"There's a Lot to Like About Lecce"
They celebrate Republic Day on 6/2 (along with most of Italy) to recognize getting rid of the Mussolini supporting monarchy. Happy Republic Day everyone!
Friendly stranger in a Mercedes who leads us to our B&B (thanks to Marj). Second day in a row this has happened.
Five men from a store across from our B&B who speak little English try to help us with directions to Hertz. The guy I spoke to at Hertz said it was too complicated for him to give me directions and we should ask someone. So here we are. After much "left, right, under the pont, up, right, left, right" and much gesticulating we thank them and decide to park the car for the night.
Ample public parking if you wait for 45 minutes for some asshole on a cell phone to leave and have 2 goons (Kevin and Brooks) to keep the other desperate and dangerous drivers from stealing the space before you can figure out how to get your spiffy fire engine red Fiat 500L into reverse.
Historic main square hosting a 4 day holiday weekend festival with food, arts and crafts booths and music. Bright lights among centuries old buildings, statues and ruins.
Two Rooms overlooking the magical square and one room looking into the garbage strewn internal "courtyard" from where I type this.
Delicious food at a casual family style restaurant (had the same dish 2 nights in a row - adventurous) cafe con latte and ice cold lemoncello. It all made the somewhat stressful travel day fade into a pleasant memory. Suddenly there was no need to flee back to Rome prematurely. As a wise woman once said "life is life". Actually she has said it ad nauseum.
An easy drive on Saturday morning with Marj to our local friendly Hertz shop, gassing or dieseling up on the way. Why did I pull into the self serve pump when a very helpful attendant had to do the whole transaction for me? Never saw a pump like that before and everything was written in some foreign language. Later, I see the store owner who helped with directions the night before. He gives a questioning look and I communicate mostly non- verbally that we were successful. I thank him the best I can. He smiles and seems happy he could help. Very nice people we have encountered. The kindness of strangers much in evidence.
A gallery hosting an opening of enamel art work. The building was hundreds of years old, had been a church and still had original frescos on the walls next to a jewelry store located in a beautiful cave like building we browsed in briefly.
Many churches, weddings and brides walking around the city - some radiant some not so much on the happiest day of their lives. We stayed in one church for 30 minutes to watch the arrival of a bride we didn't know and would never see again (except for later that evening in the square after she'd changed from her white gown to a red dress). We seemed to have differing opinions as to whether this was time well spent.
Wonderfully bad translations to English in a museum showing beautiful cartapesta art work. That's paper-mâché to the uninformed.
Many men suddenly appear selling umbrellas as soon as a rain drop falls.
Cannibal panhandling for euros in a cafe.
Cobblestones that turn into ice when wet.
There are many more things to like about Lecce but right now the best is a comfortable bed in a quiet room. Time for sleep. Good night.
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