Lecce Life
We got up early to drive here. Driving in Lecce is mental. Cars and busses everywhere all in a hurry to get where they are going. OK for them but we had no idea where we were going. We eventually found somewhere to park outside the city walls. Well, that was an adventure in itself. When we did find a space, it was in a working-class residential area made up of shabby non descript low rise flats block after block of them. The parking was paid so we had to find a parking meter. We didn’t know what they looked like but eventually found one a few blocks away. When we found one we deciphered from the Italian instructions it only took coins. OK so we needed to get some change.
First, I tried a small neighbourhood bar. Because it was early their till only had notes in it. The barman suggested we try a shop out on the main drag. Another few blocks traversed we found a Lidl. Mum went into to buy a tangerine to split the five euro note we had the till operator smiled and said “Nada.” I tried to explain to him we needed coins for the parking meters, he opened the till and gave us five one euro coins. As I pointed to the tangerine he shook his head and said prego.
We left the shop and all we had to do was find a parking meter buy a ticket then find where we parked. No small feat. Finally we were ready to venture into the old city taking photos as we went so we could find the car at the end of the day. Tourist map in hand we ventured off.
Heading in we discovered the local football teams merchandise tent. I cant see this catching on in Glasgow the tent wouldn’t stand a chance in the Scottish weather.
We entered Lecce through an antient gateway, following the map we headed for the main square. When we got there, there were large groups of tourists on guided walking tours. The main attraction here was the roman amphitheatre.
Next on the tourist trail was the cathedral. Easy right? It wasn’t. Despite the cathedral being the biggest building in Lecce, as the streets were so narrow you couldn’t see its spire. After a few wrong turns and dodgy map reading, we found it.
Exploring the rest of the centre I soon discovered why the fiat cinquecento was so popular in Italy. In some of the streets it’s probably the only car that could get down them.
Lecce has some strange things just lying around on the pavements. At the south of the city just before the southern gate we found a huge elephant made out of old new paper papier-mâché.
Our tummy’s were telling us time for lunch. Plodding back up we were looking for some street food. In the old city most of the eateries were restaurants. As we left through the Porta San Biagio there were two cafes, after careful consideration we decided on Bar Astoria for some real Italian street food. As a bonus it had an outside area to sit. Our waitress wasn’t the smileyest of people, probably due to the plastic surgery in her lips, but the food hit the spot.
After lunch we explored the top end of the city, I recon by the end of the afternoon we had covered every street and ally.
One final task to perform before heading back to Otranto. Find the car. Thankfully with the map, which was more useful outside the centre than in, we managed to get back to the neighbourhood where we left the car. Only one thing left to do get out of Lecce safely.
As always wish you were here.