We had actually planned to stay at Masseria Santa Lucia in Alessano during our stay in the Salento (the Southern-most region of Puglia), but the day before we were leaving, Josh received an email from the proprietress, Luciana, explaining that they’d had a huge rainstorm and that there had been such damage to the property that they didn’t expect to have everything cleaned up prior to our arrival. She wanted to recommend a neighboring Masseria. When Josh spoke with her the following day (while we were driving to Puglia) he explained that we had wanted to stay at her Masseria because we had read so many great reviews about it on-line, but that ideally, we would have wanted to be closer to Lecce and Otranto. Did she know any Masserias that would be good for kids (ie. with animals just like Santa Lucia) and yet further North. Luciana recommended Masseria Sant’Angelo, and that’s how we ended up here. It’s funny how fate takes you places.
Olivia was really disappointed when she woke up at 7:50am this morning because she had wanted to be up in time to milk the goats. Charlotte was still sleeping and could care less, but during the commotion of getting Olivia dressed and out the door, Avery woke up. He sat up with start and the first words out of his mouth were “Are we going to milk the goats now?” So off they went to the barn with Josh. Apparently, the goats were already milked by the time Olivia and Avery arrived, but there was plenty more to do. By the time they reappeared at the caseta, Olivia and Avery were muddy and messy and having the time of their lives.
Soon enough we were all hungry for breakfast. Our table was set in the “mess hall.” Later, the cook would tell us that all of the foods we ate were made here at the farm: cheese, tomatoes, bread, jams and even biscotti. We had an ample amount of coffee and milk and juice.
Even on the farm, it was hard to take the “city” out of us and so Josh and I sat down on a rock in a field where the owner thought we might be able to get a wireless connection so that we could download our emails. Then we left to explore Otranto.
Otranto is the eastern-most point of Italy; a town on the Adriatic coast that had once been invaded by Turks. So abhorrent was the thought capture by the Turks, that 800 inhabitants became martyrs by committing suicide rather than turning themselves over to the invaders. The town was less picturesque than we’d imagined. The church where we’d wanted to see the crypt was closed when we arrived. It was altogether a disappointing experience.
We decided to take the time to drive down the coast to Santa Maria di Leuca, the southern-most point of the heel of Italy.
We quickly discovered the Amalfi coast has nothing over the Salento – not in terms of beauty and certainly not in terms of the challenge of driving it. The coastline was rugged and completely unspoiled, and yet the road was well-maintained and even lined with gracious stone fences. We stopped at a cove just a few kilometers south of Otranto to have a picnic. There was one fishing boat anchored to a rock, otherwise we were alone. The fisherman from the boat waved to us and asked if we wanted to share their wine. Very kind, but no thank you. After eating our sandwiches, the fisherman from the boat once again invited us, this time for coffee. We accepted and hiked down the rocks to board the boat.
The three fishermen were wonderful hosts, especially Mario , and made a mean espresso. The kids asked them all sorts of questions (and Josh translated) about the fish, and the fishing nets, and they even fed some of the “bait” swimming off the back of the boat. Mario offered us a ride out to sea but we thought it was better from a timing perspective for us to hit the road. Still, it was a real treat to have met these fine men – hardworking, genuine and warm people.
Back in the car, driving down the winding road, each curve presented another “wow” moment. One of my favorite towns was Santa Cesarea Terme. We thought, “forget Positano,” we’d love to come back here for a summer break! We stopped a few more times to take in the scenery from various overlooks as we pushed on to Leuca. Once there, we enjoyed a dramatic 270degree view of the Adriatic and the Bay of Taranto coming together. Just at this point, there was also an amazing grotto and several caves in the stone formation dropping down to the sea. Avery and then Olivia gave us a scare as they peered over the edge.
The town of Santa Maria di Leuca was also pretty. The entire region, of course, is very seasonal and thus we did not have too much company on our tour. On our way into town, I spotted a sign for a “parruchierre” or hairdresser. And, on our way out of town, we decided to swing by and check it out. Avery was in desperate need of a haircut and Olivia’s hair, while not an emergency, could use a trim too. So that is how we ended up at Claude e Anna’s this afternoon.
We couldn’t talk Olivia into a haircut, but Avery volunteered that he needed one because he couldn’t see. Claude was an excellent hairdresser and for 8 euros, Avery got the haircut of his life, complete with blow-dry and styling gel. Again, we were pleasantly surprised by the warmth and generosity of Southern Italian hospitality. The idea of Americans traveling these parts, particularly at this time of year seems to be intriguing to many that we meet.
As we were leaving, the sun was setting. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to drive to the West side of the heel now to see the sunset. Torre San Giovanni was the town, and the sunset glowing in red and orange -- did not disappoint. While the drive to our Masseria was only 30 kilometers or so on the direct route, the next half an hour with the kids in the car seemed like an eternity. Even though Avery had practically fallen asleep in the barber’s chair, he wouldn’t nap afterwards in the car. Olivia had “the sillies,” and Charlotte was just utterly annoyed and annoying. To make matters worse, just outside of Corigliano d’Otranto, the pedal for the clutch broke. We made it back to the Masseria – barely –and while Josh figured out how we were going to drive the car tomorrow, I put Avery to bed. Only six pm, but a long day. I never imagined when we checked into our caseta yesterday that we’d be making use of the kitchen. But tonight, after Josh made a quick run to the grocery store, I cooked dinner. And it was perfect to stay in, relax, watch a movie and make it an early night…so that tomorrow, we can milk the goats.
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