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Lecce, Galatina, Santa Maria Di Leuca, Otranto, Gallipoli - 7 and 8 June 2026

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 Hi all, we had a quiet Sunday in Lecce before taking on a road trip yesterday around the Salento peninsula. This area was originally settled by the Greeks in 600 BC and still has a huge Greek influence, including a local Greco/italian dialect. The architecture is a real mix of Romanesque and Baroque, with a little Moorish thrown in! At Galatina we visited the Franciscan church, the second established in Italy in 1391, including many frescoes that are in great condition. Still stunning after 600 years. Then it was on the road again to Otrano, with its Spanish Castle of Aragon, and surprisingly a Romanesque church with a heavy Moorish influence on the ceiling. This Church of the Martyrs is dedicated to the 800 souls who were killed by the invading Turks (who had a short occupation of the town). Roman mosaics on the floor, Moorish gold on the roof! We went further south to the extreme southern tip of mainland Italy, on the heel of the boot, to the lovely seaport of Santa Maria Di Leu...
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Lecce, Italy 5th and 6th June 2026

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 Hi all, We have had a great few days exploring wonderful Lecce, from city gate to city gate using the great local guide book. Yesterday we started at the first of the gates. Then we meandered through the second “route” in our guide book of Lecce, trying not to see all of the 40 or so churches in the city all at once. They really are magnificent, some more Baroque than others, but one has to wonder why Lecce needs a major church, basilica or cathedral every 200 metres or so?  We did find some other buildings of interest though, like this 17th century private mansion! Plus another piece of Roman antiquity, the 1st century Theatre, which was only rediscovered last century under 5 metres of fill. Today we tried for the second day running to go to the nearby town of Gallipoli ( not the Turkish one). However, after waiting for the local bus, Goggle Maps finally let us down - we discovered through other tourists waiting at the same spot, that the service doesn’t kick off until mid J...
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Lecce, Puglia - 3rd and 4th June

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 Hi all, Yesterday we took a short train trip south from Brindisi to our abode for the next week,- Lecce in the region of Salento, Italy (the heal). Of course it was no accident that we found ourselves in a city full of history going back thousands of years to the Greek and Roman times. This Roman amphitheatre just happened to be on the way to our apartment! We settled in pretty quickly to our great 17th century apartment (modernised of course) after a great introduction by host Francesca. We have already tried one of her recommended restaurants, and will be going down the list based on the excellent fare at Vico Del Gusto.  This morning we took a lead from the city guide to Baroque Lecce, and walked Route 1 (of four recommended routes) thought 14 historic sites that included the Cathedral (Doumo) and numerous other churches and historic sites. The “ no more than 2 churches a day” rule set by Holly was definitely broken. Of course we couldn’t resist a closer look at the 1st Ce...
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Alberobello, Locorotondo, Ostuni and Bari - 1 and 2 June

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 Hi all,  Our stay in the lovely port city of Brindisi is nearly at an end, as we head further south tomorrow to the ancient town of Lecce. Yesterday we took in some of the white villages between Brindisi and Bari, with the first stop at the town of Alberobello, a world heritage site due to the area’s unique Trulli architecture. The day was our hottest yet, well over 30, which was enhanced by all of the whiteness! The houses were beautifully built around 300 to 400 years ago, pretty compact inside, although one we visited had housed a family of 15. Then we took a short drive to the towns of Locorotondo and Ostuni,  not so many Trulli houses, but plenty of white! There was a beautiful 12th century church in Ostuni with original frescoes telling the story of St Nikolai (Santa Clause). With a very large statue in the main square, dedicated to the man (who this area claims as their own, a  bishop of Constantinople who was beheaded by the Romans). After our return we had ...
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Corfu, Greece to Brindisi, Italy 30th and 31st May

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 Hi all,  We left Corfu yesterday afternoon, in what turned out to be an ode to Homer’s Odyssey - or alternatively a mini Greek shipping tragedy! I don’t know why the new Spirits of Tasmania need the $500m plus budget overrun on their port infrastructure, as if they took a leaf out of the Greek ferry manual, they would just drive up to the closest wharf, drop the loading dock and drive the cars and trucks off.  Oh, did I mention that the mooring might be up to a kilometre away in the dark from the passenger terminal, where there is no information at all, passengers just wander aimlessly towards which ferry they think is theirs, through the truck and vehicle traffic currently loading and unloading simultaneously! Until, if still in one piece,  they are rescued by a passing shuttle bus, and dumped near the truck loading bay, with cases. Then, after some more confusion they are taken by another shuttle right through the exhaust fumes of the loading bay to a lift to rece...
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Corfu 28th to 30th May

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 Hi all,  We are just getting ready to depart from our short 5 Day stay in old Corfu Town. A great chance to relax in the perfect Mediterranean weather to get ready for the next stage of our adventure. We had a good look around this small city, full of nooks and crannies, which had its heyday in the Venetian period in the 15th to 18th century.  There were however many reminders of the earlier settlers going back to 600 BC, these example from the Temple of Artemis in the small but important Corfu Archaeological Museum. Lots of time to sample the local seafood and local Corfu dishes of course. Including Moussaka, Sofrita and a much loved (by Norm) potted lamb stew. A few nights ago we took an evening cruise on a local sailing ship, just before and after sunset - well worth the effort. Some of the food intake may well be showing under Norm’s tee shirt 🥘 🍤🍷😂   Our apartment has been wonderful, right on the waterfront on the edge of the old town. We have spent many pl...
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