Kalòs Irtate
PUGLIA

Article published in Speciali di Motociclismo magazine in 2005.

No, it is not one of the member states of the nascent European economic community, but a very distinct area of the Apulian Salento. Meanwhile, it should be pronounced with the accent on i: Grecìa. And it offers truly surprising architectural evidence. An itinerary outside the usual schemes but very rich for visiting ideas and with the splendid sea of this part of the Mediterranean as a side dish.

Read the story published in the magazine.

Galatina is one of the centers of the Grecìa Salentina, this area that I had discovered about a year ago on a previous visit and which this time I decided to deepen without neglecting the fantastic Lecce and the splendid sea of ​​the Ionian coast.

It must be said that this is a flat itinerary, sunny on roads often deserted, but never monotonous, indeed, the feeling of peace is absolute, relaxing and the discovery of small towns often rich in historical and artistic testimonies often represents the pleasant surprise of a beautiful day spent wandering around at moped rhythms immersed in the beautiful Salento countryside.

The proposed itinerary first considers the centers of Greece to then visit Lecce and finally indulge in a part of the Ionian coast to find a suitable spot for a refreshing and invigorating bath after a day of motorbike.

The Greek villages as evidenced by documents dating back to the fifteenth century are more than 20 grouped into 9 municipalities.

The itinerary includes several, but logically the choice is much more extensive and subjective. In addition to Galatina, I particularly liked Soleto, with its spectacular bell tower almost 40m high and with almost unreal shapes, Corigliano d'Otranto, its fifteenth-century castle is truly remarkable, comparable in beauty to that of Copertino, the historic center of Melpignano with the scenic square surrounded by artistic arcades, Martano and Calimera.

The centers, some of which are very small, are all reached by secondary streets, the T.C.I.card is essential. 1: 200,000.

And it is a beautiful visit, surrounded by olive trees that stretch as far as the eye can see.

In the end I find myself in Lecce almost without realizing it and I start wandering through the narrow streets of the historic center. This time, despite the prohibitions, I decided not to park the bike to try to find some glimpses that can be photographed with the vehicle. Suddenly on the left, along a street that is even more pedestrian than the others, the cathedral square suddenly opens up. From her access point, a securitywoman watches me curiously.

"To tell you the truth (liar!), I don't even know where I am, how do I get to an area that is open to traffic quickly?" I invent on 2 feet.

In many other Italian cities I would have been fined, in others I would have been fucked up and reprimanded, here the young lady explains the right way to me, also showing me a parking space to leave the bike.

I feel bold and lucky: "now that I'm here, couldn't I photograph the bike in the square?"

"Yes, but only if you push it"

said done and here is a rather particular shot!

Lecce is a beautiful, sunny, charming city, full of beautiful girls. And I photograph baroque buildings !!! I allow myself a nice and rewarding walk in the historic center. It is very hot and I decide to leave by pushing myself towards the sea.

Luca, a bicycle and 8 years of ferocious curiosity, arrives in Copertino while I am photographing the castle.

He gets on the bike, gets photographed: "my father also has a motorcycle, red, it runs 170km per hour and it's more beautiful, even if yours isn't bad"

"!!"

"where are you going?"

"To photograph the church"

"I accompany you"

And so I find myself with a mini guide who escorts me through sunny alleys and is amazed at why if I want to photograph something, then I don't.

I try to explain to him that the subjects must have the light at a certain angle and I point out the position of the sun and where it should be, but he doesn't seem to understand, indeed he seems to take my inability for granted.

The approach to the sea also includes visits to Leverano, with a beautiful historic center and famous for "Novello in festa", a wine event that takes place in October and Vigils.

From here Porto Cesareo is just over 10km away.

The blue of the sea is a shock, after so much sun and land, it is difficult to resist the clear waters of the bay that overlook a series of islets, there are 18 that make the place a truly unique place and nature reserve, with unique species of birds in the Mediterranean that come to nest there.

But there will also be opportunities for a swim by going south to Gallipoli on a coast that is sometimes jagged, sometimes sandy, dominated by the numerous watchtowers.

Before returning to the starting point, only Galatone is missing, whose visit to the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Crucifix alone is worth the stop.

We are on the home straight, a straight one, only one, 9km, the bed & breakfast awaits me just a few steps from the center.