Lecce

 20,000 steps

Started this morning off with a great shower, best shower yet since we started this trip. Who would have guessed in a cave. We really liked our stay here, but one night is probably enough, especially in this pretty small cave room once you get your luggage in. Breakfast is included in our room, today we have vouchers to take to a nice little cafe just up about 70 steps from where we are staying. Everything is up or down steps from where we are staying. We tried to eat outside, but still a little too cool so we move back inside. Best croissants we have had this trip, plus they put pistachio filling in them if you want, yes please. No coffee for me, so they give me a fresh squeezed orange juice instead, yummy.

The person we are renting from has told us we can stay for the morning in the cave, so we are off for some walking around before we leave. We head up the other side of the main square which we hadn't done much of yet, lots more little restaurants, more uphill and we also found a beautiful park, which we haven't seen a lot of in these little old towns we have been visiting. Circle back around, and we head back to the cave to pack up. It seems like we go down to go back up a lot here. There are cars driving in old town so there are some streets, but everything seems to go in circles so I never really got my bearing in this town. We walked around a lot and realized we were back at a place we had just been to 5 minutes ago, but that is half the fun in these old towns, just walking around.

Pack up our things and head out to the train station around 11:30. It is a crazy walk down some crazy ramp/step road, but the rest of the walk to the train station is really pleasant. It is all down hill and on a bike/walking path that is nice and smooth. The little rolling suitcase pretty much makes its own way down. We have about 45 minutes until our train arrives so just time for an ice cream at the little coffee shop at the train station. One nice thing about these small towns, no charge for bathrooms, at either the train station, or in town. Larger places we have paid from .50Euro to 1.00 Euro to use public bathrooms.

I had been in contact with the person we are renting from in Lecce and she offered to pick us up at the train station and give us our keys to the rental. It takes about the same amount of time to walk to the apartment as it does to drive, you have to head around a big circle around town by car. Our street is under major renovation and we walked a block before we realized we had already passed our apartment.

Andre picked this apartment because of the view of the amphitheatre. As we walk around the block we see that the amphitheatre is all under renovation, oh no so disappointed. When I read about this apartment I read that the stairs are all uneven, and 60 stairs to get to the apartment on top of the amphitheatre. Well I took that literally, I thought we were going to have to walk up the amphitheatre steps to the apartment on top. No, it is 60 steps up to our apartment overlooking the amphitheatre. They aren't that bad, but very glad we don't do heavy luggage. I'm am sure it will get old doing the steps multiple times in the day, but the view is amazing. Andre is actually walking ahead of me upstairs and with a couple that is checking into the apartment beside us, they are American and apologize to us as Canadians, this has happened pretty much every time we meet an American here.

The apartment is very nice, beautiful floors. A nice kitchen, a separate living room and a huge bedroom which has the view to the amphitheatre. A tiny balcony, but a really good spot. A washing machine to do one last load before we go home. We have planned washing machines every second stop, and this is it for us.

First trip back downstairs to get groceries. First spot is closed, second spot is just too tiny, third spot is OK to get something for supper and breakfast tomorrow.

Drop off groceries and it is a beautiful afternoon so head out to find another piazza for an Aperol Spritz. We stop at a cute little spot but it doesn't take long for the sun to drop behind the buildings.

Replenished from our drink and it is time to move and and explore more. We find the Duomo Piazza, wow, this is incredible. The architecture here is amazing. There are 4 churches here that charge for an entrance, it is 11Euro for the 4, I am sure we will be buying the ticket tomorrow or the next day.

Walk to what we hear is the most beautiful entry gate called the Rudaie gate which is pretty much straight down from our apartment. Tomorrow we will be doing a walking tour that starts from here, so now we know exactly where to go. Right outside the gate there is a “real” market. Pick up some oranges for tomorrow. Offered the homeless man with a dog on our way home an orange, he was not interested....

Back upstairs for the 3^rd time this afternoon, yes this will get old. Staying in for dinner, it has been a great first day here. Looking forward to exploring more tomorrow.

Cappuccino to start the day with. 

Croissant with Pistachio cream filling. The best

A longer visit today at the cathedral

Amazing ceiling

Jesus pointing at his cut on his ribcage

2nd largest rose window in Europe

A few pictures of churches outside of the wall

Found a spot with a view of the white city. It is white because they plastered/painted all the walls when the plaque was around as limestone is an antibacterial

lots of airbnb have ceramic plates to mark the entrances as this region is big on ceramics

our little alley, no car traffic here

On old cistern in our place

Walking in old town, so many steps

Ostuni

A very old olive tree with a cane

I wish they has this in the country side as it was a bit confusing as to what was the speed limit 

Pretty much what we saw on the train ride, olive trees

In the main square in front of our airbnb

Our view for our aperol sprtiz break

A few interesting thing on the menu

Lecce Cathedral

Inside one of the church we walked into. a lot more tomorrow. 

I was going to check to see if the keys were in the car to move it but Wendy said no

So many meat choices, may go back to get something for supper 1 night

The bishop checking to see if the moon is really made of cheese 

THe view from our balcony