San Foca, Torre dell’Orso

 Ciao!


It’s February 20th and our plans included a driving tour of the southwestern shores of Puglia. 

We left Lecce around 10am and drove almost straight east to the Adriatic.  Here we stopped in San Foco, known for its marina and fabulous beaches.  There is a small archipelago of rocks and small islands.  Many people come here to snorkel - the water is very clear.  




Our next stop was in Torre dell’Orso. Like San Foco, this small town is also a very popular seaside vacation area in Puglia.  Its sandy beaches are next to very, very clear water! As the name “Torre dell’Orso” suggests, there is a famous tower that was built in the 16th century.  It provided a viewpoint to spot the arrival of enemy ships. 

Here’s one view of the beaches

And here’s an intrepid explorer, dipping his toes in the Adriatic…

Our last stop was in Otranto - a very historic location in Italian and Pulian history.  In 1480, the Turks attacked the City.  800 male prisoners were taken and subsequently beheaded for not agreeing to renounce the Christian faith.  They have since become known as “the Holy Idruntine Martyrs”.



These two pictures are of the Aragonese Castle, built in the late15th century. It was built after the massacre and was able to withstand further attacks on the city throughout the next few centuries.

On the lighter side, there was a very nice little ristorante that was just the thing for 2 hungry travellers.


A little frutta di mare - cozze, vongole, calamari (mussels, clams & squid)

Orecchiette with rocket, tomato, sausage and parmesan flakes.

And there you have it for today! And a very relaxing day it was. Tomorrow we will be leaving Lecce to start making our way north and west towards Salerno.  On our way we’ll stop for a guided tour in Matera.  Just wait until you see those pics!!

Ciao for now.



 

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