City Break - Lecce

Lecce, Puglia, Italy. Friday/Sunday 22/24-May-2026.

We wanted to be in Lecce on the Sunday for Cortili Aperti (Open Courtyard). Rather than drive down to Lecce and back for parkrun on Saturday and then do it all again on Sunday we decided to treat ourselves to a little mini break and halve the drive time. We booked ourselves an economically priced room 15 minutes walk from the old town rather than pay top dollar to be in the centre.

Friday 22-May-2026. 

Checked into the apartment then went out for a walk round town, a aperitive on the main street for people watching and a supper at Restaurant Pezzetto.

Saturday 23-May 2026.

Salento 23/05/26 29:26 [12/28]

On Saturday morning we enjoyed an extra hour in bed and a 20 minute drive instead of our usual hour and ten minutes. 

One of the visitors was an Australian who was staying in Lecce and had got up horribly early to get a bus to somewhere near parkrun. So we offered him a lift back into town where he could get some much-needed sleep having been out drinking late the night before.

The afternoon was spent wondering about the town including the fascinating Faggiano Museum. A fascinating home-turned-museum, where sewerage excavations led to the chance discovery of previous occupations all the way back to the Messapian culture of the 5th century BC, Roman crypts, medieval walls, Jewish insigna and Knights Templar symbols in the rooftop tower. The house itself dates to the 12th century and was used for a period as a convent.

Mary spotted boards in the Roman amphitheatre indicating that it was either now open to the public or would be soon. Previously it could only be viewed by looking down into it from street level but we saw this too late to investigate but resolved to check it out later.

Then we had an interesting wine and food tasting at La Strada Del Vini. As the nibbles were not too large we were able to squeeze in a light supper later that evening at Tranquillo.

Sunday 24 May 2026.

Sunday was Cortili Aperti in Lecce. A bit like Open House in the UK but in Lecce's case it is their fabulous courtyards that are opened to the public. Hidden behind the huge wooden doors of many of their palazzi (grand houses) are lush gardens, ornamental architecture and evidence of previous epochs, even going back to Messapian times (7th to 3rd centuries BC). 

We last visited Cortili Aperti in 2011 and it was a delight to return. We planned a morning timetable taking in some of the most interesting buildings combined with dance, music and theatre performances.

First stop Marcelline Institute of Culture and Languages promising "Scenes from a 19th-century ball, featuring dances and costumes typical of the Romantic bourgeois period." There was a real Jane Austin vibe about the whole event.

Unfortunately our planned itinerary all went awry when the performance in our first stop started more than 30 minutes later than timetabled. But it was worth the wait, especially as, unexpectedly, a friend from parkrun was performing.

Onwards to continue our itinerary. Several of the houses had live music.

Castello Carlo V, one of the most important monuments in Lecce, constructed in the Norman era (10-12 AC) and actively used since, transformed into a barracks late 19th century and now a museum. Suitably imposing fortress with square towers and sharp angles - about as unwelcoming as they could be.

Between 10am and 1pm we saw around a dozen buildings or courtyards, walked about 6km and then we were done.

As there was a break in the programme between 1pm and 4pm, it was time for a lovely lunch and a rest in the Giardini Publici before heading back to the car and Cisternino.

Back home we went for a sundowner at Quirico and were treated to a religious parade for Maria Ausiliatrice (Mary the Helper) down the street. A procession of the devout.

Followed by the Madonna on an electric float then a brass band. Apparently to be followed by a solemn mass.

Finally supper at home. A cracking weekend.

City Break - Palermo

Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Thursday/Sunday 07/11-May-2026.

Of course it was parkrun that triggered this trip. We had heard that Uditore parkrun was at risk of closure. So we decided we would pop over for the weekend to visit Palermo for the first time and to tick this parkrun off the list.

Thursday 07-May-2026.

A mid afternoon flight so a mid morning start - very civilised times for a Ryanair flight. A drive to the long-stay car park and we had a late lunch airside before our 15:00 flight. The flight is only one hour long so it was over almost before it began. 

Our apartment was lovely but a bit inconvenient for travel into town so for our first night we decided to stay local. We found a nearby highly rated fish Ristorante Pescheria CB Sea Food but we made mistakes in the ordering. They offered a €40 four course deal. First mistake was choosing a primo that had many of the same ingredients as the secondi. 

The second problem was their quantities were very generous and we were so stuffed we had to forgo half the main course and the dolce.

The first couple of starters were delicious.

Sadly the other two starters were disappointing - the limpets were chewy like rubber and gritty - not a pleasant experience. The seafood paella was ok but a little stodgy.

The primi was seafood risotto which was tasty. The secondi course was mixed fried seafood with all the same components as the paella and the risotto but deep fried so not enough contrast in terms of taste and texture. Sadly I would not go back there again. 

On the other hand the white wine was delicious. Grillo is a local grape variety and we were impressed by the exotic, floral notes.

Friday 08-May-2026.

A full day of doing the tourist stuff. One of the interesting things about Palermo (and Sicily in general) is the mix of architectural styles: Roman, Norman, Arabic, Byzantine, etc. reflecting the different invasions over the centuries. 

Our first stop was the tourist information office where the very helpful chap gave us a map of the city and sketched out some of the key places to visit. He highlighted the sights for us to visit and gave us a brief description of why they were important.

First stop: Quattro Canti (Four Songs), the main crossroads that marks the centre of the old town.

From there we walked up to the main cathedral. We bought a ticket that gave us entry to the main building, the crypt where a number of Roman sarcophagi had been repurposed for mediaeval bishops, the treasury where religious gold and silver artifacts were on display, and the rooftop.

The viewer from the roof was spectacular but a little scary. I’m not a huge fan of heights, but the railings were sturdy and I kept to the centre of the walkway where possible.

We then continued west to the Royal Palace and explored the area around there, passing the Porta Nuova.

We had a wander around the church of San Giovanni degli Eremitio which had been the mosque at one point. A fascinating mix of Islamic domes, Romanesque cloister ruins and tranquil gardens.

Next, as advised by the man at tourist information, we went down to Ballarò market area and found ourselves a lunch spot at Greta’s where Mary had a delicious Caponata (a traditional Sicilian dish) with added swordfish. We have made it at home twice since we got back and it will be entering our standard repertoire.  

After lunch, we’re headed north for a tour of the Teatro Massimo. We took a bilingual, guided tour of this fascinating concert venue, built around the same time as the Royal Albert Hall but more ornate.

Like the Royal Albert Hall, it has seating in a horse shoe shaped auditorium and tiers of boxes plus a Royal Box which we got to see.

In the grounds of the theatre was this entertaining art installation of garden gnomes crossed with the Terracotta Army, a temporary art exhibition by Italian artist Max Papeschi titled Extinction: The Twilight of the Gnomes. The installation, described as a "dystopian" army, serves as a critique of modern society, aiming to highlight hypocrisy regarding peace, war, and environmental destruction.

For supper we decided to head down to Notarbartolo which seems to be the Clapham Junction of Palermo where there were plenty of well rated restaurants. Being a tourist is thirsty work so we went for a cocktail before dining. Mary had this very tasty melon version of an aperol spritz while I, of course, had to try a local Palermo gin and tonic.

While there we were stunned to spot a K6 Telephone box across the road! The shop behind was called Cabine Inglese.

We had a very nice meal at a restaurant coincidentally called Terracotta.

Saturday 09-May-2026.

Uditore 09/05/26 29:35 [13/39].

Uditore parkrun in Palermo today on a lovely day, albeit a bit hotter than we are currently used to. The oldest parkrun in Italy, two weeks away from their 11th birthday and at risk of closure! According to the petition for the park supporters, which stands at over 25,000 signatures: 

"Uditore Park represents one of the few green spaces within the urban context of Palermo, providing a vital space for relaxation, sports, and community gatherings. Unfortunately, by 2026, the existence of this urban and social asset could be at risk due to a lack of funding from the Sicilian Region. This situation is unacceptable, both for environmental conservation and for the well-being of the local community.".

The latest success is that the water meter has been replaced thanks to generous donations from supporters. The ball is now in the court of the authorities.. 

Today, as well as the park runners and walkers, it was well used by all sorts of people: people walking and running the paths, families with children in the play parks, older kids chattering on the grass, dogs being walked and playing in the large dog parks and a bunch of martial artists practising with real, very scary looking swords! 

In an area full of high-rise flats, this would be a significant loss to the community as well as the parkrun family.

Lovely to meet up with the five fellow tourists from the UK.

Back to the apartment for the obligatory (and necessary) shower and straight back into town. First stop a delicious, light, salad lunch at Bar Al Capriccio.

We went down to the old harbour which was lovely and went in to the nearby Chiesa Parrocchiale di Santa Maria della Pietà.

Porta Felice down by the harbour.

We then had an hour to spare before a booked wine tasting so we popped into the botanical gardens which were excellent. We spent a very pleasant time wandering around.

What I liked was that the informative plaques not only told you what they were and where they were from but also included a small item of trivia for every single one.

The wine tasting was at at Bottega Monteleone. The selection of wines was interesting, representing some of the range produced locally (one each of sparkling, white, rose, red and sweet) and we liked them all. The food pairings worked well and they were very good at adapting to cater for Mary’s lactose intolerance. Full write up at Sicilian Wine Tasting With Snacks.

After the gastronomic indulgences of the first couple of nights we decided to go for a simple pizza at the highly rated Alex Bar - Pizzeria near our apartment.

Sunday 10-May-2026.

Because of the timings we did not have any opportunity for doing tourist stuff on Sunday. We packed up, cleared out of the apartment and sat in the garden enjoying the sunshine for an hour. Then headed off to the airport which took two hours by public transport, got ourselves our airside and had a snack lunch.

The flight landed 10 minutes ahead of schedule and with no formalities to go through we were off and away back to Cisternino in record time for an aperitivo at Oltramura and a meal at Chirico.

Sicilian wine tasting with snacks

Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Saturday, 10 May 2026.

We booked this excellent food and wine pairing at Bottega Monteleone through Get My Guide. I can do no better than quote Mary’s review:

"We booked for their wine tasting with food and loved it, would definitely recommend to others. A great opportunity to try some unfamiliar wines and local food. 

We could not have asked for better - our waiter was friendly and very knowledgeable, telling us all about each wine and the food before we tasted them and in perfect English. 

The selection of wines was interesting, representing some of the range produced locally (one each of sparkling, white, rose, red and sweet) and we liked them all. The food pairings worked well and they were very good at adapting to cater for my lactose intolerance. 

As other people have noted, wine portions were generous, allowing to taste the wine without and with the food and still have plenty to savour. The five food tastings were equivalent to a light meal. 

We were sat a table with a lovely couple and were not rushed in any way making for a very enjoyable evening. A place to go back to - so many more wines to try!"

1. Sparkling: Coppola - Spumante Extra Brut Grillo "71". 12%.

The Grillo grape is typically Sicilian. According to Wikipedia: "Grillo, also known as Riddu and Rossese bianco, is a white Italian wine grape variety that withstands high temperatures and is widely used in Sicilian winemaking and, in particular, for making Marsala. Its origins are uncertain, but it may have been introduced into the island of Sicily from Apulia".

We had a Grillo as a still wine on our first evening in Palermo and were impressed by the exotic, floral notes so much so that we had the same the following evening with our meal. I was pleased to see it here again in the sparkling version, delicious and not too dry.

Matched with a pasta salad: fusilli with a tomato sauce.

2. White: Cantina Patria - Etna Bianco DOC Sensi. 13%

The Etna Bianco is, obviously, grown on Etna’s volcanic slopes at 750 meters above sea level. 80% Carricante and 20% Catarratto. Light and refreshing, we got the expected spiel about minerality!

Matched with crostini: one with tapenade, the other with a soft ricotta topped with an anchovy fillet and lemon zest - the latter really lifting the flavours. 

3. Rosé: Terre di Gratia - Dama Rosa. 12%

The rosato grape variety: 100% Perricone (also known as Pignatello). 

Paired with pecorino cheese (sorry, forgot to photo) of three different agings: a soft pecorino, one with a few months aging and the third a tangy version aged for 12 months. Fascinating to taste the evolution.

4. Red: Quattrocieli - Jocu Nero d’Avola. 12.5%.

Another Sicilian varietal, Nero D'Avola is named after the town of Avola in the south-east of the island. Delicious, not too heavy and with scarcely a trace of tannins.

Paired with assorted salumeria: a parma style ham, a soft salami and a mortadella.

5. Sweet: Tenuta delle Palme - Zibibbo Terre Siciliana. 16%

This vino liquoroso was delicious - I do like Italian desert wines. The Zibibbo grape, also known as Muscat of Alexandria, is an ancient grape variety. They believe that this grape it is one of the oldest genetically unmodified vines still in existence. The grape originated in North Africa, and the name is probably derived from its association with Ancient Egyptians who used the grape for wine making. 

It is used in one of my favourite dessert wines, Pantelleria from the island of the same name just off the coast of Sicily. 

The biscuits look a bit like cantucci but are softer and are apparently made using stale bread so nothing goes to waste!

It was an excellent introduction to Sicilian varietals.

Looking at their blackboard menu, as Mary said, so many more to try.

City Break - Belfast

Belfast, Northern Ireland. Friday/Monday 06/09-March-2026.

Our first ever trip to Northern Ireland. Oh, look there is a Queen’s parkrun which gives us a “Q” for our second alphabet!

Friday 06-March-2026.

Another first: flying out of Newcastle Airport. A modest sized, regional airport slightly larger than Southampton and on a much more human scale than the London behemoths of Gatwick and Heathrow.

Our accommodation was in the Queen’s University area which, like many cities that expanded in the Victorian era, was a mixture of typical bow-fronted terraces with a mixture of Georgian until you got closer to the centre when shiny office blocks took over. 

Supper at the local Holohan’s Pantry including the not-often-seen Guinness West Indies Porter.

Saturday 07-March-2026.

One of the high points of the weekend is that #parkrun/parkwalk in Northern Ireland, like the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, does not start till 9:30 so we get an extra half hour in bed.

Queen's Belfast 06/03/26 31:21 [126/183]

Fabulous event with sun and blue skies. A lovely, slightly convoluted course composed of an out and back with a loop round twice at the far end with its own out and back. Mostly on tarmac paths, around sports pitches and parklands with mostly gentle ups and downs. 

Great crowd of marshals so no chance of getting lost, thanks to all of them. Lots of tourists, some like us, there for the "Q". Cafe at the sports ground for parkfaff afterwards..

Afternoon was sightseeing. Here are just a few of the fabulous buildings in and around the centre. Clockwise from top: Queens University, view along May Street and the back of the City Hall, the bustling St. George's Market and a splendid looking former Methodist Church sadly now boarded up.

We booked a two-day open top bus ticket and spent some of the afternoon being driven round the city. Then got off and had a nose round the foyer of the city hall with some impressive stained glass windows. 

Appropriately these included the Belfast Women's Window, as it was the eve of International Women's Day. The window was unveiled in the week of International Women’s Day 2016 by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Arder Carson on Thursday 3 March 2016 and was designed, manufactured and installed by Alpha Stained Glass.

Celtic Myths & Legends Window 

"This window was commissioned to contribute to our shared history and to demonstrate that this is a City Hall for all. The central story is from the Cattle Raid of Cooley in the Ulster Cycle of myths. Queen Medbh of Connacht and her warriors attempted to steal the great bull, Donn Cuailnge, owned by the men of Ulster. Medbh wanted the bull to match the white bull of Connacht, Finnbennach, owned by her husband. The central figure is Cuchulain shown at the 'Gap of the North, protecting the borders of Ulster against the onslaught by Medbh's armies. The Connacht warriors were no match for Cuchulain, who was said to become divine when engaged in battle. The Irish text on the window roughly translates as a blessing be upon all such as faithfully keep the Tain in memory as it stands here and shall not add any other form to it and was taken from the 12th Century Book of Leinster."

That evening we had an excellent seafood supper at Mourne Seafood Bar followed by a stoll round to soak up the atmosphere.

We ended up in Lavery's for a night cap with excellent live music from Donal Scullion and the House Band.

Sunday 08-March-2026. 

After breakfast we took the bus into town for a meander round the river and visit the Salmon of Knowledge.

We then took the open top bus tour (day 2) and completed the rest of the route we didn't cover on the Saturday. We were booked in for the Titanic Exhibition which, as it turned out, was not just about the liner but also featured extensive information about the growth of Belfast through its massive expansion in the Victorian era thanks to the linen and shipbuilding industries.

Included in the ticket was a tour of SS Nomadic which acted as tender to ferry passengers to the Titanic at the start of that fateful voyage. The SS Nomadic toilets feature Thomas Crapper’s Valveless Waste Preventer.

That evening, we dined in The Crown Liquor Saloon. We ate upstairs in the less fancy dining room and then went down to find ourselves a snug in which to have one last drink and admire the fabulous Victorian décor:

Our snug!

George and the girls drank Guinness but many of the pubs serve an Irish red ale which for me is a very acceptable alternative to Best Bitter.

Back to the apartment tired after a full day.

Monday 09-March-2026. 

Up bright and early for a flight at 10:30. At Newcastle we were parked in the short stay 2 carpark in the corner nearest to the terminal and carrying hand luggage only which meant a fast getaway and home in time for lunch.