Otranto - 19 October 2022

Surprisingly quiet last night - slept well - we’re obviously alright with road noise near us.

The bin men were at work at 7am, and not long after, the school children were being dropped off - some in tears…

Tintin driving today - about 90 minutes. The usual, Italian cars stopped off wherever is most convenient for themselves, bumpy roads, traffic lights in random places…

We saw diesel at €1.85, so put in €50 - was the cheapest we saw all day - so that’s good. Nothing worse than filling up and seeing it cheaper down the road!

Most important task today was to service Dave! As I’ve mentioned, apart from actual campsites, sostas with services can be hard to find, well working anyway! We found one (on Park4night before we started) outside Maglie in a petrol station behind the bus park. Empty and full again!

We’re now in Otranto - population c. 5,500. It’s a little fishing village, and has monuments to its Greek, Byzantine and Norman past. In the 11th century it was an important Crusader and pilgrim port. Apparently just outside the town the people still speak a Greek patois instead of Italian, and in summer a car ferry runs from the port to Greece. It now seems more of just another tourist attraction, with lovely sandy beaches. Can imagine it’s absolutely rammed in the height of summer!

There was no space to park where we wanted, so moved on past the police station and on the ‘cliffs’. Very windy there!

Lovely avocado salad for lunch - once again, like the grapes, haven’t had a bad avocado yet - is storage better?

We knew the cathedral wouldn’t be open until 3pm, but decided to just wander around for a few hours first.

Tintin was delighted to see the Serenissima cruise ship (pointed it out whilst still driving - should I be worried?) - he’s been a pilot on it in Guernsey, Sark and Alderney - with the mad Italian captain!

We didn’t visit the huge castle. It was €12 each entrance fee - no idea what was inside, another English couple were of the same opinion, not paying when we haven’t been enticed in by something we want to see!

The town has a nice feel about it - lots of little streets - much is already closed down for the season, but still a few touristy shops selling their handmade pottery, jewellery, handbags, shoes etc.

The cathedral door was having maintenance when we first walked past.

Lovely happy looking cat with his tongue sticking out - cute! Another one allowed me to stroke it near a restaurant - a right hodge-podge of colours!

Once again - gelato! Not sure what Tintin’s was - nutty, fudgey… Mine was a pomegranate cheesecake - added extra today - a biscuit in each! €5.

Time was going very slowly waiting for 3pm! Walked down to the three beaches - nearly wished we’d brought our stuff, wasn’t nearly as windy. Again, great for kids - have to walk out and out before it’s over your knees. In fact a video I was watching this morning said that locals get up early and stride through the water to get their exercise!

By nearly 3pm, there were suddenly coach loads of people arriving - to see the cathedral that we’d waited hours to see. Did feel a bit aggrieved, but was fine - cathedral is huge!

So, the Norman’s 11th century Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata has some spectacular Byzantine floor mosaics depicting Adam and Eve, Noah and the Flood, the Queen of Sheba, Alexander the Great and King Arthur.

Just wow! I love mosaics - the whole floor was covered, plus, people are allowed to walk all around both sides. I might have been a bit snap happy!

All the work was done by a monk called Pantaleone between 1163 and 1165 during the reign of William the Bad. The imagery of the mosaics traces human experience from sin to salvation. The Tree of Life.

Even the ceiling is pretty stunning, but I guess most people are looking down!

In grim contrast, the Martyr’s Chapel contains the bones of 800 Christians, massacred by the Turks in 1480.

Down in the crypt it was surprising to see it so well lit up. It has three apses, and over seventy columns, half-columns and pillars.

I’m very pleased that we waited to see the cathedral.

On the walk back, we saw a shipwreck memorial. In 1997 an Albanian coast ship sank after a collision with an Italian Navy ship. More than 100 people were on board, fleeing civil war, and 81 of them died.

Also saw a Guernsey registered boat in the harbour!

We’re obviously not that hot on our Highway Code. We thought the sign where we’d parked meant that you couldn’t park from 8pm until 6am, so Tintin moved to another park - 6 minutes away. No, we think it means you can’t drive to and from between those hours, maybe to stop youths gathering at the headland? Anyway, we didn’t fancy being moved on in the dark.

Probably got it wrong again, think it would have been better to have lunch here, rather than Gallipoli yesterday. Food tonight - spaghetti bolognese - made in Guernsey. Bit ironic really, making spag bol to bring to Italy!

The weather has been cloudier and cooler today, about 22° maximum - still very pleasant.

Has been a good day just wandering around - nearly 13,000 steps.