Nature has no bad weather, if at the beginning of winter you brought to the South of Italy, in Puglia. Sun, sea, delicious food and a moderate number of historical attractions, all that you need to luxuriate in the Salento Peninsula, the "heel" of the Italian "boot". Here are five things to do in Salento:
To take the castle
Even if you have never read the first Thriller of the world literature — "Castle Otranto" Horace Walpole, you will be interested to get behind the powerful walls of the castle in Otranto. After his inspection, you will be under the impression that specifically lost in the center of the medieval town, which was built so that the invaders were difficult to navigate it. The dark atmosphere of the Gothic novel among the white houses you feel, and where did it come from: Walpole chose the title for his book, simply pointing a finger at the map of southern Italy. On Sundays, Otranto's seafront promenade features a flea market selling everything from ancient agricultural tools to Souvenirs sent to local residents by American relatives 60 years ago. When leaving Otranto, stop at the red lake, a few kilometres from the city. The combination of red slopes and azure water creates an alien landscape.
Listen to jazz
Summer in Lecce, the largest city of the Salento Peninsula, the jazz festival is held. The music is performed under the starry sky on the stage of the Roman amphitheater. But the glory of Lecce brought the amphitheatre, and the local form of Baroque, which in the narrow circle called "the mad". All the matter is exaggerated the details of the decorations on the facades: the gigantic bunches of grapes, psychedelic flowers, and grotesque gargoyles... It may even seem that the" mad " Baroque is the creation of modern architects: there is too much farce in it. By no means: almost all the houses were built in the XVI—XVII centuries from the local limestone of Golden color, soft as oil (it was very easy to cut the figures). Baroque rampage is not inferior to the imagination of local confectioners. In Lecce you are simply doomed to try one of their products. Listen tip: lean on, pasticciotto, shortbread cupcake filled with lemon cream. This dessert pairs perfectly with coffee in the sun — it is served with almond milk and ice cubes.
See pizzicato
Around the town of Nardo (with emphasis on the last syllable) are Negroamaro vineyards. This autochthonous variety growing only in Puglia, it has a small dark grapes produce a fragrant rose and red wine. It is worth spending a single day in his tasting in the local wineries and the masserie (traditional rural estates). But first we must stop in nardò to explore its Baroque churches, not inferior to the beauty and fancy buildings of Lecce. If you're lucky, in one of the local restaurants you will see a performance pizzica, the species of tarantula. They say that this dance used to help aging women get rid of depression, and today it is performed at city festivals to entertain the public.
Stand on the edge of the earth
To get to the southernmost point of Italy, Cape Santa Maria di Leuca, is a great pleasure. Serpentine road runs along the sea. On the left there are ancient olive groves that grow on red glandular soils. Right gently lapping turquoise sea. It does not lose its brightness, even if a cloud runs — on the contrary, the colors will play even more fun. From the panoramic platform at the lighthouse offers a view of both the Ionian and Adriatic seas. In the Church of Santa Maria di Leuca-de-Filibustered every hour, muffling the noise of the surf, the bell tolls. Terre Finibus (terrae filius), or the edge of the earth, called this place the ancient Romans. They believed that the ends of the inhabited world. According to ancient belief, everyone should visit here at least once in his life. And no one and not against!
To try weird seafood
On the waterfront of Gallipoli, the air is saturated with iodine. In the morning, the walls of the fortress elderly fishermen unload their catch: octopus, mussels, shrimps, lamb, swordfish and some unknown sea reptiles. You can try them on the nearest fish market. The seller will rinse the shell in the sea water and deftly open with a knife: you can start tasting. On the next tray sell sea urchins. The season of fishing begins in February and lasts until the summer, but out of season sea urchin ROE as a delicious miracle. Real connoisseurs of sea urchins go for a delicacy in Porto Badisco in the vicinity of Otranto, but in Gallipoli they are no worse.
The main gastronomic specialty of the city — scapeche. Marinated sardines with saffron and bread crumbs being eaten during the traditional holidays, and once stocks of marinated small fish rescued residents during the long sea sieges. Seafood is one of the main income items of the city. And when Gallipoli was supplying all over Europe and Russia lamp oil. Before the invention of gas lamps and electricity, olive oil was used not for food, but for lighting streets and houses.
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