Simple things often aren't

There is something about planning a road trip and not knowing what could be there. This was the case this morning.  A lot can be gained by doing a search on Google Maps. The satellite coverage is amazing but one area I find lacking is its ability to fully show the terrain. I know it has terrain features but there is nothing (as yet) like actually being on the ground.

So planning today's drive we thought it would be flat all the way but in fact, had similarities to the Great Ocean Road.

Today was another hot and humid day, great for those who reside in South East Queensland, but for two that have just left the chills of Lethbridge in winter isn't.

Driving this area today I was amazed how quiet the roads were and I was only tailgated (badly) by one aggressive driver!

Leaving Lecce, Felix was a little thirsty so it was a stop at the Petrol station. These places are slightly different to home, they also have driveway service and a bar. Firstly driveway service can be free or cost as much as 25euro cents extra per litre. It can be common for the pumps not to work so when I pulled the pump and placed it in the car nothing happened, no whir, no buzz, not a button to press, I called Katie from the passenger seat. Sometimes my analytical mind sees things differently to her and she instantly finds a simple solution, but this time, no.

Standing in the hot sun, I thought it would be easy to just swap pumps, but no difference. The pump still didn't engage and Katie had no ideas either.

Getting flustered, and being a Walsh, I was about to return the nozzle, get back in the car and drive off. However, a man comes out in a lovely white shirt with STAFF in Fluro pink printed on it.

He thought I had finished and kept on saying, 'Full'. I kept saying 'No' in an Italian accent and then he just walked off.

Over to the office window where he held up 5 fingers to the window and yelled "Cinque", Italian for five and within an instant, the pump comes to life!  Bingo. So as the fuel was pumping, I wondered, what did I do wrong? How else could this process have been performed? Confused, watching the display tick over I reminded myself, you're on holiday, don't over analyse this.

With the car filled I ventured inside to pay. There was a lady at the console and two men, one about 60 and the other at least 80. They were having a great conversation with the lady. No one was winning, I couldn't catch a word to understand the context, but I could tell it was great banter.

I waited about a minute and then the operator indicated with her bushy eyebrows and heavily mascaraed eyelashes I should proceed forward, these guys were never going to leave. I pressed toward the counter, and the younger of the two stepped aside. I continued to make the payment, saying "Cinque, PerFavore", Five Please.  The old man appeared to be complaining, something I believe he may do every morning as he removed the cellophane from his cigarettes, removing one and placing it behind his ear.

With the transaction complete and Felix no longer dehydrated we continued onward down the right-hand side of the Salentina Penninsula (the heel of the Italian boot)

The road was peaceful as mentioned before and we were underwhelmed at first. This area has been impacted more than any other area we have seen in Italy by the economic downturn and fiscal cutbacks. We stopped in the first town of San Foca, overlooked the bathers from the waterfront boardwalk and also had two Macchiato.

Back in the car and after a short journey, we were at a place we have seen many times on the Internet, Roca Vecchia, a spot that is popular for people to jump off in to the oean. However, we didn't have the pleasure to see any jumpers today, but I was able to see this remarkable fossil on the surface of the cliff.

Lunch was had at Otranto, with the old centre converted to tourist aspects it did feel more loved than the previous areas.

 

Finally, we made the drive to the tip, a place I have wanted to "accomplish" for many years.

 Any further south from here, we would need a boat and eventually end up in Lybia!  Turn left, Greece, turn right Sicily and then Tunisia. I can't imagine the number of explorers, adventurers and also amazing vessels that have passed this point in the past few millennia.

On return to Lecce, we drove about 1 hour and also through a storm.  To my astonishment, the drivers on the freeway slowed, the zone is marked 90KMH but everyone does 100, however, in the rain they all slowed down not to the required legal limit of 50 but more like 70.

(P.S. this blog location on the terrace didnt last long, about 5 minutes later we were back downstairs  under shelter, as the storm barrelled overhead. The rain is a welcome relief after the heat and humidity we have had the last few days.)