Day 1: Brindisi to Lecce 25 miles

 Chilly, wet, and windy. Fortunately, it was mostly a side or tail wind. After viewing the recommended cycling route on Google Street View, we chose a more direct route despite increased vehicle traffic. We rode through pools of water and cracked pavement, but it was not gravel, mud, and even deeper puddles. Thanks to John for navigating.

Typical for the first day, we took longer to get everything sorted, packed, and clothed for wet weather. We left a bit after 11 am.

Approximate Route. Arrived with 35 miles on bike odometer, so clearly took a less direct route to avoid poor surfaces.


Lecce is in southern Italy, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over 2,000 years old. Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is nicknamed "The Florence of the South". "Lecce stone"—a particular kind of limestone—is a key export because it is soft, workable, and suitable for sculptures. In the central Piazza del Duomo, the Cattedrale di Lecce has a double facade and a bell tower. The Basilica di Santa Croce features sculptures and a rose window. Nearby are the Sant’Oronzo Column, a Roman column topped with a bronze statue of the city’s patron saint, and the sunken Roman amphitheater. Lecce is an important agricultural centre, chiefly for olive oil and wine, as well as a ceramics centre.

Lecce is a small university city. (population: 95,000)

Dog of the Day. We saw multiple pairs of these dogs guarding large homes, businesses, and even a large field of yellow squash.

Exiting Brindisi. Now a limited access military compound.

Brindisi. Exterior view of the same gate.

Apollo Theatre, Lecce. John picked up a wind-bent umbrella, hoping he could fix it. 2 minutes later it went in the next garbage can.

Carlo V Castle. Large and under renovation.





Sunken Roman Amphitheater in the heart of Lecce.


Saint on a Pedestal. Sant’Oronzo Column, a Roman column topped with a bronze statue of the Lecce's patron saint

Old mixed with the new.

Amazing iPhone 16 Camera. When walking back to our lodging, this large church was open but typically dark, making photos difficult. Each of these images were automatically adjusted.

Baptismal Font hidden in a dark corner of the cathedral.

Unusual open area above and behind the main altar. Perhaps organ pipes were placed behind, or just a balcony.

Lecce Fountain. Perfect finish for several days of rain!

Our 2 Santi Suite & Rooms. Address:
7 Via SS. Giacomo e Filippo, 73100 Lecce, Italy


Dorina. our 32 Santi host, and John, checking out Saturday morning.








Comments

  1. robineri@gmail.comOctober 4, 2025 at 3:41 PM

    Photos... history all around you. Nice to see your digs too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. isabelleOctober 20, 2025 at 11:14 AM

    Beautiful pictures and very interesting comments!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overview

Image
I have visited Northern Italy by auto and cycled across Italy east-to-west, through Tuscany/Umbria in 2019, starting and ending in Rome. (Blog: https://lnewman1107italy2019.blogspot.com/ ). I have yet to venture south of Rome.  We plan to cycle on paved roads, 11 days riding, carrying our gear, staying in small hotels listed on booking.com, and sampling the local cuisine.   Weather Southern Italy in summer is hot and dry, but October typically has some precipitation 1/3 of the days, with temperatures in the 50-80F range. I’ve packed full rain gear, just in case. Riders We are 2, 76-year old veteran cyclists. This will be my 4th tour with John H. John is taking his S and S coupled bike and will use panniers to carry his gear. (An S and S Coupling also known as a Bicycle Torque Coupling or BTC is a coupling which enables bicycle frames to be separated into smaller parts).  I will ride my 1994 Bike Friday Pocket Rocket folding bike with 20” wheels. The 30” Samsonite b...
Read more

Day 5: Head Wind Day: Matera – Gravina – Palazzo San Gervasio 51 miles (189 total)

Image
Ominous Warning from Italian Air Force Headwinds We managed to start early, by 8 am, but by 10am, winds were gusting in the 25 mph range. We ended up on some inferior roads and were saved from a mud bog experience by a bike tourist from Nottingham, UK. He was roughly following Euro Velo Route 5 and had slogged through a mud section 5 miles ahead of us. We routed around it, adding more miles. We arrived in Plato San Gervasio exhausted. Hilltop Towns As we ride further from the coast, most towns are situated on hills, making the final miles difficult. Palazzo San Gervasio was no exception. A good average speed with loaded touring bikes is 10-12 mph, but we struggled to make 7 mph into the wind on the flats. I was at 3-4 mph on the climbs not hilltop cities. Web description: Palazzo San Gervasio: (Pop. 5,000) is a small agricultural town and commune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. While the regional Lucanian dialect is still spoken amongst the old...
Read more

Day 3: Trulli Day: Ostuni - Locorotondo - Alberbello – Putigano (October 5, 2025) 29 miles (102 miles to date)

Image
We began by walking the walls of Ostuni, then getting an 8 am start to get to Putigano before a forecast rain and high winds. We largely stuck to the more direct car roads with better surfaces and fewer sharp climbs. Rain began about 5 miles outside Putigano, we arrived by noon, damp but not soaked. We managed to find Accogliente Dimora, Via Santo Stefano 44, 70017, in 10 minutes. We are within the walls  where GPS is not terribly precise.  We rang the bell and were about to text when Giuseppe hailed us from up the passageway. We left our luggage in the lobby, parked our bikes in a nearby building, took luggage up one level to our room, then had lunch in his restaurant. Excellent lunch and our likely dinner spot, as most of the businesses are closed on Sunday. We stopped at a large supermarket in Alberbello with impressive deli and take-away options, but he could not sell hot coffee on Sunday. Interesting blue law . Ostuni Morning Stroll Photos. All the following pho...
Read more