Italy: Otranto

We spent just one night in Otranto, another pretty coastal town with a small port on the Adriatic Sea. On a clear day, they say you can see all the way to Albania (which we did see from the train - see photo below). We arrived to sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit. It was a lovely welcome.

In addition to the port, there is a castle, city walls, and an 11th-century cathedral with an extraordinary 13th-century Tree of Life mosaic that covers the entire floor of the nave, sanctuary, and apse with Biblical Scenes, Alexander the Great, and more.

After three nights in Monopoli, we feel like regulars at Pepe Nero Caffé. On our way to the train station, we indulge in cappuccinos and pastries, with the pasticciotti (1st below, top & 2nd below), a traditional Apulian sweet pastry, being our favorite.




View East about 35 miles to the Ceraunian Mountains of Albania while on the Train from Monopoli to Otranto.


At Maglie we switched trains to a "railcar", a self-propelled coach with a driver's cab at both ends. The ones in Apulia are NOT new. ;-)


Arriving at Otranto Station.


The Cathedral (1st below) and its mosaic floor were amazing. First we looked around down in the Crypt (2nd below).




Tree of Life mosaic with Alexander the Great (1st below)








Ossuaries Behind the Altar


View from our Hotel in Otranto.


The Beach and Promenade




Castle and Yacht Basin




Yacht Basin




Fishermen.






We walked abou 2km south along the coast to the Torre del Serpe (Serpent Tower).

Italy: Day Trip to Brindisi

Brindisi, an ancient port city on the Adriatic, served as the terminus of the Roman Appian Way, making it the primary departure point for travel to Greece and the East. Presently, a daily ferry to Greece operates, and the city hosts Italian Navy and Air Force bases.

A portion of the Appian Way is preserved at the Saint Pietro of Schiavoni Archeologica Area (under the church of Saint Pietro - very cool)


Roman Column of Brindisi marks the end of the Appian Way.




Museo Archeologico Provinciale Ribezzo. The bronze statues below, known as the Brindisi Bronzes, were part of a heap of "scrap bronze" found in a shipwreck. They date from the 3rd-century BC to 3rd-century AD. Amazing






Brindisis Castle (now a military base)


The striking Art Deco Monument to the Fallen of Brindisi in the Great War in Piazza Santa Teresa


Cathedral of the Visitation and Saint John Baptist and its Last Supper Fresco.




The Port and Promenade (1st below), Monument to the Italian Sailor (2nd) and a Grimaldi Lines ferry (3rd).






Temple of St. Giovanni (Saint John Sepulchre)




Brindisi Station

Italy: Day Trip to Ostuni and Polignano del Mar

Using our TrenItalia 3-day unlimited-travel-on-regional-trains pass, we took a day trip to Ostuni (morning) and Polignano a Mare (afternoon) on the same day.

Ostuni (Ustuni), renowned for its whitewashed hilltop Old Town, lacks significant must-see attractions. Visitors are drawn primarily for its picturesque setting. Following a brief stroll around the city center, we proceeded directly to a viewpoint.

Wikitravel notes that "Polignano a Mare has its own spectacular charm" and is "perhaps the most photographed place in Puglia." Having experienced a more than bustling Polignano a Mare on Easter Monday in 2016, we opted to revisit on a hopefully less crowded day to fully appreciate the beauty of this seaside town.

First Ostuni.

Piazza della Libertà with Chiesa di San Francesco d’Assisi at right (1st below) and with Colonna di Sant'Oronzo (2nd).




The Duomo with Splendid Convex-Concave Facade and Rose Window (first below), amazing 3D ceiling frescos (2nd), and chapel (3rd).






The winding up-and-down white streets of the old town.




Along the City Walls with a view to the Adriatic Sea.




Viewpoint: The Old Town with Duomo (top center right) the Adriatic Sea (right).


Second, Polignano a Mare

Tourist Map


The Picturesque Beach called Lama Monachile


The Volare Statue is a monument dedicated to the renowned Italian singer and songwriter Domenico Modugno who was born here in 1928 and is best known for his internationally famous song "Nel blu dipinto di blu," commonly known as "Volare."


And a photo from our 2016 visit.


Street in the Old City.


The famous photo op stairs with a quote by Pablo Neruda: "La parola è un'ala del silenzio" (A word is one wing of silence).




And in 2016.


The blue waters of the Adriatic.


Sunset Along the Adriatic