I was somewhere in my third of six weeks of travel as I made my way down to the heel of the boot of Italy. The heatwave continued and it only seemed to get hotter the further south I went. I had considered taking a ferry over to Greece for a few days from Bari as this was the least expensive option but decided I didn’t want to waste two days to ferry travel.

Brindisi is a gorgeous town, even in the 95+F degrees. It’s on the water so you at least get a nice breeze. There is nothing I enjoy more than wandering through what feels like ancient towns while marveling at the architecture and history of a place. It kind of makes you feel a bit inconsequential in the whole scheme of the universe.

Majestic views around Brindisi

The Port of Brindisi is fantastic! Wide pedestrian promenades lead to the port which has restaurants, great views, and a Roman column with stairs which is said to be the historical end of the Appian Way from Rome. The current column is now a fake – the original is on display in a museum. There’s also cargo and cruise ships and a marina and a whole lot of activity.

If I haven’t mentioned stairs yet that’s because they’re EVERYWHERE! Every town, every city is full of stairs! As well as history and gorgeous ruins…

Incredibly historic and charming photos from around Brindisi. From the 24th-century church, the Piazza Duomo, the Cathedral, and the random fountains and staircases, it’s all incredibly amazing!

What do people in Brindisi do on weekend evenings? They go out! There are four restaurants in the Piazza Mercato and they were all packed. There were THOUSANDS of people strolling, sitting, talking – everywhere in the city, young and old alike. Families, friends, locals, tourists – fantastico !

  • Monumento al Marinaio
  • The dizzying climb to the top.
  • View from one of the port holes.

Because there’s nothing better to do in 90+ degree weather then walk through some rather sketchy – and deserted – areas of town for an hour to the Monumento al Marinaio to get to see this stunning view! Then there was the also slightly-frightening walk back, but I rewarded myself at the end with a small gelato. (See? More stairs!!)

Just arrived in Lecce. My lodgings are within sight of the Duomo and include a Juliet balcony. Lecce is literally oozing with historical buildings and monuments, each more stunning in scale than the previous. It’s more inland, so it was hot as Hades. You will also note that all the buildings are made of the same material and are the same color. It really was incredible to feel so connected to history.

Join me next week as I travel north to Perugia (my favorite town in Italy) and see the wonders I cooked at a cooking class located on a working farm. Delicioso!

Please let me know what your favorite parts of Italy are and whether you have visited any of the sites I’ve shown you. I feel so incredibly lucky to have been able to spend six weeks traveling through Italy and there are still places I have yet to explore! Tell me where to go next.

Alla vostra saluté! (To your health!)