Otranto

A difficult nights sleep at B&B Lilium with traffic that shook the balcony window glass forcing me to wear and turn on my active noise cancelling ear phones.
It was a shame as Roberta and Antonio were lovely (though in need of B&B101 training as rule one must be do not leave previous mornings dirty breakfast plates etc on the main table). Roberta is a teacher at Santa Cesare Terme so drove me there and back today and detoured to the lighthouse at the most easterly point in Italy Faro Palascio. The coastline is littered with ruined towers from the days of watching for the attacking Turks. I walked to the gorgeous cove of Spiaggia di Miggiano - deep, clear water with plenty of fish. Above this cove was a resort with several infinity pools which actually looked great also. Then passed the old bath house built in early 1900 in the moorish style.
Said goodbye to Roberta and family and I then checked into the gorgeous Palazzo Marzo less than 200 yards away but uphill in a calm area.
Had had a panini at Santa Cesare (proscuitto crudo and white mozzarella) so sat out the hottest middle of the day, then had a divine cafe and coconut gelato for lunch from Martinucci before walking north as far as Canal Monaco. Still too much swell up there but it would be gorgeous on another day. Swum in the shallows at the north end of the main beach. Water temp must be 26 and air temp a hot feeling 28.
Had a good sausage and chicoria pizza and red wine for dinner.Read more