Otranto to Santa Cesarea Terme, Puglia, Italy. Monday 18-September-2023.
Tougher day today - rougher terrain, a few inclines and despite the forecast saying the same as the last two days (29 - 30 degrees) it felt much hotter.
Breakfast at our hotel was taken on the terrace with stunning views over Otranto harbour.
Our start point today was the Otranto castello. Mary decided to wear different Tikiboo skorts or capris everyday so each day had to start with a photoshoot.
The first part of the walk was around Otranto harbour which was completely stuffed full with boats of all kinds.
We passed many defensive towers that dot the Adriatic coastline. This one with part of the wall missing allows you to see details of its construction.
More beautiful coastline.
Around this time Mary got a couple of messages from Vodafone and TIM both of whom seemed to have got a bit confused! Impressive as Corfu was 110 km away as the crow flies.
We then passed up and down through a rocky valley where there had obviously been a fire recently. These flowers had sprung up afterwards but everything else was still black.
Back on the coast gazing out to sea this sailboat looked idyllic.
As we walked along lizards generally scurried away into the grass but obviously some lizards are so handsome they just have to pose for you.
Porto Badisco near our lunchtime stop. Mary was sorely tempted to go for a swim / paddle and made a mental note to pack a small towel from now on.
The bedrock is limestone and you have to watch your feet to avoid tripping on the boulders which how we spotted another imprint of a fossil.
After the devastation of the olive trees we see regularly around Lecce it was great to see yet more healthy olive trees this far south.
We couldn't identify this plant but in my simplistic understanding the flowers came first, got pollinated and the fruit followed. Not used to seeing fruit and flowers at the same time on a plant. A Google image search reveals it to be Daphne gnidium.
After a hot and dusty day the town sign at Santa Cesarea Terme was a very welcome sight.
Our abode for the night, Villa Raffaella, was probably the fanciset place we stayed in. Beautiful buidlings, large bedroom with a small kitchen ideal for self catering and an outside space to sit in..
Distance: 22.24 km, Walking Time: 6:07 hr, Steps: just under 33,000.
That night we ate in restaurant: Il Villino and made the mistake of ordering the seafood antipasta to share and two risottos - delicious but far too much food.
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