Last night there was a massive electrical storm and we lost power a few times. Luckily it was easily fixed at the switchboard.
Mark, TJ and Sophia watched the Japanese Grand Prix this morning while I did a workout and Greer had a rest (she’s still not feeling that great).
Once everyone was ready we drove south to the very bottom of Puglia, to Santa Maria di Leuca. It was about an hour’s drive on rural roads and not much highway. We arrived at Faro Capo Santa Maria di Leuca (the lighthouse) and the car park was heaving and looking very unlikely we would get a park but Mark said we would get one, and sure enough someone was leaving and we got a perfect park.
Mass was being broadcast over loud speakers from the Basilica Santuario Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, one of the most important places of Christianity in Salento. According to legend there was originally an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva on the site. Peter, the Apostle replaced it with a new church dedicated to Christ in 43 AD. It has been rebuilt and destroyed numerous times since then. According to tradition, in the 4th Century some local fishermen were caught in a storm and tidal wave and asked the Madonna to save them. The fishermen survived and now they celebrate and remember this every year on April 13.
We went and sat in the mass for 5 minutes or so and had a look around. We then had a look at the markets that surrounded the large square in front of the Basilica and took in the view of the lighthouse, out to sea and back to the town of Santa Maria di Leuca. We drove to the other side of town and took in the view from there as well.
It was then time for a gelato but the one we chose to go to was not open, despite google telling us it would be so we decided to head towards home and find one on the way. We went into a town nearby but neither of the two places that were open had anything despite both calling themselves gelateria’s. We continued on to Martano, or so we thought – we had ended up in Lecce by which time everything was shut for their siesta. Clearly we were not supposed to get a gelato.
Back at the villa, we had some lunch and relaxed while I also did some packing. Later we went into town for the passeggiata but there didn’t seem to be much walking going on so we went to a pizzeria for dinner which was very popular with the locals and then onto a gelateria to finally get that gelato.
