Thursday, October 5, 2023
I programmed Otranto on my iPhone's Google Maps application, and we started our drive there. Traffic was hefty since it was rush hour, and I made a few incorrect turns on my way out of Lecce. There are numerous roundabouts, but Google Maps did not provide accurate directions regarding which roundabout exit to take. Next time, I will use Apple Maps, which seems better at handling roundabouts.
Eventually, we could leave Lecce and get on the freeway to Otranto. It was already getting dark, and the low-beam headlights on the Opel Astra were not providing sufficient illumination. I had to use high beams more often than I would have liked.
We reached Otranto at around 19:20 - about 30 minutes later than I desired. After a few minutes, we found our preferred parking at Parcheggio Sant'Antonio (just outside the old city) and parked our Opel Astra there. The cost to park was 20.00 euros/day.
We still had to walk about 15 minutes to reach our Hotel Palazzo Papaleo (in the old city) over the rough, cobblestone streets, but the road was mostly flat.
After finding the Hotel, we checked in and dropped off our luggage in our room. The hotel staff also brought us an Electric teapot for making hot tea. We inquired about the best restaurants in Otranto and were given the following recommendations:
- Ristorante La Pignata: A
- LaltroBaffo Ristorante: A
- Patronale: B
- B & B Balcony of the East: (not tried)
As I felt sweaty from my day of walking in Lecce, I took a quick shower while Inna rested. After resting and unpacking, we were ready for dinner.
We decided to walk around Otranto in search of a great restaurant. At first, we stopped by Ristorante La Pignata, but it was busy and could not accept any more patrons (It needed dinner reservations).
We continued our search to Patronale, which had one table available. After looking at the menu, we ordered the following items:
- Appetizer: Polpo Scottato (Octopus)
- Boris: Spaghetti Alglio Gam
- Inna: Rosatto cup of wine, Tortello Burrata
- Dessert: No Hot Tea
Although this was one of the recommended restaurants, we were less than impressed by its service or food quality. The Octopus was satisfactory, and the Spaghetti was alright. However, the waiter forgot to bring us bread and checked on us infrequently.
After dinner, we talked around (many shops were still open) and then returned to our Hotel for much-needed sleep.
Friday, October 6, 2023
After waking up at 7:30, I took a shower and shaved. After getting dressed, we walked upstairs to breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our Hotel. The view from the roof was spectacular, and we could see the Castle Aragonese, the Cathedral, the waterfront, and most of the old town.
The Hotel's breakfast buffet had a large variety of pastries, deli meats, and cheeses. We also ordered 2 cappuccinos with our breakfast and enjoyed sitting on the terrace, eating the meats and cheeses.
After breakfast, we walked a few blocks to see the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziation. It had an amazing mosaic floor, designed in the 12th century, with mosaic tiles that reminded me of children's drawings (flat and 2-dimensional).
The beautiful mosaic floor depicts the following scenes:
- Tree of Life
- Scenes from Zodiac
- Bestiary
- Scenes from the Bible
We next walked a few more blocks to the large, imposing Castello Aragonese - a large castle (surrounded by a dry moat). Once over the drawbridge, our first stop was to see the wonderful exhibit of Marc Chagall's paintings.
Marc's paintings of scenes from the Bible were delightful, and I enjoyed them very much.
We also walked around the top of the castle to experience a more panoramic view of Ottranto.
There was an additional exhibit of artifacts (from prehistoric to Bronze Age) showing bones, arrowheads, flints, and other rudimentary implements from people who inhabited this area thousands of years ago. Many artifacts were found near La Grotta Cervi, a significant trading stop/settlement. It was quite an interesting collection.
When we finished touring Castello Aragonese, we stumbled upon several Tuk-tuks parked outside the castle's walls. Riding around Otranto might be a pleasant diversion, seeing all the major sites (and getting some rest for our weary legs).
I talked to one of the Italian drivers (who did not speak English). He showed me how to translate Italian into English using his phone's auto-translate feature. We settled on a 30-minute tour for 40.00 euros.
The ride in the Tuk-tuk (a motorized, 3-wheel carriage) was bumpy but exciting. Our guide stopped at all the significant points, showing us grottos, caves, and World War 2-era bunkers. Although the English translation was excellent, I did not like waiting for the English version. Next time, I will only use English-speaking guides.
We finished back where we started - at Castello Aragonese. Since lunchtime was approaching, we decided to eat lunch at one of the recommended restaurants. We stopped at Ristorante La Pignata, which looked relatively quiet, and we were offered an indoor table.
- Appetizer: Sapore di Mare
- Pasta: Scrigni ripieni di Burrata (Ravioli with Burrata) - one of the best!
- Drinks: Sparkling water
For dessert, we decided to try the local Gelateria Fisotti. We stopped by and ordered the following:
- Boris: Sour Cherry, Pistachio - excellent gelato
- Inna: Milk Chocolate - fantastic gelato
The sour cherry, pistachio, and milk chocolate gelato were excellent, and Inna could not wait to order more.
As the weather was fine, we decided to try swimming on Otranto's nearby beach. We returned to our Hotel, changed into swimwear, picked up beach towels (rented from the Hotel), and walked 10 minutes to the beach.
We rented two chairs and an umbrella for 20.00 euros/day at the central Otranto Beach. The chairs had a unique feature (never seen before): protection from the sun (charming).
Inna went for the first swim in the shallow, calm Adriatic Sea. One had to walk hundreds of feet before it was deep enough to swim. We were impressed by the clarity of the water (one could see fish) and its warmth in October. While Inna was swimming, I relaxed on my beach chair and continued reading my Kindle's book, Every Man Dies Alone, by Hans Fallada.
When Inna returned from her swim, it was my turn. I really enjoyed it. I wish the beach had other water toys to rent, like SUPs, kayaks, or canoes, but the primary tourist season was over (and these were no longer available).
This beach had bathrooms and a nearby cafe but no showers. We stayed until 17:00. On the way back, we decided to stop for a quick snack at the Bar La Torre on the waterfront. The music was blasting a bit loud and there was a large, loud group of German-speaking tourists nearby. We ordered the following items:
- Inna: Nocciolino (nocciala gelato + coffee), hot English breakfast tea
- Boris: Cappuccino (excellent)
- Appetizer: Salmon Bruschetta (delicious)
The Salmon Bruschetta was delicious!
We decided to return to our Hotel, where I could rest, while Inna went shopping. She was eager to see the unique Italian curiosities, souvenirs, and hand-made items.
When Inna returned, she showed me the dress she had purchased and the other unique souvenirs she acquired. There were so many exciting shops for her to explore.
We had asked our Hotel to make dinner reservations for 20:00 at LaltroBuffo Ristorante. It would be our last dinner in Otranto, but we looked forward to eating there.
After looking at the menu, we ordered the following items:
- Drinks: Rose Wine, Sparkling Water
- Pasta: Orecchiette Gamb E (Pasta with Shrimp)
- Main: 600 grams of Sea Bass freshly cooked in Salt and filleted
- Main: Insalata Mista
- Dessert: Leccese
Before ordering, our waitress brought us the actual Sea Bass we would be eating. It was too large (1.4 kg), and we asked for a smaller fish. We selected the 600-gram version but should have asked for a 1 kg. Although the Pasta with Shrimp was excellent, the freshly filleted Sea Bass was amazing (but too small). We should have ordered a giant sea bass! Nevertheless, we loved all of the seafood here.
After dinner, we strolled around the old city and the waterfront. We were surprised to see young teens still playing at 22:00 (when most should be at home doing homework). We enjoyed our evening stroll and returned to our Hotel. I did a bit of packing to prepare for the next day's departure.
Saturday, October 7, 2023
After waking up at 7:30, I showered, shaved, and packed my clothes and electronics. Inna also poured and packed her clothes and souvenirs.
At 8:30, we climbed upstairs to the Hotel's terrace for our last breakfast in Otranto. We were the first couple there! I was quite surprised because, on Friday, we were late for breakfast.
The breakfast buffet was the same, featuring deli meats, cheeses, croissants, and other Italian delights. We asked our waiter for scrambled eggs, and he brought them over in 10 minutes.
Before heading to Brindisi (for our return trip to Rome and then San Francisco), we decided to stroll around Otranto's waterfront one last time. We enjoyed our beautiful stroll despite the strong wind and overcast conditions. We saw many people sunbathing on the beach and swimming in the Adriatic. Two people were learning to scuba dive despite white caps on the water. Scuba diving is best on calm days when water clarity is best.
Inna hoped to eat delicious gelato at Gelateria Fisotti one last time, but the shop was still closed. We returned to our Hotel Palazzo Papaleo to check out and continue our journey to Brindisi.
During our checkout, our host suggested we visit Ostuni instead of Brindisi, as the former is much more picturesque. We followed her advice and re-programmed our Google Maps route to Ostuni. This was an excellent suggestion; we liked the Ostuni's white-stoned streets.
We also learned that Hotel Palazzo Papaleo closes for the season in November and re-opens in April for Australian tourists. Summer, especially August, is the busiest time and should be avoided whenever possible.
We bid goodbye to Otranto and rolled our suitcases to the Opel Astra parked at Parcheggio Sant'Antonio. We had a fabulous time in Otranto and hope to return.
Otranto Trip Review
Highlights
- Visiting Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziation
- Marveling at the 12th-century mosaic floor
- Visiting Aragonese Castle of Otranto
- Marvling at Marc Chagall's exhibit of 40+ paintings
- Dining at Ristorante La Pignata
- Eating freshly caught Sea Bass at LaltroBuffo Ristorante
- Sampling gelato at Gelateria Fisotti
- Strolling along Otranto's Waterfront
- Swimming in the Adriatic Sea on Otranto's Beach
Lowlights
- No water toys available to rent on the beach
- Car Parking was far away from the Hotel
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