We had planned to go to the bottom of Puglia today but we had a change of plans and decided to head back to Otranto for another delicious gelato and then up the coast to a couple of spots we wanted to visit.
First up was Otranto. We parked in the same spot and wandered through the Old Town until we ended up at the Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata) which had been closed the last time we were there. The Cathedral was built in 1068 on top of a Roman house and early Christian church. We went inside and although the altar was very plain, the floor was almost completely mosaic and dates back to the 12th Century. It represents the tree of life with various scenes from the Old Testament. The ceiling was also very ornate.
We continued looking in shops and finding a few little treasures until we got to our favorite gelato shop. We walked along the waterfront and back through the town, stopping for a quick coffee before getting back to the car.
Next stop was Torre Sant’Angela which is about 20 minutes up the Adriatic Coastline. The main attraction is the limestone sea stacks created by the wind and waves. We wandered across the road from the car park to the cliff. It was extremely windy and the sea rough although it seemed to be quite calm in patches below where people were swimming.
Ten minutes further up the road was the Grotto della Poesia (the Cave of Poetry), a natural pool surrounded by limestone cliffs with caves and a tunnel to the open sea. Why it is called the Cave of Poetry is a mystery, most likely there was a spring there in the past where you could drink fresh water (in Greek, poesia). Locals say it comes from a legend about a beautiful princess who bathed in the waters and was an inspiration for singers and poets.
Since 1983 it has been an important archaeological site in Italy and they have in recent years tried to limit access, charged a fee and swimming is now prohibited (not that you would think so today with the number of people jumping and swimming) to try and preserve the site. Mark felt it his duty to jump in for us all – no one else was keen.
At home, via the supermarket, the kids spent the afternoon in their rooms and I sat by the pool reading. We had dinner at home and a relaxing evening.
