Lecce - Bumbling in Basilicata, Putzing in Puglia - CycleBlaze

June 1, 2023

Lecce

The street where our B&B is located is so narrow, you could just about shake hands with a neighbour across the street. There are pro’s and con’s to this of course. In the heat of the day, the streets and houses remain cool and shaded. To outsiders, it’s the sound of daily living that is so striking. Every word, every car, bike or person, every swallow and every closing or opening door is amplified and echoes up and down the street. This is not a complaint, rather an observation. These sounds add to the ambiance of a local experience. 

We have been sleeping with the window open for air circulation in our apartment and we were both awakened by a vehicle that pulled up and parked outside the window in the early morning. We thought it might be the G-men. We drifted in and out of sleep as the sounds of morning activities slowly ramped up. By 7:45, we were up and about and when we opened the bedroom door, we discovered that our hosts had been by and had laid out a breakfast table for us. Neither of us heard them, not one peep, yet they had been right outside our door. What a nice surprise! These two fellows (who live 35km away) are quiet and humble yet are looking after us in their understated way.

The plan for today is to wander the streets of Lecce centro storico and visit the most important of its monuments (i.e. churches).  Our suite has a washing machine, so we will take this opportunity to clean our salty clothes.

Thick stone walls are not conducive to speedy internet connections, so it’s been a challenge to load photos lately. To play catch up, I will post images of what we saw today. It was breathtaking.

Cathedral (Duomo) Ss Maria Assunta

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Crypt of the Duomo

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Chiesa Santa Croce

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Scott AndersonI love this facade. I think it’s my favorite in a city full of them.
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1 year ago
Anne MathersTo Scott AndersonI agree, Scott. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. There is so much detail in the style of Baroque.
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Keith ClassenFun to zoom in and check out the amazing detail!
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David MathersTo Keith ClassenAnd, just imagine how long it took to make each element. I wonder how the artisans felt at the end of each day.
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Porta Napoli 

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Obelisk, Porta Napoli

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Porta Rudiae

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Roman Amphitheatre

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Basilica of Santa Chiara

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We had a simple dinner tonight and strolled past the amazing Santa Croce church one last time on our way home.

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Anne AnastasiouHow lovely to witness a wedding!
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1 year ago
David MathersTo Anne AnastasiouI agree. This couple seemed to be caught up in the moment and not with each other. Not smoochy enough!!
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1 year ago