or do you have to take a bus (is there a bus?)

Here's a bus timetable from last summer. And here is the timetable page of the FSE, the local rail service which covers the Salento penininsular.

We were in Otranto, and Lecce just 2 weeks ago. The mosaic floor of the cathedral is marvellous. We had our car, though, so I can't give you any public transport tips I'm afraid!

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathon,

Looks like we can get from there to there without hiring a private seervice.

Ciao Susa,

Puglia's fantastic. I'm certain you'll love it.

We never made it down to Otranto. Our one jaunt south of Lecce was down to Gallipoli on the Ionian coast. So that- along with a coupla' trips in the Valle D'Itria- was our experience with the private Ferrovie SudEst (FSE).

And a true Mezzogiorno experience it was. Straight backed bench seats, no AC, grafitted windows, single car trains ( engine car and passengers together). As we passed through the tiny stations, which look like they haven't changed in a 100 years, we would see railworkers feverishly cranking these manual cranks. Never figured that one out. All I know is that we weren't anywhere near Parma.

Buon Viaggio,

Anthony and Jennifer

Thanks,

I'm really looking forward to this particular trip. Sometimes I spend so much time in places in Italy that are 'touristified' that I feel like I haven't left home. Give me the truly rural and slow Italy, and I'm happy.

Ciao Susa,

While not touristified in a Venice or Florence sense, the towns of Puglia are huge summer resorts for the Italians. We Augusted last year at Ostuni. Were surrounded by tourists. Didn't, however, hear an American the whole month. A few Brits and a handful of Germans. Otherwise, it was Italians in ferie. Otranto I understand also fills up in August with Italians fleeing the cities.

Other times of the year I suspect you'd have the place largely to yourself ( well, Jonathan might be about). Regardless, the hospitality and friendliness of the Pugliese was always astounding. On more than a few occasions we were pulled aside by a gentleman ( men gather in the square, women sit quietly outside their homes) so that he could tell us about his town. Even in Alberobello outside the main trulli zone kindly old gentlemen told us about their town, about their lives. One pulled us into a non descript church with nothing special statues so that he could tell us about them. And through his telling, of course, they became memorable and special.

Missing Italy,

Anthony and Jennifer