A Guide to Lecce

Where to sleep and eat in one of our favorite cities.

Lovely Lecce

Giuseppe and I spent a nice long weekend in Lecce and it was perfect. Every time we go to Puglia it feels like visiting Calabria’s friendly, cool, popular older sister.

Between the people, the food, the wine, and the architecture Lecce is one of those places where everything falls into place. We were there to spend a few days with our American friends who were celebrating a birthday.

And I have to say, I really miss Americans. I love our free and ‘you can do anything you set your mind to’ spirit. I adore the fact that we’re often shameless with our table manners and worry less about the opinions of others. I love our ‘yes mentality’.

I also love American facial expressions: exaggerated sadness, overly joyous, wide eyes in awe, disgust, and clearly sleepy. Ha! I never realized how expressive we are with just our faces because Italians use a combination of hand gestures and facial expressions when speaking.

I think some of these characteristics explain why so many Italians enjoy sharing their culture and rituals with us. Especially in places like Calabria and Puglia. We are, for the most part, incredibly enthusiastic guests. And I love that about Americans.

The Perfect Day In Lecce

The ideal day in Lecce starts with not waking up early because you were out drinking wine and laughing with your friends until the wee hours of the night.

But I should probably back up… When we arrived at our hotel my jaw almost hit the floor, photographic evidence below.