, with a shower head attached to the taps but with no plug - strange, but handy if you don't want to get your hair wet.
After a little restorative nap, we get ready to go out and Donald and Toni's daughter Izzy and her boyfriend Petr (who just happen to be staying in Lecce for a few weeks as part of their working travels) come round and we walk into the bustling heart of the old town. The buildings are a beautiful honeyed limestone, which looks amazing when its natural sheen and the elaborate Baroque and Rococo architecture are illuminated.
We eat simply at Casa Diana, and then go on for cocktails to a lovely little bar called Baffo, run by several men all with splendid moustaches
The old town isn't that big, and is bordered by a number of large and imposing gates in the wall - but it's a bit of a maze so it doesn't help that our first foray is actually kind of the long way round - so I get completely disorientated and my sense of direction fails me on several occasions over the next 3 days.
Monday 9 September
After finding a nice cafe for coffee and breakfast pastry, we spend the morning orientating ourselves by wandering round, doing a little light shopping and getting our bearings (which didn't really happen for me!), Kim buys a lovely black dress and I splurge on an horrifically expensive necklace (well, 65 euros) which I just like too much to say no to. We find the tourist office and book a walking tour for later that day, and a day trip to Matera, where the people used to live in caves.
For lunch we eat tasty pucce (a kind of panini) and drink lovely craft beer at the South East cafe not far from the Basilica and the Jewish Quarter.
We resolve to come back and visit both the next day - the siesta is taken pretty seriously in Lecce and most places shut up shop. We get lost a lot, but manage to find somewhere to get a few supplies in for breakfast and of course to eat gelato.
We go back for a bit of a rest and then head out again for our walking tour - we're only about 10 minutes' walk from the centre - where we're joined by a couple of slightly strange single travellers and a married couple from Mexico. Our guide is very knowledgeable (she's an exotic mix of Croatian, German and Italian) and we get a lot of background to the complicated history of the city and its various occupants over the centuries. We see lots of palazzos (many of which are now converted into apartments), and I now know the basic difference between Baroque and Rococo (the latter is the more elaborate, but they're often butted up against each other in Lecce when buildings were restored).
Tuesday 10 September
Today we buy a ticket that entitles us to visit several churches for 9 euros. Highlights are the Duomo crypt, and the exterior of Basilicata di Santa Croce really is something. There's so much external decoration you could spend several minutes looking at it and wouldn't take it all in. Chiesa Santa Chiara has a papier mache ceiling (papier mache craft is a very big thing here) though it looks just like wood.
We go to the very interesting Jewish museum which is really a memorial to all the Jews who went before in Lecce - they were driven out several times over the centuries, and although there is a "Jewish quarter" there's really not much of a Jewish population to speak of, and much of their synagogue and architecture was covered up through being built over by the Catholic church. In fact our young guide gets quite emotional and tearful about it, to her surprise and ours, but she recovers well.
We buy savoury focaccia for an al fresco lunch in the pleasant city park just outside the old town walls, but it's carb overload and we probably don't help ourselves by returning for more craft beer.
After a little rest at the apartment, we visit a little grocer's shop to buy some souvenir orecchietti pasta and other delights, then pay a pre-dinner visit to the bonkers Museum of Fantasy run by identical twins who trade on their past glories in creating special effects for fantasy movies and shows. As young boys, they decided that the best way to get over their fear of monsters was to create them - ingenious but really weird!
We have a great dinner at Volo, which had come recommended - our sharing starters including carapaccio of swordfish is especially good, and I have the best sea bass I've ever tasted, beautifully cooked in a pistachio crust.
Wednesday 11 September
Up early today to get to the nearby city wall gate to be picked up for the trip to Matera. Journey takes a lot longer than expected (providing a useful opportunity to catch up on some sleep, especially as Kim and I aren't able to sit together!) and have to confess until the final stages the scenery is fairly uninteresting as it's pretty flat and agricultural. What we do see is a lot of diseased olive trees - our walking tour guide told us that many plantations (and olives and olive oil are really important to the Puglian economy - I think about 70% of Italy's olive oil comes from this region) have been affected by this deadly fungus and after several years they've only just found a cure for it.
We make a pitstop for half an hour in Groteria, a small town famed for its rather garish ceramics, and find a cafe for our new obsession, caffe con latte di malardra - an iced coffee made with almond milk and espresso. On arrival in Matera (it's very high up), there is much excitement as a film crew is in town making the latest Bond movie. There are lots of men in black with earpieces, lots of 4x4s and a few bits of set dressing here and here, including a clifftop apartment shell. Apparently, 70,000 euros has been spent on coca cola to pour on the smooth streets to make them sticky enough for car chases. If this is true, it's a bit disgusting really though I guess all good for the local economy.
We indulge in carb overload cheap lunch with a cheap and greasily tasty salami and potato foccacia, and later enjoy organic gelato - it's pretty hot here.
I'm struck by the fact that whilst Matera is famed for its cave dwellings, most of them are now empty and inaccessible or turned into chichi apartments. The terrain in the city is very hilly and it's quite challenging to walk around - though of course the panoramic views are spectacular. The three hours we spend there are enough to take in the sights - at 50 euros each we the trip isn't great value (the guy driving us is no tour guide), but it's certainly an interesting place to visit and it's so remote public transport, whilst more affordable, would've taken ages.
After the long journey back (and we're last to be dropped off - especially annoying as two elderly ladies on the trip are staying in Brindisi!) Kim's not feeling too great so opts for a quiet night in, while I join Izzy and Petr for dinner at Banco di Mare - unassuming and friendly, and quite delicious.
Thursday 12 September
We get up early and pack, but have plenty of time to spare so go for a stroll and discover all the restaurants and shops we have missed had we just turned left. We also find the right bus stop for Gallipoli (our next port of call, even further down the heel of the boot) and buy our cheapy cheap bus tickets, congratulating ourselves on being sensible enough to do a recce rather than lugging our cases to completely the wrong place to catch the bus. It's very speedy and arrives in a huge parking lot on the edge of Gallipoli new town.
Our Air BnB host has given us a taxi contact - the cab arrives quickly, with a garrulous driver who talked into his phone in Italian then played it back in English to communicate with us, as he's obviously immensely proud of his town - friendly chap, but gets the address wrong (Via Antoinette/Antonio confused) and the fare of 15 euros transforms into only 10 euros for the return trip. Ah well - the sun is shining, the beach is close by and the sight of the sea is very welcome.
Our apartment turns out to be just at the end of the main street, so a brilliant location. It's at the top of a building (a handsome young chap manfully takes both our cases and hoicks both of them up several flights without complaint although it's evidently killing him), and we have our own massive roof terrace, which, although it looks out mainly over other roof terraces with a keyhole view of the sea, affords us a delightful pre-dinner apertivo place to be to watch the sun set every night. The apartment is huge and very clean with comfy beds, though with a useless coffee machine and hairdryer because the plugs don't fit the sockets.
For lunch, we eat pucce on the street at a bustling restaurant with a scarecrow in the doorway. We wander a bit more, check out restaurants and then go to the old town beach. It's not the prettiest, but Kim gets a swim and I have a sleep. No gelato today, but I have a granita on the beach from the smiley and glamorous lady who sells everything from an ancient van parked on the promenade and has evidently been doing so for years, aided and abetted by grandsons.
We have wine and crisps on our terrace and look at the moon and the planets. Kim is very excited that Jupiter appears to be directly above us, and the sunset is spectacular - as it is every night. The old town is very busy and so are the restaurants - we can't find one with available outside seating, so opt for one with modern, non-touristy food and an apprentice waiter who is obviously getting on the nerves of his mentor, especially when we doesn't put our rosato in an ice bucket. We go for strong late night cocktails at the trendy 801 bar, watch the world go by and stagger back just a little bit tipsy.
Friday 13 September
Kim wants to sleep in a while, so I venture out alone armed only with a fairly unnecessary phrase book - and walk across the bridge to look at the harbour in the new town. I manage conversations in the pharmacy to buy sulphate-free shampoo and something for my sticky throat - some nasty ampoules which really do work. I find a charming greengrocer with a beautiful little son and equally beautiful displays of colourful produce, and I buy fruit. I would buy the chillis just for decoration if I were at home.
We buy take-out pucce for lunch and eat at on our roof terrace. The wind is whipping up and we have to abandon our visit to the beach rather than eat sand. We sunbathe and chill out back on the roof terrace.
Things could be worse, but we do ruefully discover we can't get really get anywhere now that this part of Italy is out of high season - the Otranto bus only goes 3 times a week, Santa Maria de Leuca is doable but we would have 5 hours there, which is probably too much. We acknowledge we should plan better next time, but it's actually quite nice not to be rushing around to places.
Dinner in the courtyard restaurant I found earlier is lovely. We follow it with gelato beside the Duomo with its beautiful light sculpture tree, then go for a nightcap to a bar with enormous white seats in the new town just across the harbour . The shops are open late and this is fatal as we're still in need of walking off our late dinner. I buy a recycled, unsubstantial aluminium ring and bangle I really don't need, also some new sleeper earrings, which I do. Kim is tempted but cannot decide on a full stomach, so we resolve to come back next day.
Saturday 14 September
We walk over to new town - not much to see, but a it's a pleasant stroll and we enjoy caffe con latte di malandra - again. We find the station and work out back up plans if for any reason the thrice a day bus back to Lecce doesn't run for our return on Monday.
We buy takeaway pucce again and then set off for Baia Verde as the walk appears to be mainly along a promenade and not the road - yay. We settle for Piccolo Lido di Gallipoli with bright yellow and blue umbrellas and sunbeds as it's not quite so far and will give us more beach time. The sea is calm and clear and we stay a couple of hours - water baby Goldsmith enjoys several refreshing dips. I am thirsty and ask barman for a non-alcoholic granita - instead he charges me 6 euros for something that looks like an aperol spritz without the fizz. I resolve that I really will make more of an effort to learn some Italian before my next visit.
We walk back, shower and go out, popping into the Duomo which is very beautiful inside and out.
We go for gelato near the harbour, and then for a Paloma cocktail (memories of New Orleans) at a trendy bar with eclectic furniture and glamorous, youthful clientele. We fit right in.
The 50 steps up to the apartment feel very steep after that, but we did walk quite a lot that day.
Sunday 15 September
Our last day, so we visit the nearby museum of curiosities - stuffed birds, dead foetuses, shark bones and barnacle-encrusted Greek flagons. And an audio guide in English that they play on loudspeakers while we walk around, which might be a bit annoying for the handful of Italians in there.
I buy local perfume for me but then decide it's a better gift for my sister's birthday. We pay a sentimental visit to the little old lady's allimentari, and make sure our fridge magnet collection is complete. (We've discovered in Puglia that you're never more than a minute away from a souvenir fridge magnet.)
We stroll back and enjoy the last of the Italian sunshine, do a bit of packing then go to Il Bastione on the sea front for a lovely blow-out dinner on terrace, including more carapaccio of swordfish, and pasta with seafood. We look out to sea and the lighthouse, with petrified wood natural decorations providing a playground for 2 black cats to taunt a large dog. It's still warm. We don't want to go home.
Back to bar 801 for a nightcap, obvs the gay hangout in town (we think Gallipoli may be the Italian equivalent of Sitges near Barcelona), but it's a nice atmosphere and groovy sounds. In bed for midnight.
Monday 16 September
Garrulous taxi man is very quiet on a Monday morning, muttering in irritation at fellow motorists. We get to the bus stop with time to spare, and amuse ourselves by watching the spectacle of a very touchy-feely couple saying their emotional goodbyes as the bus driver attempts to chivvy the woman on to the bus to Napoli. Our bus arrives bang on time, we negotiate the ticket machine at Lecce station and head back to Bari on the train, opting once again for stomach-lining pizza and beer at the same fast food joint. Back to the airport on the Metro, and then, like most airports, we wander round looking at things in the shops that we won't buy at those prices. Flight back to Gatwick is fine, but East Croydon station offers a chilly and dark welcome home.
We loved both Lecce and Gallipoli and would definitely revisit if we could get the transport right to combine it with a trip to the places we missed. The wine and local cuisine is as you might expect - it's reasonably priced and delicious, and probably more calorific than we'd care to investigate further (but we walked loads!) My only gripe, apart from travel from west to east being so very tricky once high season is over - why don't restaurant toilets (even the swisher places) have toilet seats? Do the proprietors fear that diners will walk off with them?
Ciao, bella Italia - arriverderci!
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