Otranto to Lecce

May 31, 2023

Nanna and Franco greeted us this morning at 8am with a full breakfast spread that included two of her homemade cakes plus olive breads, along with the usual selections. We ate breakfast outside on their patio.

We were headed for Lecce today so pushed off at 9:00 am. The route I had planned took us along the coastal route as far as San Cotaldo and then headed directly west to Lecce which sits in the middle of the Salento peninsula.

Our bikes spent the night on this secure patio.

Nanna, the abstract artist and Franco, the international chef. Seven children between them. The best hosts!

We had to have one more look at Otranto before we left town. Already, the locals had been out for a swim and were lying on the sandy beach, just chillin’.

I keep mentioning the clear water, but by comparison with Vancouver Island, this is amazing. Of course it has to do with sand vs. intertidal zones full of living organisms. But still, it is so beautiful

The closed umbrellas give you an idea of what to expect in the coming months.

A few locals hit the beach for a swim in the early morning.

As we were riding along out of Otranto, we bumped into our cycling friends from Vancouver who we first met on the way out of Matera. We met them in Gallipoli as well. It’s such a small world. They had just had a puncture (a nail). We compared notes, then pushed on after wishing them well. They are heading home soon, so we may not see them again.

Soon after that, we came across a group on horseback, enjoying a day trip through the trails of the pine forest that straddles the highway along this spectacular section of the coast. Looked like a fun day.

Horseback riding is one of the recreational opportunities here.

The coastal route took us north, alternating between the rocky coast and inland a little, behind the sandy dues and pine forest. Every time we had a glimpse of the coastline, we had to stop for a closer look.

The most northerly point in the route, San Cotaldo, is a small, low-key beach community that will be swarmed with beach lovers in another month but today, it was essentially closed down. We were almost the only ones there.

Looked like a volleyball tournament was being set up here at San Cotaldo. Thinking of you, Karin Maesson!

Since the landscape is almost flat here, the major roads are dead straight. These are not our favourite routes and we tend to go into ‘git ‘er done’ mode when we ride these roads. We put the hammer down and ride, stopping for photos only if it’s worthwhile. Of course, a field of flowers like this is one of those worthwhile moments.

I am cautious about walking into a field like this because this is snake country. I always stamp my feet before going too far. Luckily, I haven’t come across any live snakes, but we see evidence daily that they are there. These fellas are about 24”or more in length. It’s always a question on my mind as we approach them on the road: is this a fan belt or a snake? More often, it’s a snake.

Fields of marguerites, thistles, poppies and other assorted wildflowers.

The traffic was light and the road was in good shape, thankfully. This is olive country and as seen previously, most of the olive trees are dead. They have succumbed to a bacterium that entered Puglia about 10 years ago. It is spread through the saliva of a spit bug. Once the tree is infected, the bacterium plugs the cells that transport water and slowly the tree dies. It’s really a sad and costly situation. Much research has been conducted on this disease and, interestingly, they are training dogs to pick up the scent of infected trees. Nothing has been found to prevent it, but we did see a couple of orchards of newly planted young olive trees, so it tells me they have found some positive news that might bode well for the future of olive oil in Puglia. Here's hoping.

Many of the olive orchards are dead in southern Puglia due the a bacterial disease.

Lecce is the largest city in Puglia and, like the other cities here, it has its own own sprawl outside the old city where the tourists hang out. We made a bee-line along the arrow-straight road and it took us directly into the old city through one of the three ancient portals or gates. With some careful navigation, we found our way to our B&B, tucked down a tiny laneway. Our modest hosts were there to welcome us and show us around the suite which we had to ourselves for two nights.

Me, later on, walking back along the bumpy road to our B&B.

It doesn’t take long for us to transform from two sweaty cyclists to a couple of eager bushy-tailed seniors on the hunt for fluid replacement. Ledge brun fit the bill well for David. I find the lagers more refreshing.

This small Roman amphitheatre caught our eye as we headed for the bar. It’s just a taste of the incredible historic sites to be explored in Lecce.

Lecce is well know for its Baroque architecture. This church was one of our landmarks for finding our B&B.

There really is no bad food here. In fact, it’s all wonderful. Tonight’s restaurant experience was yet another to add to the long list. We had a bottle of local Primitivo to go along with the meal and our server brought us a plate of assorted small cookies and a local sweet wine as a dessert, on the house.

Roasted polpo on a bed of grilled vegetables.

Tomorrow is a day off the bikes to explore Lecce.

We adjusted the route somewhat and ended up with a 60k day.

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Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 689 km (428 miles)

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Anne AnastasiouLove those wildflowers!
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10 months ago

Bob KoreisI hope you can get in a good night walk. The Centro Storico is amazing. I miss being able to have a Caffe Leccese and a pasticciotto when the weather gets warm.
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10 months ago

David MathersTo Bob KoreisYou bet we did. Lecce is a wonderful city. The pasticciotto’s are downright irresistible.
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10 months ago