Il Blog
Just some reflections about what to do in the Florence of the south:
First things first, food and drink:
Le Zie (Trattoria)
Via Col. A. Costadura, 19
Well-known trattoria popular with locals.
Osteria degli Spiriti (Trattoria)
Via Battisti, 4
Great regional (and seasonal) cuisine.
Villa della Monica (Fish restaurant)
Via SS Giacomo e Filippo, 40
Endless antipasto misto di mare is enough to satiate but save room for pasta!
Avio (Caffe)
Via Trinchese, corner of Via XV luglio
Some of the best coffee in town as you can tell by the hordes of Leccesi who struggle for a place to down their espressi.
Sybar (Caffe)
Piazza Duomo
Great pastries, good coffee, and a vast assortment of teas served in the shadow of the Duomo.
Alvino
Piazza Sant'Oronzo
Reliable place for piping hot rustici (puff pastry stuffed with
bechamel, mozzarella and a hint of tomato sauce). They also have a huge array of local pastries, and snacks, both sweet and savory.
Lecce is FAMOUS for its baked goods. They have fantastic breads like puccia (olive bread-watch the pits!) or pizzo (olive, tomato and onion bread). One type that is exported to other parts of Italy is the frisella. It is like a stale bagel half that is soaked in water and flavored with olive oil, tomatoes and salt.
Pasta-making in Lecce and the Salentine peninsula is an art. Much of it is still handmade. Look for cavatelli, orrechiette, and le sagne 'ncannuate.
Almonds are a staple of nearly all desserts and cookies (a vestige of the Arab domination in the 9th century). Pasta di mandorla (almond paste) is ubiquitous. Pasticciotti are flaky little pies filled with custard.
After all of this food, one might need a walk or a bike ride. Between Lecce and the Adriatic is the Parco di Rauccio. It is relatively flat and full of olive trees and pagghiare (conical stone huts shepherds once used for shelter). This park is also great for bird watching. Watch out for tarantulas, though. They construct their nests in the bushes there. A bit further away, close to Brindisi, is the Riserva di Torre Guaceto. You can rent bikes at the visitors center or you can park and explore the reserve on foot. The Adriatic coast forms a natural boundary of the park where there are thousands of olive trees and several ruined fortresses and ports.
As far as sightseeing is concerned, the bulk of Lecce’s sites are concentrated in the historical center. A bit further afield are two interesting places that should not be missed: SS Nicolo e Cataldo and the Abbazia di Santa Maria di Cerrate. the former is a short walk from the historical center of Lecce. The later is a few kilometers from the city. It is worth checking the opening hours of both sites before making the trip.
Lecce
Saturday, February 23, 2008
