Eating monkfish + sea urchin to reach the abandoned sanctuary at the end of the world

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1059

12/20/22 | Otranto, Puglia > Went for another hike from our masseria, this time in the other direction (south/east) than yesterday. Past the bauxite mine, along the coast for 5 km or so on rugged rocky terrain to the lighthouse, the easternmost point in Italy. Continued along, up on the grassy bluffs a bit reminiscent of Cornwall, to Torre Sant'Emiliano + then back, about 13 miles in total. Didn't see a single person on the trail, just a few fisherman or foragers down by the water. Beautiful weather, sunny, the whole day in a T-shirt. Dinner at Laltrobaffo, monkfish + spaghetti w/ sea urchin that was delicious. Again, the town completely abandonato.

 

the cape in the distance is where we walked yesterday in the opposite direction around the corner to Otranto

 

Lighthouse Punta Palascìa (easternmost point in Italy)

 

trulli hut

 

we saw a lot of scat, perhaps fruit-eating fox?
(we were told there were many fox, including 1 that bit the cat at the masseria we were staying at)

 

 

Torre Sant'Emiliano

 

we saw a lot of these cobra-looking orchids along the way

 

 

lots of grottoes

 

 

the food archivist in Puglia (they're keeping a blog of their own)

 

 

 

bauxite mine

 

bauxite pebbles (from which aluminum is made)

12/21/22 | Santa Maria di Leuca> Drove south hugging the coast, beautiful drive w/ hardly any other cars, perfect weather, driving with windows down in T-shirts. Rugged coast, high up on cliffs, no beaches. Stopped at most every side road we saw going down to the shore, no 1 in site, almost eerie. Outcrops where it seems they cut out limestone for blocks. Ate at some oceanfront place in Santa Maria di Leuca, had pesto w/ raw tuna. Then walked up the stairs to the lighthouse, befriending a cat on the docks that followed us ½ the way. For a while last year we were considering doing the via Francigena, a pilgrimage trail which runs from Canterbury, UK through France + Switzerland + Italy, ending in Santa Maria di Leuca.... so going up these stairs would literally be the final steps, ending at the Santuario di Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, the sanctuary at the end of the world. Ate dinner at Retrò Casa Museo, which was sorta like a retro house museum, felt like walking back in time 100 years when U walked in, in some country that didn't feel like Italy. Had orchiette w/ broccoli rabe (even tho they didn't call it that) + eggplant parm + our bedder-½ had sagne incannulate (a twisty ribbony pasta) w/ another leafy green + goat cheese, sitting in front of a fire. Real down home country cooking. Again, only people eating there + only ppl staying in our masseria.

1 of many abandoned hotels

 

 

 

 

selfie

 

Apulian landscape

 

trulli

 

scratching the surface

 

 

just when we said there's no lizards...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

distant point is southernmost point of Puglia/heel

 

 

 

 

high-fiving the pope at the Francigena finish line

 

1058 <(current)> 1060 > Y lie When we seize to understand the whirled at the battle of Gallipoli
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