Friday 25th October 2024

Lecce to Alberobello

Time to pack away the boots and sticks and enjoy the treats of Lecce, Alberobello, Matera and Salerno before heading home next Thursday.

Grand Hotel put on a namesake breakfast, but we needed to show a bit of restraint with no vigorous activity to wear off the calories.

Spent the entire morning walking the streets of Lecce. If you like Art, Architecture and Africans this is the place to come. 

There are endless art galleries and exhibitions to visit. Many of the artisan sculptors work outside their stores. There are also countless stores selling everything colorful and ceramic. There seems  to be a great fascination with the Fat Lady Singing and that may well have some association with the Opera House situated in the old castle.

The cathedral and churches are absolutely stunning. Santa Masse is almost as big as a football field and full of artefacts.

Plenty of tourists and art students near the Old Town, but relatively quiet elsewhere.

Even found our PM sidelining with a business he would be suited to.

Grabbed a takeaway lunch from the famous Giannone Rustica and watched some little kids enjoy the unique seats for toddlers at the local cafe. One of the local stores was obviously gearing up for Halloween with heaps of outfits.

Wandered over to Garibaldi Gardens ( shame about graffiti on fountain) and on the way passed the Lecce FC Supporters Merchandise tent. Jane got excited when colours were a  little like the Crows.

Whilst homelessness is not obvious the number of beggars and African people badgering you  with cheap merchandise is confronting. 

Shot down past the amphitheatre and old castle. The former undergoing renovations and the latter the home of opera. Ran into old custom of locks being attached to anything near significant artefact.

Went back to hotel and collected bags to head to railway and start our journey to Alberobello the home of the Trulli houses. They are the ones with the domed roofs. It’s a long story but my read was in days gone by there was a housing tax which they were able to avoid by changing roof shape to that of a barn which was exempt.

Anyway on a local train first to get to Monopoli where we hoped to catch a taxi to Alberorello. Arrived and no taxis. Sign said ring one of a dozen numbers . All failed. Then the Messiah arrived in the shape of a local cab driver who was waiting for another customer.

Never one to pass up and opportunity for a €50 fare he quickly fobbed of the other customer via call to a mate and had our bags on board in a jiffy.

It was a very informative ride where the story of the olive,or Oliver as he pronounced, disease was fully explained- he called it the Covid of the trees. 

After 30 minutes of agricultural education we ended up in town. We were expecting a little village with quaint houses, that it wasn’t. It was a big town with the Trulli’s only in a a very specific part of town, which was jam packed with tourists.

Our little house was on the edge and was as quaint as expected, basically one room with a domed ceiling and a shower where each leg took turns to get wet. Not too much room to squeeze into bed either width or height wise.

We did a tour of the town passing the huge church with its dual spires – one with a clock the other a sundial. There was a unique 2 storey Trulli which we visited just in front of two tourist groups of 30.

Stopped to hydrate and people watch, especially the waitress who had more work done on her than the average Kardashian.

Headed off to the area where the concentration of Trulli’s was and spent several hours wandering the streets window shopping and snapping photos galore.

Night was soon upon us and we ended up in the recommended restaurant  A very persuasive waiter was offering up Florentine steaks and snapper as the best choice on the menu. I passed , but Jane opted for the fish.

It was beautifully presented, deboned at the table side and served with lashings of baby potatoes. All I can say is they must have been expensive potatoes as the dish cost €50 when the bill arrived.  Thank God I rejected the steak.

A bit shellshocked we wandered home and shimmied our way into bed after our first day of being a tourist.