Otranto and the Salento Coast

We spent the early morning hours trying to cope with stress from home so the omens weren't good. Nevertheless, by 10.00 we were ready to roll on a day trip with our driver Roberto and his wife, Sandra.

Roberto's English was serviceable and we all chatted away amicably with the occasional aid of Google translate.

First up was two and a half hours in Otranto. The town was stunning on a hot Mediterranean morning.

The first marvel was the cathedral's medieval mosaic floor. The whole floor is covered with Biblical and mythical imagery. It was sort of marvellous that much of it was obscured by the functioning of a real place of worship. In the photo below, the hand of God reaches out to Noah under a pew. You can clearly see Cain belting Abel and plenty of images of the unpleasantness of hell.

On another level, literally, was the crypt, which was the original church, complete with fragmentary frescoes. 

Further up the hill was the massive castle. There were lots of carved stone cannon balls, and an interesting display on the region's neolithic history. The view from the walls was great too.

On a completely different scale was the Byzantine era San Pietro church. My attempts to photograph the interior without the bald gentleman in shot were, as you can see, a fail.

After lunch, we headed South along the coast. 

We walked to a photogenic old bauxite quarry.

We visited Italy's easternmost point.

Then there were a series of rock formations and beaches on this holiday coast.

By this time, Lyn, who hasn't been well, was starting to fade. We decided not to go swimming, though it was certainly hot enough and beautiful.

Our final stop was the instagrammable spot called Grotta Della Poesia. The signs said that swimming was forbidden. Roberto cheerfully explained that this did not stop people from swimming there - but it did stop EVERYONE from swimming there. As you can see.

 

All in all, after a tough start, it was a day to remind us why we travel.