Ken had to do some work for a few hours in the morning.  So so as soon as we got up and dressed we went out for some coffee at the Mac Bar, with one “to go” for later.  While he was working, I went out shopping.  I always enjoy the Coin stores; they’re like the Macy’s of Italy.  The one here in Lecce is small but full of great clothes and housewares for me to browse.  And I bought a tea mug for the apartment for only €3.  I went to a new bread place and got some for lunch, which was just salad and meats and bread.  Also got some fresh tortellini for tomorrow night.

After lunch was some rest time and then we took off for Otranto, south of here on the Adriatic.  What a beautiful little town!  We hung out at the wall facing the sea for a while.  Couldn’t believe there were people sunning and swimming because although the temperature was around 75° there was a cool breeze.

We walked through the castle entrance and into the town.

There’s Ken.

The cathedral was stunning, especially the ceiling and the ancient (from around 1165) mosaic floors.

A very small section of the ceiling.

After we were there just a few minutes a bell started clanging and someone turned on the lights.  I though we were going to be at another wedding but, no, it was a funeral.  It was interesting watching the people enter (we couldn’t leave because they were all coming in the door, blocking it).  Although many of them were in dresses and suits, other were wearing jeans and very casual clothes.

Pall bearers, outside during the service.

We went outside and gazed at the classic facade.

The town has plenty of tourist shops, but we loved just watching the boats and the beautiful colors of the sea.

Otranto harbor

Home in time to listen to the first half of the FSU football game and get dressed for dinner at Trattoria Le Zie. It is known for Cucina Casareccia–homemade cooking–and it was.  We stared with an antipasti misti.  A plate with some mildly pickled veggies, including delicious potatoes, tiny cubes of lasagna and some roasted eggplant slices with fresh basil. Then they delivered a small plate of little vegetable fritters that were very hot but mostly breading.  I ordered polpettitoncini which were 3 egg shaped meat balls stuffed with cheese.  Ken had the “long” pasta with sauce.  Interesting–they give you a choice between pecorino and parmigiano for the cheese.  We didn’t have dessert, but opted for degestivi–like lemoncello–but I had the herbal one which I loved and Ken had peach.  Overall, I’m glad we went, but it  certainly didn’t blow our minds.

We had a nice walk home which I was glad for because we were so stuffed (again!) and vowed to not eat out for at least one day.