Day 95: Saturday 21 June – Ends of Italy, by Ken

I was awake before 5:30, the camping ground was quiet with no sign of life. Our toilet cassette was showing full and there was no disposal point in the camping ground. I grabbed the opportunity to take the cassette to the amenities block and shoot its load down one of the squatter toilets in the men’s.

We decided to split our last full day in Italy between sight seeing in the morning and relaxing in the afternoon.

Soon after breakfast we headed south in Smarty following the east coast road. That was the intention, but my idea of using road signs to navigate instead of the satnav had us heading inland soon after we passed through the town of Castro about 5km from our camping ground. Jane, who was driving, pulled over and implemented her idea of programming satnav such that our route took us through the various towns and villages on the coast. It was a good plan, the weather had turned on another stunner and the scenery was amazing, We stopped numerous times to photograph the views, particularly harbours with their flotillas of boats.

Castro

Smarty Posing In Castro

This Town Was Decked Out In Bunting

Marina Serra

Dotted along the coast were the remains of numerous towers that were used to keep a lookout for invaders – the Turks laid siege to Otranto in 1480 which capitulated after fifteen days. According to our guide book the Turks punished Otranto’s archbishop by sawing him in half, apparently a popular Turkish punishment. Presumably not so popular for the recipients of the treatment. We also saw rectangular niches in a cliff face, very similar to the necropolis at Pantálica, but far fewer of them. 

Remains Of Lookout Tower

We reached Capo Santa Maria di Leuca, the southernmost tip of Italy’s heel, about an hour after setting off. We were at 39° 47’ 46” N and 18° 22’ 6” E. The cape is dominated by a towering white lighthouse marking the point where the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet. There is also a monument recording we had reached the extremity of Italy’s heel. That was about it apart from a collection of stalls selling the usual souvenirs. However, there was a great view of the town and harbour of Marina di Leuca immediately to the west of the cape.

Marina di Leuca

Smarty And Lighthouse At The Tip Of Italy's Heel

Sailing Boat At About The Point Where The Adriatic and Ionian Seas Meet

Jane took us through Marina di Leuca and then we headed north west to the large and bustling town of Gallipoli. Today’s trip and yesterday’s excursion of over 300km in Smarty had used almost a full tank of petrol, her gauge was showing just one blip, the fuel warning light was flashing and a digital read out indicated there was just 4 litres left in the tank. We found a filling station on the outskirts of Gallipoli and I got Jane to pull up adjacent to the self service pumps where fuel is cheaper. I was pleased I could master the instructions on a machine into which you insert cash and then push a numbered button for the pump you will be using. The downside of the arrangement it’s nigh on impossible to fill the tank unless you are extremely good at estimating what it will take to the nearest €5. I put in €30’s worth and that got the tank to 5/8 full, more than enough to tide us over until we reached Greece.

Lots Of These In Italy, This One Was In Galipoli

From Gallipoli we took a road north east to Otranto where we stocked up on essentials, mainly wine, to tide us over until we get up to speed with shopping in Greece. Last Saturday we got to the southernmost point in Italy on Sicily, today there was an opportunity to reach the easternmost point at Capo d’ Otranto which is situated on the coast road between Otranto and Santa Cesarea Terme. According to our guide book the spot is marked by a ruined abbey and a lighthouse, we saw neither but can claim to have driven on the easternmost road in Italy (18° 30’ 29” is what my iPhone showed).

Couldn't Resist This Shot

Drivers In Italy Fall Into Two Categories - Incredibly Fast Or Painfully Slow. This Guy Was The Latter!

The Easternmost Point In Italy Is Somewhere On Capo d'Otranto Which We Drove Round

Back at Mabel we ate lunch of bread, salami and cheese in the shade of her awning. By then it was 28° and we were looking forward to blobbing out on the beach of a cove nearby that Jane had found while exploring on Thursday. As we walked to the cove we could see lots of boats moored in the crystal clear water – reminiscent of our Saturday in Studland, I thought. Being a Saturday the beach and an adjacent paved area were busy with Italians in their bikinis and budgie smugglers but we found an empty spot and set up our beach umbrella. No sooner had we done so then a high overcast started to form and the sun disappeared for the afternoon.

Italy's Studland

Beach

It was gone 17:30 when we packed up and climbed the 111 steps (Jane counted them) back up the cliff to our camping ground. Sitting under Mabel’s awning enjoying our usual Camperdoodle (my name for Campari with lemon flavoured soda – just what is needed after a hard day sight seeing, or just lazing about, or anything really) the high cloud disappeared to give a warm and clear evening.

Just to our right a wedding celebration seemed to be in progress we thought – smartly dressed women and men in suits anyway, on the roof of the nearby spa. In the distance to our left and just south of the hilltop town of Castro fireworks were being let off. For a few minutes we could see the smoke trails and hear the explosions, the strange thing was it was broad daylight, not even dusk.

Dinner was the remainder of the potato, sun dried tomato, anchovy and olive dip Jane prepared the other night. At 21:00 we went indoors and watched the first half of Germany v Ghana. I told Jane Ghana would be a push over, but at half time when we decided it was time for bed, the score was 0-0 and Ghana looked the better team.

Today's Trip Around The Heel In Smarty (150km)