Day 1 in Lecce, Italy

Musings from my travel journal...

I stepped onto the ancient stone road outside of my hotel. Birds were urgently singing, competing with the church bells that echoed throughout the amazing Baroque city of Lecce in Puglia, Italy. I had read about the vast number of churches here and today, my goal is to see as many of these historic gems as possible.

I quickly became distracted at the task at hand as I wandered the narrow streets. I immediately realized that the entire city was a masterpiece into itself. I walked and walked, taking pictures at every turn, noticing and appreciating the smallest of details. Ancient gargoyles stared down at me as I passed, their tongues protruding, stuck in time. The blue sky was nearly neon in contrast to the whitewashed limestone buildings. Everything was intricately carved, and wrapped in lush vining flowers and each door was decorated with a ornate door knocker featuring a hand, a face, or an animal. My senses were on overdrive and hyper-alert in the overwhelming beauty that is Lecce. Every time the streets became over flooded with people, I immediately changed my course, opting to walk on a small side street instead. How could every street be so beautiful? A thick patina covered every limestone wall and archway, and smothered all the attached ironwork. The Baroque architecture was exquisite. It was obvious why Lecce is considered the Florence of the south.

By 1:00, I decided that I needed to rest up and enjoy some lunch. Decisions, decisions! There are so many restaurants, my head is spinning. My norm is to research each and every meal ad nauseam, however, today I decided to let intuition be my guide. The sound of music and lively chatter guided me to a quaint osteria with outside dining that faced a serene piazza. I quickly scanned the menu. It was perfect with plenty of local cuisine. This was the place. I was immediately seated at a shady table by a friendly waitress and ordered an aperol spritz and scanned the menu for a few minutes. I decided to try the orecchiette alle cime di rapa, a traditional Apulian pasta dish and the waitress suggested the stuffed squash blossoms. How could I say no?

The first bite of the squash blossoms was pure decadence. Lightly breaded, they were stuffed with local ricotta. They were fluffy, airy and somehow, not greasy at all. Pure heaven. I convinced myself to only eat 2 of the 4 (I am now regretting that decision). The orecchiette was homemade and perfectly cooked. The sauce is made of turnip greens, wilted into a thick paste with just the right amount of chili oil drizzled over the top. I chewed each bite slowly, savoring the interesting combination of flavors. I slowly ate the entire bowl of pasta. I swear, it took me an hour. I just knew that I didn’t want the meal to be over. The sunshine had slowly made its way under the umbrella, warming my cheek. The sound of music filled the air. The locals sitting behind me speaking in animated Italian. The aperol spritz, a perfect blend of cold, bubbly, sweet and bitter. It was all so idyllic. The perfect start to an Italian adventure.