Magnificent frescoes, mosaics and a rocky coast in the Salento region of Italy.
Galatina has two claims to fame. It is one of the few remaining places to practice tarantism, the cult ritual practiced to purge the venom of a tarantula spider bite with music. From this that the tarantella folk dance evolved.
However, it was the second claim to fame we had come to see - the beautifully frescoed Romanesque Basilica di Santa Caterina.
It has some very fine carving around the portal with above a line of Christ and his disciples.
The church dates from the late 14th century, the frescoes from the early 15th century. Scenes of the Apocalypse, Bible stories, the lives of Christ and Mary cover the walls. The ceiling of massed ranks of angels is particularly beautiful.
A major port for over a thousand years we came to Otranto principally to see the fabulous mosaic in its Romanesque cathedral. It covers the floor of the cathedral and is based on three great trees in which biblical scenes, fantastical animals, historical figures and more bizarre images are depicted.
Turks attacked the city in 1480 and massacred 800 inhabitants who refused to convert to Islam - their skulls are encased behind glass in the cathedral. It is amazing that the mosaic floor has survived so well considering that the Turks used the cathedral as a stable!
We also visited the Byzantine church of San Pietro, thought to be the original cathedral. Inside the Byzantine-era frescoes can still be seen.
From Otranto we drove down the coast from Otranto right around the tip at Santa Maria di Leuca - a very rocky coastline.
We visited Grotta Zinzulusa on the way - a sea cave with rock formations.
We really liked Gallipoli on the west coast of the peninsula, not least because we had a really good meal here at Trattoria Scoglio delle Sirene. The tables are set on the ramparts right above the sea, as they say in their leaflet "...where the view is spectacular and renders this stop unforgettable." Orrechiette alla Gallipolina and grilled swordfish were both excellent.
Once an island, its Angevin castle facing inland, it is now connected to the mainland via a causeway.
Gallipoli had a thriving subterranean olive oil production at one time, reputed to be the best oil for lamps because it did not smoke.
The soft tufa rock beneath Gallipoli was easy to carve into rooms to house the presses, at a much cooler temperature than above ground. At one time there were around 35 presses in operation, one has been restored and can be visited.
We made our way back to Lecce, spotting coastal watchtowers along the way.