Otranto

Using Paul's rudimentary Italian, we decided to put the SitaBus to good use and make our way to Otranto. I've mentioned this bus before but we were so impressed that i'm mentioning it again. Several routes connect the region's beaches to one another in an affordable (Euro 1.70), regular (two/three times an hour) manner. 

Otranto was first on our list partially because I'm an English teacher nerd and there's a gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, that shares its name with the city. Unfortunately, the novel is tedious; fortunately, the setting in the novel is largely made up. There is no specific haunted castle in the town--more city walls, yes. More pedestrianised center, yes. We found no such hauntings.

The coach let us off just outside the walls of the city and at the harbour. To the left of the harbour, and up the hill, lie the city. In front of the harbour, beaches, in a variety of shapes and sizes, lie in invitingly golden splendour.

In order to get over to the beaches, one has to walk up into the town. Here, the city walls were well preserved, possibly the best set of walls we'd seen thus far. When you're having that conversation with yourself, you take a moment of gratitude in having the ability to travel. 

Inside the town, the city seems to have been built for the heat. Shops took refuge under awnings and shadow and everything from beach tat to high end art were for sale:

Towards the North part of the city, the walls open up onto a promenade and then widen out onto parasoled beaches.

The water was clear blue, the kind of colours you can't stop staring at. The kind of blue that compliments the already very clear blue sky.

The beach closest to the harbour might have been my favourite. I use the term 'beach' loosely. Here, the water hugs the edge of a city wall and people drop their blankets, toys and clothes and jump straight in. Rocks form a little breakwater, not that it needs one, and people float around, lazy river style, in the shallows below:

Next on the list were two more traditional beaches. The first was home to two beach clubs that staked out the beach with blue and white striped umbrellas. For 25 euro, you can rent two chairs and an umbrella for the day. Early arrival is essential though; people can rent chairs for the day meaning if you leave, take a nap, have a siesta and come back, the umbrella is still yours. Which is kind of nice.

The final beach is a bit more freestyle (pictures still uploading to google). It's a BYO umbrella kind of beach and a bit more impromptu than its striped umbrellaed neighbour. We tried to sit here at the start of the day but the sun was a bit too intense. We went to go buy an umbrella--the city was sold out. Otranto's just that kind of place.

We ended the afternoon on a stunning sunset followed by a promise to return. And return we did. Two days later, solely in search of shade and sea, we rented the expensive umbrellas, ordered our lunch through the little beach hut hatch and made the most of the 30 degree temperatures. 

I didn't think it possible but the holiday kept on getting better and better.