Lecce, Italy – Florence of the South – Part One

The second largest city in Apulia is called Lecce and is located on the Salentine Peninsula of Italy. It is rich in Baroque architecture, most of which is in the form of Lecce limestone and is often referred to as the Florence of the South. It one of the oldest settlements in southern Italy, with activity dating back to neolithic times.

Getting There

From Brindisis, or most other larger towns and cities on the east coast of Mezzogiorno, the FrecciaArgento is perhaps to quickest way to arrive. From Brindisi it is a short twenty three minute ride, a bit longer on the regional trains.

The City

Lecce is a typical ancient city which was at one time circumscribed with a protective wall with three main gates. The streets in the old Città Vecchia, or old history city, are narrow and mostly paved with stones.

The government here must be very careful of the city center, since it appears to have mitigated much of the traffic you would normally find in other similar cities of this size, making pedestrian traffic all that more enjoyable.

Interesting balcony supports – Lecce, Italy

Ports, Gates, Columns And Castles

There are numerous ports, gates, columns and obelisks in Lecce. These are spread out all of the city and are well labeled on most maps. The Triumphal Arch, or Porta Napoli, is the largest and one of the three gates to enter the Città Vecchia.

There is also the Porta San Biagio and a smaller one called the Arco di Prato, or Arch of Prato, which is somewhat hidden away within the narrow city streets.

The Obelisk of Terra d’Otranto can be seen close to the Porta Napoli and is rather tall. It was erected in 1822 in honor of one of the rulers of the Two Sicilies. On the other side of town one can find the War Memorial for soldiers lost in war.

Porta di Napoli – Obelisco di Terra d’Otranto – Lecce, Italy

In the Piazza Saint Oronzo you will find the Colonna di Sant’Oronzo, or the Column of Saint Oronzo. It is a tall pedestal with Saint Oronzo on top. The column itself was assembled from pieces of the one that fell apart in Brindisi in the mid sixteenth century, its twin can be found near the port of that city.

The Castello de Carlo V, or Castle of Charles V sits on the eastern edge of the historic city and below the Giuseppe Garibaldi Public Gardens. It is a large structure and tours are offered, all of which are guided, so you cannot tour the grounds unaccompanied. A short walk from there you will the public park or gardens, which is always a good stop to rest your feet after a few hours of walking.

Castello Carlo V di Lecce – Lecce, Italy

Giuseppe Garibaldi Public Gardens – Lecce, Italy

Giuseppe Garibaldi Public Gardens – Fountain – Lecce, Italy

Roman Ruins

Lecce has in its old historic city not one, but two Roman amphitheaters. Unfortunately for us, both were being restored while we visited and photography was very difficult in both cases.

Roman Amphitheater of Lecce – Lecce, Italy

Roman Amphitheater, 2nd Century – Lecce, Italy

Where We Stayed

For the second time on this trip we have booked a Bed and Breakfast. I still cannot say I am fan, but there are times when alternatives to hotels may make a better fit. However, we only commit to such alternatives directly and after thorough research.

L’Orangerie d’Epoque

We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast called L’Orangerie d’Epoque on Viale Francesco Lo Re near the Porta San Biagio. A rather large building with a central portico that appears to have one owner.

Our room was on the ground floor with its own entrance to the portico. The entryway has a beautiful mosaic tiled floor, reminiscent of ancient Rome or Pompeii.

L’Orangerie d’Epoque Bed & Breakfast – Entrance Mosaic – Lecce, Italy

L’Orangerie d’Epoque Bed & Breakfast – Entrance Mosaic and Door – Lecce, Italy

The room was spacious, with a fireplace and split up into almost four equal parts. There was a large dining area by the entrance that flowed into a living room with several couches.

L’Orangerie d’Epoque Bed & Breakfast – Our Room – Lecce, Italy

On the other side, there was another area with a television, breakfast table and then a bed with a desk for writing.

Restaurants

La Cucina di Mamma Elvira

This small restaurant has good food and wine at fairly reasonable prices. We actually went there late for lunch, around 14:40 and they still took our order and served us.

The service was very good and the menu had a decent choice of both local cuisine and other more general Italian items to chose.

La Cucina Di Mamma Elvira – Front of the Building – Lecce, Italy

La Cucina Di Mamma Elvira – Entrance, Cassa and Wines – Lecce, Italy

La Cucina Di Mamma Elvira – Wines – Lecce, Italy

I ordered the Eggplant Polpette in Ragu Sauce with Ricotta Cheese, an Insalata Mista (mixed salad) and the Orecchiette with re-milled Semolina with Scottona Red Ragu and Patti ordered the Ciceri and Tria Pasta and shared my Polpette. All the dishes were very good. The wine was Negroamaro from the region and it was very good, served by the glass. The desserts you can see below and the espresso was also very good, not bitter at all.

La Cucina Di Mamma Elvira – Eggplant Polpette in Ragu Sauce with Ricotta Cheese – Lecce, Italy

La Cucina Di Mamma Elvira – Insalata Mista – Lecce, Italy

La Cucina Di Mamma Elvira – Ciceri and Tria Pasta – Lecce, Italy

La Cucina Di Mamma Elvira – Orecchiette with re-milled Semolina with Scottona Red Ragu – Lecce, Italy

La Cucina Di Mamma Elvira – Salted Pistachio Semifreddo with Chocolate Crunchy, Martucci Spumone Hazelnut Chocolate – Lecce, Italy

La Cucina Di Mamma Elvira – Espresso and Molinari Sambuca – Lecce, Italy

Miro Wine And Lounge

We stopped here for a drink and decided on a quick bite to eat, since we were both getting hungry and it was only a little passed eleven. We were actually surprised they were serving lunch.

Miro Wine and Lounge – Erick outside waiting for soup with a glass of red – Lecce, Italy

While we waited, I ordered a glass of Negroamaro from Puglia, a very nice wine that reminds me of Barbera. They had a nice bean and cereal soup on the menu that Patti and I decided to try and it was magnificent.

Miro Wine and Lounge – Bean and Cereal soup with Croutons – Lecce, Italy

Tranquillo

The restaurant Tranquillo is a more modern restaurant with two locations in Lecce, we chose the one located at Piazza Sant’Oronzo. The service and food were very good.

We dined late again at around 14:30, opting for a larger lunch and skipping dinner. We find this preferrable to eating again late in the evening and going to bed with a full stomach, something that we find does not lend itself to a good night sleep as we get older. I ordered the Apulian Bombette with Cheese on greens with a side order of Potato al Forno and Cicorie (Chickory), and Patti ordered the Cicorie on Pureed Fava Beans.

Tranquillo – Chicory side and Chicory on Pureed Fava Beans – Lecce, Italy

Tranquillo – Potatoes al Forno, Ricetta Bombette with cheese and a glass of red wine – Lecce, Italy

23 June, 2023

Zermatt, Switzerland – The Murmelweg – Part Two

Part of the reason for even going to Zermatt has to be the hiking. Not only are the views breathtaking, even on a marginal day, but the air is fresh and clean and very enjoyable. And then there are the mountains, Zermatt has them and much more.

Zermatt

To get anywhere, aside from the town, will require time, energy and a lot of walking. Or, you can purchase tickets to get up the mountains. These can be purchased separately, multi-day pass or the flexi-pass. We found the multi-day pass to be perfect for our needs, since we had no intention of skipping any days (they get a small premium for the flexi-pass, not sure why). The Peak Pass that we purchased, allowed us to travel to all three experiences, the Rothorn (Sunnegga-Blauherd), Gornergrot and the Matterhorn Glacier Experience.

Sunnegga

To get to Sunnegga and Blauherd you can either employ one of the hiking trails or take the cable car up to Sunnegga. From there you can start your hike or take a gondola ride to Blauherd, which gets you closer to the Stellisee, if that is your destination. From there however, you will have to hike.

Matterhorn -Sunnegga – Zermatt, Switzerland

Gondola ride to Blauherd – Zermatt, Switzerland

The gondola ride goes up and down over some very treacherous terrain. So we decided we would take the gondola ride up and hike back down to Sunnegga.

Blauherd – Stellisee

The Stellisee is a good fifteen minute hike from the Blauherd gondola terminal over rather even, if not slightly downward sloping terrain. It is rather easy and should afford most people no difficulties.

Road and hiking trail to Stellisee – Zermatt, Switzerland

Patti ready to hike – Blauherd – Zermatt, Switzerland

Stellisee hiking sign – Zermatt, Switzerland

Patti with Matterhorn backdrop – Zermatt, Switzerland

The Stellisee is a rather barren, pristine alpine lake nestled on the side of the Unterrothorn. Many people will usually hike up to the refuge on the other side, but since the conditions were not ideal, we decided to just take a photograph of it and start our hike back down.

Murmelweg

Named for the eponymous animal that has made the territory it goes through its home, the Murmelweg is a casual, if not easy hiking trail back to Sunnegga. There are a few technical areas, but nothing that most people will find impossible to pass. I would wear hiking boots though, the trail goes over rocky terrain and a good boot will help stabilize your ankles and aid your hike.

Hiking sign back to Sunnegga – Blauherd – Zermatt, Switzerland

Alpine flowers – Blauherd – Zermatt, Switzerland

Taking the Murmelweg to Sunnegga – Zermatt, Switzerland

Trail behind looking towards Blauherd – Zermatt, Switzerland

The below video is a fairly good example of what to expect.

We chose this route over the five lakes trail, which you can actually see as you hike this trail, only because we heard that route was rather boring after about the first two lakes. However, if you have the time and motivation, I would commend it, since it has more elevation changes and a bit more challenging than this trail.

Erick and the Matterhorn – Zermatt, Switzerland

Trail turns into rocks – Murmelweg – Zermatt, Switzerland

Patti on the Murmelweg – Zermatt, Switzerland

Patti leading the way – Murmelweg – Zermatt, Switzerland

A murmel hole – Murmelweg – Zermatt, Switzerland

Alpine flowers and valley before Matterhorn – Zermatt, Switzerland

Matterhorn and adjacent peaks – looking towards RiffelalpAnimal carvings with little tails – Murmelweg – Zermatt, Switzerland

Animal carvings with little tails – Murmelweg – Zermatt, Switzerland

The area of Findeln and Gornergrat below – MurmelwegAnimal carvings with little tails – Murmelweg – Zermatt, Switzerland

Getting close to trail end – MurmelwegAnimal carvings with little tails – Murmelweg – Zermatt, Switzerland

Our Route – Map

The following reference map details our trail route. The route was a bit over two miles with only a few hundred feet elevation decline and took us about an hour and a half to complete, stopping frequently for photographs.

Blauherd-Stellisee-Murmelweg-Sunnegga Trail – All Trails – Zermatt, Switzerland

Restaurants

Osteria Bella Italia

An Italian restaurant that is part of hotel on the Bahnhofstrasse, the Osteria Bella Italia is what my wife and I call and overpriced, corporate dining establishment serving food they want to be Italian. It’s not bad, but the preparation is what I would say a bit sub-optimal. Then there are the prices. I paid 22CHF for a small bowl of pasta with garlic and oil, totally unheard of in Italy.

Cauliflower soup – Osteria Bella Italia – Zermatt, Switzerland

spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino – Osteria Bella Italia – Zermatt, Switzerland

4 August, 2022

Udine, Italy – Underrated, Unlikely and Urbane

Udine – A City On The Beaten Path

Somewhere in the northeast of Italy, north and east of even Venice, is the small city of Udine. The largest city before you enter Slovenia to the east and Austria to the north. From here you can see the Austrian and Julian Alps.

From Ljubljana we took an Austrian train to Villach and then over to Udine. Along the way were able to enjoy sights of the Julian Alps out our window and just relax.

Ljubljana-Udine_TrainTrip_01

Ljubljana-Udine_TrainTrip_02

Ljubljana-Udine_TrainTrip_03

Probably one of the most underrated and unlikely places we have been this year is Udine. Unlikely, because it is usually not on anyone’s radar, though we met numerous French and German tourists enjoying it. Underrated, because we think it has some things to offer, that others might not find in the exact same way elsewhere.

The people in Udine are very urbane and really enjoy tourist in their small city. They make an extra effort to speak and understand English, where you may not find such proclivities in other Italian cities and towns.

Udine – Piazza della Liberte – Loggia del Lionel

Udine – Piazza della Liberte – Loggia di San Giovanni

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – View of Udine

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – View of Udine – Loggia di San Giovanni Top of Clock Tower

Udine Castle

Destroyed in the sixteenth century by a violent earthquake, the Udine Castle was rebuilt soon afterwards and stands today housing several museums. It actually sits atop an artificial hill, by all accounts ancient and predating Rome in nature, and is the highest and largest artificial hill in Europe.

The Civic Museum of the Risorgimento

This museum has artifacts from local historic events following the fall of Venice, up to the time of the mid 1800s. Including documents and written accounts of the annexation of Friuli to the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Friulian Artifacts

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Old Fireplace

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Storage Closet

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Unusual Doors

The Archaeological Museum

This museum contains an impressive ancient coin collection and other artifacts from ancient and Roman times. Including amphorae, old oil lamps and other funerary objects. Though a small collection, it was rather interesting to learn where each was found locally and their relative histories.

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Roman Stones

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Roman Artifacts

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Another Exhibit

Gallery of Ancient Art

A gallery of art comprising works of local artists from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Most of the work appear religious in nature. Some of those that caught my eye in particular are the following.

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Painting – Giuseppe Garibaldi

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Bronze of Soldiers

Diorama of the Battle of Montebello

Complete with a map showing the order of battle, this diorama clicks all the right boxes for the model builder at heart.

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Diorama – Order of the Battle of Montebello

The museum has an extraordinary diorama of the Battle of Montebello. For anyone that is or was a model builder, or a warfare historian, one can stand and just marvel at it for some time.

Udine – Udine Castle Museum – Diorama – Battle of Montebello

Churches

There are several noteworthy churches in the area, though we were not actually able to visit all of them inside.

Chapel of Palazzo del Monte di Pietà

A chapel, which has beautiful frescoes and is now actually part of the bank Intesa Sanpaolo, is in the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà. Often walked right by tourists, if they are not paying attention, this chapel is a gem, see for yourself.

Udine – Palazzo del Monte di Pieta – Doorway

Udine – Palazzo del Monte di Pieta – Altar of the Pieta

Udine – Palazzo del Monte di Pieta – Ceiling

Church of Saint Maria di Castello

A church that is at the top of the hill and adjacent to the Castel is the Saint Maria di Castello. Complete with bell tower, a remarkable example

Cathedral Santa Maria Annuziata

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Annuziata is known for its octagonal bell tower. It can be seen from the castle hill, along with the church which is a major landmark in the city. Formerly consecrated as the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in 1335, it has three naves and chapels along the sides. Since it was not open at the time, we were only able to get some photographs of the outside.

Udine – Cathedral Santa Maria Annunziata

The Corte di Palazzo Morpurgo is also close by the front of the cathedral, so just wandering across the street from the front of the church should bring you there.

Hotels

We chose the Astoria Hotel Italia for its old world charm, eschewing some of the more contemporary offers that were available. When we travel, it’s one of those things that can set off one place from another.

The Astoria Hotel Italia

The hotel Astoria Italia has maintained itself as though it fits into the landscape. It sports new amenities, like contemporary and renovated bathrooms (a must), while keeping some of that old world charm. I disagree with putting contemporary style beds in such old rooms, which they clearly want to preserve, but I am probably in the minority (I rather prefer, if its old keep old, like it came out of the nineteenth century, then you get that step-back-in-time feel).

In any case, our hotel was great and provided a very central place from which to explore the rest of the old city.

Udine – Astoria Hotel – Old Room Keys – The Old Fashioned Way

Restaurants

The restaurants in Udine serve typical northern Italian fare, with some twists for Tyrolean and other close neighbors. It is a fairly cosmopolitan city and one can find Sushi and other worldly franchise food here, so selecting a place to eat should not be an issue.

Ristorante Pizzeria Al Gelso

This restaurant was right around the corner from our hotel, in fact, it is actually adjacent to it (without us knowing). We walked around the corner anyways and entered it from the garden seating direction each time, even though there was a main entrance on the main street. The food is excellent, all with that home-cooked taste, and there’s pizza for those who are unsure what they want, everyone likes pizza!

Ristorante Pizzeria Al Gelso – Spaghetti al Ragu

Ristorante Pizzeria Al Gelso – Caprese Salad

Osteria Alla Ghiacciaia

A lazy and very relaxing restaurant right next to the canal, a perfect place for lunch or dinner.

We really enjoyed our lunch here, watching the darning-needles, or dragon-flies, flit back and forth over the stream. Although this restaurant becomes very busy for lunch, the service was especially good and punctual, so anyone having problems waiting (which is most common in Italy), it might be a place to visit. The food is very good, fresh and delicately spiced. We kept it simple, bean soup for a started, followed by salads, just to keep things a bit light.

Udine – Osteria Alla Ghiacciaia – Bean Soup

Trattoria Antica Maddalena

This trattoria has a bit of an upscale palette, with a menu and prices to match. As our last evening in Udine, we chose it for its high ratings and interesting looking menu. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photograph of the outside of the establishment, but have a few of the upstairs. You may want to book reservations if you want to sit outside, when we arrived the outside and downstairs seating were completely booked. So act early, if you want to enjoy this restaurant and its food with a street view!

Udine – Trattoria Antica Maddalena – Spaghetti with Garlic Cream Sauce, Peppers and Shrimp Tartare

Udine – Trattoria Antica Maddalena – Cheese, Eggplant and Spices Ravioli with Insalata Mista

Udine – Trattoria Antica Maddalena – Chocolate Soufflé with Fruiti Bosco Ice Cream

Udine – Trattoria Antica Maddalena – Pineapple Carpaccio with Crema Ice Cream

Epilog

We leave Udine as the endpoint in our latest trip, which has taken us from one part of Italy – Trieste, through Slovenia and a little bit of Austria, back to Italy and underrated Udine. Though we both ate too much, we really enjoyed this trip and had several surprises along the way, which made it all that more memorable.

So, if you are ever on a train traveling east from Milan, perhaps to Venice, Austria or Slovenia, you may want to stop at Udine to see what it has to offer. We stopped on our way back and were not disappointed, we think you wont be either. Happy travels!

1 July, 2021

Back in Turin

Making Our Way Back

Not to make light of the pandemic, but we have shaken off the disease for now and are finally back in Turin after nine long months of rest and relaxation in North Carolina. Having gotten vaccinated some time ago, we booked a non-Covid flight and hoped for the best.

Our flight was full and everyone thankfully wore masks. It did however leave an hour late, because there are just some people in this world who either cannot read directions, or just live in the own alternative reality. So, it took an hour out our lives so that the crew could find their bags and leave them behind.

So, some advice: If you cannot, or simple do not want to follow directions, please DON’T TRAVEL!

The train from the airport to Milan was about half full and it appeared that things in Italy were getting back to normal.

However, when we reached Milano Centrale, we discovered that this big city still suffers from post-pandemic stress. Just the shear lack of passengers and movement within the train station, was a bit disconcerting.

Where are all the trains and passengers?

But we finally made it back to Turin and found our apartment essentially how we left it. With a little cleaning and adjustments here and there, if anything just to knock out the dust (caused by lack of use), everything was back in good working order.

Turin Restaurants Are Alive And Well

Luckily we found the restaurants, Osterias, Piolas and bars in Turin all open and waiting for business. We wasted no time in sampling what we had missed for the past nine months, finding the food just as appetizing and delicious as when we left.

Ristoranta Sciamadda

A restaurant on our list of places to visit, the Ristorante Sciamadda is a very busy place during lunchtime in Turin.

Sciamadda Street View

Pernambucco – An infused Orange Liqueur

Erick’s Octopus with Potatoes – Ligurian Style

This restaurant specializes in typical Ligurian Seafood fare and at very reasonable prices. They have a good wine list and sell wines by the glass or bottle that will match nicely with anything you pick from the menu. Appertifs are something different though. If you ask for a Sambuca, you will most likely be politely rebuffed and suggested to try one of the Ligurian Appertifs. I chose the Pernambucco which was chilled and very refreshing. Infused, I can only say that it tastes like a mixture of oranges and lemons and is quite refreshing. So do not be dismayed, though I would not put it in my caffé!

Piola Sabauda Osteria

Kind of a play on words, since Osteria and Piola actually mean the same thing. Piola derived from the local Piedmonte dialect and Osteria a general term used in Italy to define an establishment that has homestyle cooking. This term apparently tacked onto the end of some restaurants to attract non-native Italians and tourists familiar with that term only.

Agnolotti Al Ragu Bianco with Parmesan Cheese

Plin al Sugo D’Arrosto – Another Agnolotti

For lunch, Patti had the Plin al Sugo D’Arosto and I had the Agnolotti al Ragu Bianco. Both were very good, well seasoned and served with a mixed salad provide a sufficient lunch for anyone. We are going to have to stop this, or we are going to put on too much weight..!