We were 'down at heel' today, passing through Lecce, heading east to the coast and on down the back of the heel to the very south east tip of the Italian boot. We travelled through flat land with huge olive groves similar to those in Greece, with apparently randomly scattered, old, large trees rather than the Spanish smaller trees, planted in neat rows. Spring has really arrived here with carpets of bright yellow flowers covering the floor under the trees and, where the ground had been disturbed, mixed with tall, vivid red poppies. The sea was a lovely, dark blue but in the shallows turned into a beautiful turquoise and looked very inviting. We came across the 'Grotte Basiliane' at Rocca Vecchia' where there were complexes of sea caves and, in the 8th century AD, people had built many houses by digging into the soft rock along the shore line. These houses were very close to the sea and must have been very exposed in the Winter storms. All along this stretch, the shore line was rocky and the land started flat and low-lying but later, higher land created sea cliffs and better views. This coast is the closest to Greece and was settled extensively by the Greeks in ancient times although there is very little evidence of it now. There are however many towers and castles scattered along the coast, a reminder of the turbulent times that the inhabitants went through, being attacked by a string of foreign invaders.
Capo Santa Maria di Leuca, also known as Finibus Terrae (Land's End), is where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet and is the south eastern tip of Italy. It is also where Peter is said to have landed in Italy to spread the word of God. As such, you will not be surprised to learn that there is a large church there. The first church was built in 343 on the site of a Greek temple to Minerva which was said to have crumbled when Peter appeared. Call me a cynic, but I suspect that it crumbled when the locals took it apart to build the church! The church was destroyed several times during Turkish raids but always rebuilt on the same spot. The church that we saw was the sixth on the site and dates to 1720 but in the first half of the 18th century, in order to protect it from frequent pirate attacks, it was fortified with towers and drawbridges. The stonework of the church had just been cleaned and a huge amount of work was being done on the very large courtyard in front of the church. It was no great surprise when we found a poster announcing that the Pope was to pay a visit in June this year.
Once we turned the corner and headed west along the south-facing coast, everything changed. The land became flat, sandy beaches replaced the rocks and the very calm sea of the east coast was replaced with large waves, whipped up by the strong wind, painting the coastline white.
We meandered our way along this coast to Galipoli where we knew that there should be an open campsite. Galipoli (not the infamous Turkish town in the Dardanelles) was called Kallipoli in Greek times and, being in a strategic position, was attacked many times over the years, including the Normans in 1071, the Venetians in 1484 and the British in 1809. However, we only intended to invade the campsite and we actually received a warm welcome at what turned out to be the most sophisticated site that we have stayed a so far. A very large open-air swimming pool complex was open and ready for use although there was nobody using it, probably because the water was freezing cold. And this was a first, we were presented with the key to our own private bathroom with toilet, bidet, washbasin, shower and constant hot water! Real luxury!
Photos: The Basiliane Grotto with the remains of a rock-cut house and, yes, the sea really was that colour; A collapsed sea cave at Basiliane Grotto with the peninsula and fortification behind. The water was very deep in the collapsed cave and was obviously used for swimming and diving in the Summer; The church of Santa Maria di Leuce at the Italian Land's End; The rough south-facing coast just west of Land's End.
Capo Santa Maria di Leuca, also known as Finibus Terrae (Land's End), is where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet and is the south eastern tip of Italy. It is also where Peter is said to have landed in Italy to spread the word of God. As such, you will not be surprised to learn that there is a large church there. The first church was built in 343 on the site of a Greek temple to Minerva which was said to have crumbled when Peter appeared. Call me a cynic, but I suspect that it crumbled when the locals took it apart to build the church! The church was destroyed several times during Turkish raids but always rebuilt on the same spot. The church that we saw was the sixth on the site and dates to 1720 but in the first half of the 18th century, in order to protect it from frequent pirate attacks, it was fortified with towers and drawbridges. The stonework of the church had just been cleaned and a huge amount of work was being done on the very large courtyard in front of the church. It was no great surprise when we found a poster announcing that the Pope was to pay a visit in June this year.
Once we turned the corner and headed west along the south-facing coast, everything changed. The land became flat, sandy beaches replaced the rocks and the very calm sea of the east coast was replaced with large waves, whipped up by the strong wind, painting the coastline white.
We meandered our way along this coast to Galipoli where we knew that there should be an open campsite. Galipoli (not the infamous Turkish town in the Dardanelles) was called Kallipoli in Greek times and, being in a strategic position, was attacked many times over the years, including the Normans in 1071, the Venetians in 1484 and the British in 1809. However, we only intended to invade the campsite and we actually received a warm welcome at what turned out to be the most sophisticated site that we have stayed a so far. A very large open-air swimming pool complex was open and ready for use although there was nobody using it, probably because the water was freezing cold. And this was a first, we were presented with the key to our own private bathroom with toilet, bidet, washbasin, shower and constant hot water! Real luxury!
Photos: The Basiliane Grotto with the remains of a rock-cut house and, yes, the sea really was that colour; A collapsed sea cave at Basiliane Grotto with the peninsula and fortification behind. The water was very deep in the collapsed cave and was obviously used for swimming and diving in the Summer; The church of Santa Maria di Leuce at the Italian Land's End; The rough south-facing coast just west of Land's End.
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