10:30am: sitting on the train to Lecce, buckling down for another 4 hours of beautiful scenery through vineyards, hills and mountains, occasional ruins and olive groves. I was concerned about getting from Naples to Caserta in enough time to catch this train, so I took an early 8:40am metro-train, getting there in plenty of time. So all my worrying was for naught.
There's a wireless connection called “Passenger” but I don't have a password :( This train originated in Rome and was way more full than I thought it might be. Because of the MINI fares, I paid only a little bit more for first class than a second class ticket would have been so I went for it. Honestly everyone who says there's not much difference is right. In fact there's even less room for luggage so I had to leave it on a rack; luckily I can still see it. There's no more legroom and all you seem to get is a welcome drink and snack. Wish I'd had internet in Naples so I could have downloaded all the shows I've missed this week.
11pm: Whew! In Lecce at my lovely B&B trying to catch up on everything now that I have internet again. The train arrived without incident around 2:30, actually exactly 2:30 – 4 minutes early! Walked a few minutes to the B&B and found it mostly without incident and checked in. My room is at the top floor up 2 very steep flights of stairs.
Set out in the frigging GHOST TOWN of the mid-afternoon and found Gelateria Natale, which came highly recommended. Had my favorite dark chocolate/coffee combination and wandered more. Sat in the main square waiting til about 4:30 when the churches would start to open. Saw so many beautiful baroque churches in a row that I can't begin to keep them straight.
Came back to the hotel for a little while and set out for dinner. The B&B owner recommended a place but after walking most of the way there, I didn't feel like trying to find it so I went back to a place near my B&B called Nonna Tetti and had steak and a salad and it was so good to have real food after days of pizza and fried goodies. They're open tomorrow, so I might just go back there and have something a little more typical to this area.
Wandered back to the hotel and couldn't believe the same streets that were completely empty at 3pm were now so packed with people at 9pm that it was like a traffic jam of people. Made it back to a stifling hot B&B. Found a little button under the hood of the a/c unit to turn it on but couldn't adjust it beyond 25. Got the doors open for some cross-breeze and did some laundry. And now I'm just trying to catch up.
Lecce is like the anti-Naples. All the same color, kind of like this beautiful beige stone typical to this area, it's quiet, refined, and instead of honking at pedestrians, cars just wait for us to pass :)
Tomorrow I will take it fairly easy, see the museum, and explore a bit more.
Pictures from the last few days as soon as I can!
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