St. Malo, Brittany Region – 2026

by ginnyinshanghai

Since we had a car, we wanted to go outside of the city.  One of the cities we visited was Saint Malo situated along the coastline. Saint-Malo was founded in the 1st century BC, a short distance south of its current location in Brittany. The first settlement, in what is now St-Servan, was built by Celtic tribesmen in order to control the entrance to the Rance River for economic and military purposes. Due to its strategic location, was extensively fortified over the centuries.

Saint-Malo was once an island but had been joined to the mainland by a causeway and a road. It was heavily destroyed in WWII, but the city was rebuilt with extraordinary care, keeping the historic street pattern and the sense of a fortified “island city” that defines Saint-Malo’s character today. The city played into the piracy theme with a number of ‘pirate’ ships in the marina. Several could be boarded and explored in their harbor.

There were citizens living there but also a number of accommodations for hotel guests were available. We saw guests dragging their suitcases through the cobblestone streets.

Eric found a free lot – great. We parked then walked and walked and walked. And remember………….this also meant we would be walking back to said ‘free’ parking lot. Let’s just say, early on this sojourn I swore to myself to be involved in future parking decisions. If we can afford to fly to Europe, we can pay for parking – just saying.

We found the city wall and then saw these ladies in the water.  No thank you.  I don’t know what the temperature of the water was, but you can see in our coming photos, we were bundled up.  This was probably our coolest day the entire trip.

The wooden posts were another layer of protection along the city wall.

Someone was having a bit of fun and I found this along the seawall.

The tide was in when we arrived and footpath to these rocks seen in the background of my photo were underwater.

There was a special feature this city was known for. We needed to walk into the old city and find their beach.

Notice that square, walled in area?

Yep, this is a tidal pool filled with seawater once the tide goes out. This day there were kayakers enjoying the space.

Also found a church, but not the one I was expecting. I was looking for St. Malo Church. I put it in the map app and it said it was miles away? What? What did I do wrong? Absolutely nothing. The St. Malo Church was in Dinan.

Saint-Vincent Cathedral of Saint-Malo is a historic Roman Catholic cathedral located in the walled city of Saint-Malo, Brittany, France. The cathedral’s origins date back to the 12th century, and it has undergone several reconstructions due to damage from wars and natural disasters.

The Great Rose window was designed in 1968 by architect Raymond Cornon. It replaced an earlier rose window destroyed in 1693 during an English attack on the cathedral.

But then I noticed the altar. A little research found this information.

The bronze altar in the cathedral was consecrated in 1991. The theme of the altar is the tetramorph or the four Evangelists appearing in animal form. The four Evangelists are winged; the wing is an ancient symbol of divinity with each representing the virtues required for Christian salvation. The lion of St. Mark represents courage, resurrection, and royalty. The ox is an ancient Christian symbol of redemption and life through sacrifice. The eagle of John represents the sky, heavens, and the human spirit. Matthew’s emblem is a man. My photo shows the eagle and the ox.

The choir and organ was on the main floor of the cathedral.

The stained-glass windows of Saint-Malo Cathedral depict scenes from the history of the city, the cathedral, and the saints associated with Brittany. This window shows 7 of the Breton saints. There was a lot of storytelling going on within their windows.

We were on our way out when we visited the church and I was able to capture a few outside photos. Much more interesting than my first photo of the church front.

Don’t know where Adrienne went, but I found Eric.

But wait! Would I have a blog post without food? No, indeed. Since this is also a port town, there was a highly rated seafood restaurant at their Ferry departure station.

We shared these starters. The seafood in the right photo? Those are Adrienne’s new favorite seafood: bulots. They are large edible sea snails, commonly known as whelks in the US. They thrive in the temperate, nutrient-rich coastal water with Brittany being the most well-known region for harvesting them.

The girls chose a mild, local fish called Hake for our meal while Eric ordered the mussels & frites. More carrots for Adrienne! Eric ordered his mussels ‘Moules a la Mariniere‘ style. They were steamed in a broth of white wine, shallots, garlic and herbs.

Walking (and walking and walking) back to our parked car, we could see a difference in the tide. These footpaths that were under water when we arrived were now available for exploring.

We were glad we explored St. Malo and got out of the city.

Ginny

Dinan dining – 2026

by ginnyinshanghai

We had two fabulous meals and also a chance to explore their weekly market. Let’s start with one of the restaurants.

Eric researched restaurants prior to coming and this was one he reserved. He usually checks the Michelon guide (this was in it) for their recommendations and he hasn’t gone wrong yet.

It was primarily Breton inspired food with Japanese influences. Their menu was set – to a degree – with just a few selections. Fine by me, definitely makes things easier. They look for local know-how and respect for the seasons. Makes perfect sense to me.

While the other two pretty much continued with wine for dinner, I went with a local cidre.

It was dry without being ‘too’ dry, still having a hint of sweetness from the apples.

The bread was unique with squid ink added for the black color. Didn’t give it any flavor, just the look. It was okay, I would eat it again. The other two photos were the appetizers: sardine roll and foie gras.

Between the three of us we got both of the main plates: (L) Seabass with artichoke hearts & assorted veggies and (R) Beef with a variety of mushrooms.

By now I’m getting full, so Adrienne and I split the cake w/grapes and Eric had the featured chocolate option. All were happy with their choices.

It was a r.e.a.l.l.y good meal, but not for all. While we were sitting there a few groups left once they saw the limited choices on the menu.

I’m breaking up the meals with a trip to their weekly market. This was the view from the AirBNB window right when I woke up. By the time we got down there, it was getting packed with locals.

One of the first stalls we walked past was these mountain of garlic cloves and shallots. Eric sooooooo wanted to bring some home, but we can’t.

We were told that red onions was a local crop they were known for. I will say most of the dishes we ordered seemed to have red onions.

Naturally I took many photos in the flower stall, but I narrowed it down to just three photos for this post. Notice the far one on the right? It was dried flowers, wrapped in music paper. Nice.

I wanted to bring home some local honey and I found it! Eric was my taste tester.

I didn’t realize Adrienne took the above photo so after the purchase I asked the gentleman if I could get a photo and he agreed. His only comment was ‘Let me put away my phone’. No problem.

Prepared food was also available. Paella (L) and Rotisserie Chicken (R). Notice the potatoes under the chicken? Roasted and seasoned with chicken drippings. Yum.

These gourds and squash got me excited for the Fall season to arrive. Time to embrace the change of seasons and decorate!

These root vegetables were also looking mighty fine. We think we found a carrot that Adrienne actually likes. The lighter carrots had less carotene and seemed milder. They were in a number of dishes and she ate them – willingly for the most part.

We made some purchases for our last night in the city.

Almost forgot to include the oysters. They could be purchased and eaten at home, or the purveyor would prep them for immediate eating. We did both.

Let’s talk about our best meal in Dinan – Le Cantorbery. It was suggested by our AirBNB host and Eric reminded us some of our best meals during our travels have come through our host. This was no exception. A Dinan institution for 70+ years, it began a new chapter in 2023 with a change of ownership and kitchen leadership. The chef brings with him a prestigious international experience from around the world: Longdon, Sweden, China, US and the Caribbean. They bring local heritage to life by combining a modern version to the table, with the respect for the product a top priority. Yes, most of that info was from their website, but it showed in their execution.

We started with some wine and cider (for me) along with amuse bouche (carrot mousse). Definitely liked the seafood fritter best.

Eric tried to make reservations but when setting up the account it wouldn’t take his US phone number. Ultimately our host made them for us. Another reason he is ranked as a ‘super host’. Our starters were salmon and a dish that highlighted avocado. Sorry about that last description. That’s the best I could do.

This was the main reason Eric was excited to dine here. It was local Charolais (french) beef only available for a party of two. Not my thing and Adrienne was excited to be the other half of that party. 🙂

I didn’t need another full entre so I ordered the ‘vegetarian’ plate (L), which I truly enjoyed. Their side plate (R) was a simpler version. Eric shared some of the beef that was less rare. 🙂 I had plenty to eat.

Naturally, needed to end the meal with dessert. Adrienne selected the plate highlighting banana flavor – BTW, that is not a real banana, but a mousse created to resemble the fruit. Eric got the Rhum Baba with a small injector included as part of the presentation. Me? I got the chocolate creation with the caramelized (impressive) decoration. No complaints about any of these selections.

Our market purchases were make with a goal in mind – our last night would be at our rental with local product. We thought we had enough, until we saw this: Pate en croute – Tout cochon. Oh my. The shop was closing within 15 minutes and they were putting away their items. She saw our excitement and agreed to sell us two slices of this tasty treat.

Everything was pulled together for a tasty repast. Everything was so good it was hard to pull out my favofrite. The oysters were salty and I knew likely my last taste from this region. The pate was some of the best I had. I am so envious of the local cheese, olives and local bread. Wow, just wow.

There’s no topping that, but wanted to share a favorite pasttime of Eric’s. No matter which country we visit, he tries to find a local establishment and meet locals. This time was no different. One of his last visits, he met the owner and got to hear first-hand the proud history and culture from one that grew up in Dinan. Yes, I stopped in for a final beer in Dinan.

Our time in Dinan was quickly coming to a close. We really loved our time in Dinan and would recommend this city for a base to discover and explore this region of France.

Ginny

The City of Dinan – 2026

by ginnyinshanghai

The city was first mentioned in 1040. It is situated on the banks of the River Rance. In the 12th & 13th centuries, the Lords of Dinan governed a rich and dynamic town which led to Dinan’s prosperity in the late Middle Ages. The town developed on a hill overlooking the Rance River, a naturally defensive location that allowed control over trade routes and access to central Brittany. The town was besieged by the Normans in the 11th century, an event depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry (I put that historical tidbit in just for Eric).

Dinan retains a medieval core with cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and significant monuments. The town became a market and small-industries center, while preserving its medieval architecture, making it a popular tourist destination. Dinan’s history reflects a blend of strategic military importance, religious influence, and commercial activity, with its well-preserved medieval architecture offering a window into over a millennium of Breton history.

Loved finding some of these details on the houses.

Now it’s time to walk down one of their famous streets – La rue du Jerzual. This street links the port to the upper part of the city and was until the late 18th century the main axis to cross the city in spite of its steep slope.

The route was steeper than the photos indicate – especially when the cobblestones were wet. After I took the photo of Eric, I noticed the figures up above on the house.

How cute! Most people don’t even see them.

We made it to the bottom with no broken bones and discovered the port.

We needed some nourishment after that feat and found just the place.

We continiue to share giving us a chance to order and taste a multitude of items.

Clockwise starting upper left: Eggs Mayonnaise, mussels, frites and Bulots & oysters.

Now it was time to walk back up.

There may have been a few stops along the way………….with the (stone) benches provided.

Halfway up we came to the Jerzual Gate. The current gatehouse was built in the first part of the 14th century. It is a single tower 15 m high, defending access to the town from the port and at one point was reinforced with a drawbridge.

We were up on another section of the ramparts, seeing a rooftop view of the city.

Not satisfied with walking the steep streetrs of Dinan, two of us walked up the stairs to their clock tower with a height of 43 meters.

It was a process: circle stone steps, wooden landings & steps and then the final part – a steep ladder. Yikes! Let’s just say it was not fun coming down the ladder.

Nearby was the Basilica Saint Sauveur.

Legend has is that the lord of Dinan founded the priory in 1112 upon his return from the Holy Land. As the story goes, the knight was taken prisoner during the First Crusade and vowed to build a church in honor of St. Sauveur and the Holy Trinity if he ever returned home. No surviving documentation confirmed this tale, but it makes for a charming story.

It may be hard to see in the photo above, but this church only had chapels on one side. which can be seen below in the floor plan.

I’ve been trying to get this post ready for days. I’m done now. Still more to come.

Ginny

Dinan via Cancale – 2026

by ginnyinshanghai

Eric’s specific birthday request was to be eating oysters at Cancale on his birthday. We did just that. Happy Birthday dear! Our first view of Cancale…………

This is an area along the coastline with fairly big tidal surges. When we arrived, the tide was going out. The first time I saw something like this I thought ‘Oh no, those boats are stranded’. Nope. The captain planned it that way and will sail out when the tides comes back in.

While there are a number of restaurants along the coastline, we headed to the outside oyster stalls.

Decide which stall you’re going purchase from, get your plate with prepped oysters then find a place to sit. No, we didn’t eat all of the oysters seen below but at least 3 dozen were eaten before we had lunch.

Yes, I had several. I kept looking for the smallest ones which also seemed to be saltier, which I liked!

There were a number of birds enjoying the leftover oysters shells, picking out pieces to eat.

Speaking of lunch…………..Eric also wanted a ‘seafood tower’ for his birthday. He got it – and shared with Adrienne.

I ordered the mussels & frites in a cream sauce. Everything was shared amongst the group.

This was where I was introduced to their local cola. Loved it! Ordered it every chance I had.

On to Dinan! I took over driving duties as the other two enjoyed numerous glasses of wine. Eric found us a fabulous place to stay in Dinan. We’re on the top floor of this building, and yes, there was an elevator.

This is one of the nicest AirBNBs we have stayed in. Kitchen and living spaces were on the main (3rd) floor. Bedrooms and the second bathroom were above.

After walking a bit, we needed some supper before turning in our first night in Dinan. We followed the suggestion of our host and tried to get into his top choice – but alas, we had to go to Plan B. Yes, that was our next option – especially once we came across this establishment.

This place was about meat. Both Adrienne and Eric selected the special for the day.

A major portion of their menu was burgers. Yep, that’s what I got a bacon cheeseburger, France style. We were all happy with our selections.

Had to finish our meal with some ice cream.

salted caramel & raspberry
meringue w/ red fruit
salted caramel

Walking back we went past a number of half-timbered buildings, much like Rennes.

That’s all for this post.

Ginny

The City of Rennes – 2026

by ginnyinshanghai

Rennes is a medieval old town in Northwestern France, dating back 2000+ years when it was a small Gallican village. It has a long history due to the location at the confluence of two rivers (Ille & Vilaine). During the Roman era, the strategic position of the town contributed to its importance.

North West corner of France

In 1534 this area became more fully connected with France and became the Province of Brittany. During WWII Rennes initially suffered heavy (German) damage and then again in 1943 & 1944 by the U.S. and Royal Air Force. In the 1980s Rennes became one of the main centers of Telecommunications and the high-tech industry.

We stayed in the old town center and everything was within easy walking distance.

Old town center

Typically, we pick up yogurt and fruit for a light breakfast in our place. Everyone gets up on their own time, selects a beverage of choice and wait for the others to be ready to start the day. After all, we are on vacation. 🙂 Those two needed a bit more food one morning. Nearby there was a small market open several hours on a Sunday – when many things were closed.

They had fresh produce………..

……..along with seafood.

Eric found some oysters and wine for the two of them. I wasn’t feeling it and kept exploring.

The first church we came across this morning was Cathedral Saint-Pierre de Rennes. This was one of the (very) few times we didn’t enter a church. The current site has been used since the 3rd century and was likely built in place of an older sanctuary. That building was completely replaced by a Gothic church in the 12th century. In 1490 the tower and western facade of the Gothic church collapsed. Reconstruction took 163 years and led to a classical style. The nave and choir had not been restored and in 1754 in the middle of religious services, a large stone came off the vault of the choir. Construction started and stopped until the now neoclassical cathedral with a classical facade was completed in 1846.

A short distance away was Porte Mordelaise.

It’s location dates to the 3rd century with the architecture dating mainly from the 15th century. The future dukes had to take an oath in front of this entrance and it is sometimes called the royal door.

Over the years, the Mordelaises gate lost some of their statue due to its landlocked position in the historic center of the city. Thus, they have become less well known to tourists, even though it is the only fortified door that remains in the city.

The weather has been beautiful and we headed towards the Thabor Gardens, which is fronted by a church: Paroisse Notre Dame de Bonne Nouvelle.

The building is considered unfinished due to a 1905 law that separates church and the state, which stopped public funding. It replaced an old church of the same name located in the same square. It remains a Catholic place of worship.

Just so you know that is Adrienne in the bottom right of my photo below.

We had the place to ourselves.

The gardens were behind the church and had a lovely tree canopy.

I could write all the info below………..or just take a screen shot. 🙂

Naturally there were some statues.

But oh my – the flowers. Believe it or not, I curated at least half of the photos I took.

I came across this ‘traditional’ topiary during my wandering. This is for you Eric.

Before leaving the city to continue Eric’s birthday trip, we ate at Breizh Cafe. Eric had read about it before leaving home and made a reservation. The cafe embodies the connection between Brittany and Japan. After training in Dinan, the owner/husband followed his wife to Japan and in 1996 opened his first cafe in Tokyo blending Breton expertise, buckwheat and cider.

The Breizh Cafe Farm is dedicated to buckwheat and cider apples and an international training school for their Crepe Workshop. Their creed is to be respectful of Breton heritage and committed to sustainability forming an ecosystem where tradition, excellence and knowledge-sharing promote Brittany. An upcoming weekend they were having an event at their farm. Would have loved to attend, but we would be traveling out of the area when it occured.

Adrienne stayed with her red wine, while I enjoyed a local beer and Eric drank their cider.

We started with oysters (you’re going to continue hearing about them!).

However, the main reason this restaurant was selected was due to Galettes – a specialty of this region. Buckwheat flour makes the galette savory.

Eric and I split the traditional galette while Adrienne ordered their daily special with mushrooms. You can see the chef prepare the galettes.

They came out hot and yummy.

Naturally we had to try their dessert crepes. They are made with wheat flour, eggs and whole milk, plus your chosen filling.

Naturally we had to try three different types.

banana w/ chocolate
poached fig and berries
crepe suzette flambeed with grand marnier

It was a great way to end our last evening in Rennes. Back to the train station to pick up our rental car. Next stop is Dinan, via Cancale.

Ginny

Rennes Food Tour – France 2026

by ginnyinshanghai

The food tour started at 11:30am but we needed a light breakfast. Rennes has one of the largest markets in France, after Paris. That was our destination – Marche de Lices. Once we headed in that direction, it was easy to find, even if we didn’t use any map. Just follow the locals pulling their shopping carts (there were three ahead of us).

There were both inside and outside stalls. We went inside first to see their products and make a few purchases for later.

I probably enjoyed the outside stalls more since it was fresh produce.

These fruits looked great!

Peaches!

Next I found the veggies.

I’m ready for Fall.

Eric’s highlight was the seafood stalls. Yes, we started our day with a few oysters.

We only purchased oysters, but much, much more was available.

We missed the market area with the flowers. We passed individuals with pre-made bundles but alas, it was not to be. Walked past these sunflowers secured to a bike and couldn’t resist a quick photo.

It was time to head for our food tour’s meeting point: Basilica Saint Sauveur de Rennes. It is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church, located in the heart of the historic city center. The foundation was built in the 11th century before expanding several times and rebuilt in the 18th century.

There are four stories of miracles attributed to this basilica with the first in the 1350s. I had just enough time to walk in and grab a few photos.

Main Alter
Side Chapel

We try to find a local food tour early in our trips. It helps us get the lay of the land, meet people and also get recommendations. This one in Rennes was fairly new, only available the last several months. Mateo was our guide.

Our first stop………….Madame Claude. Eric and Adrienne are in the photo below along with the other two that joined our tour. They have been touring Europe for the last 6 weeks (2 retired schoolteachers from Ireland). They are pulling a camper and rode their bikes into the heart of the city for the tour.

Galettes are a specialty of the region. Much like a crepe, but savory. Buckwheat flour gives it a nutty flavor and the dark color. Mateo felt this was one of the best in the city. All products going into it was grown within 10 km – very local ingredients – I like that! The meat was local pork, local cheese and the buckwheat was grown in the area also.

Yes, yes I needed some coffee first thing this morning. 🙂 After a short walk, we were at the second stop: bouchon.

I only like pate in Europe – must be the ingredients. The pate had pork, poultry and pieces of local apples. The pickled onions and cornichons were also tasty. Red onions were a local crop this area was known for. We had plenty to share between the 5 of us.

I will give the guide some points for our next stop. He wanted to showcase the mixture of cultures and the resulting food scene.

Not my favorite stop by a long shot, but I did try it and picked out the ingredients that I liked. Underneath was a bed of rice that had soaked in the flavors. The spices were Indienne which I don’t traditionally enjoy. Again, I tried it.

This wasn’t only about eating but also hearing a bit about the city. Eric was asking lots of questions from our guide, Mateo.

These statues were numerous and prevalent around the old town on the older buildings, warding off the ‘black plague’ from the Middle Ages.

Mateo also shared this was part of ongoing construction to open up the waterway. In the past, the city had covered over this space and created parking. It was slowly being removed for the waterways to be seen and other parking created. Nice.

Okay, let’s get back to the food. The next stop was a sandwich place. He was talking about their local beef and the ‘smash burger’ we were about to have………………then a vegetarian burger appeared. Oops, he forgot. The burger available for the tour was seasonal. It had local cheese, lettuce and red onions, along with the local eggplant. It was still good.

It was time for sweet endings.

This was the place we had kouign-amann – a Breton specialty where it originated around 1860.

The photo above doesn’t do it justice. This was absolutely delicious! I had tasted it in other European shops, but this was hands-down the best. My research indicates the recipe should be 40% bread dough, 30% butter and 30% sugar. The shop sold other sweet treats and gave us some samples of their cakes.

But wait! We had one final stop. We were given the choice of pastry puff or ice cream.

I was stuffed and able to get a sack to bring mine home. Thank goodness! We were given the option of selecting two flavors and all were mighty tasty. This was the spot it came out that we were in France celebrating Eric’s birthday. Mateo found a tealight and the group sang Happy Birthday.

As we were walking back to the original meeting point, Mateo talked about the half-timbered buildings that were part of the city’s history.

This block had a slight modification that had been added for stabilization. The white (skinny) building to the left of the four houses was a facade built to support and hold up the others. It was not truly a house or apartment but built to look like one. Ingenious.

One last photo of the group before we went out different ways.

It was a great (and tasty) introduction to the city of Rennes with a knowledgeable tour guide.

Ginny

Another birthday trip – France 2026

by ginnyinshanghai

Another one of my travel partners was hitting a milestone birth year and wanted to go somewhere special. Since we’re foodies………….France was the chosen destination, specifically the northern coastline of France where OYSTERS are farmed. Yes, Eric wanted to celebrate by eating lots and lots of these bivalves.

The journey began mid-week and was definitely ‘trains, planes & automobiles’ but not in that order. Had to get to the airport so the trip started with ride-share.

Whereas we met Adrienne before boarding the first of two flights before going overseas and landing in CDG, Paris mid-afternoon. We were worried about storms in Orlando. In fact, as we were boarding the crew mentioned a storm was building near the airport and highly encouraged us to quickly board so we could get out of there fast – we did.

Our connection was in JFK/New York. Our luck with connections in the south has been hit or miss. A few afternoon/evening storms have delayed us and kept us in US missing a day in Europe. Not everyone loves JFK but my last connection through there was painless. Only hitch……………we landed in terminal 1 (at the v.e.r.y end) and had to get to terminal 5. We had plenty of time for the connection, but it was a hike! Soon enough we got our next flight and a few hours of sleep.

One advantage to flying through New York – this flight is a bit shorter.

After landing, we needed food. We have a history of eating at the Sheraton inside the airport and that day was no different. Even though it looks like we are eating outside………..it is their brasserie restaurant that protrudes into the airport skyway.

I just needed a coke but those two started with a regional red wine.

We each were looking for something different for nutrition: Adrianne – sushi, myself – fries and Eric – charcuterie board.

We have checked off two modes of transportation and now we waited for the third one – train.

Let’s just say, I woke up. Those two crashed during our 2+ hour ride to Rennes.

The train departed early evening and we had a bit of light initially and I got this photo as we passed a wind farm.

No issues on our ride, but we heard the next morning there was a train derailment in Northern France the same evening.

Our last transportation was an automobile – taxi to our AirBNB in the Old Town of Rennes. Arrival was 9:30pm and our AirBNB host met us at 10 pm to show us around and handover the keys.

We were bushed, but hungry. He made a call and got us dinner reservations within walking distance. Great!!!! Eric started us with oysters before our main courses arrived.

Our dinner selections were varied:

Adrienne – tuna

I chose canard (duck):

With Eric selecting sole meuniere’:

All was topped off with ice cream – shared.

After 23+ hours traveling……………it’s time to call it a night.

Up next – a local Rennes food tour.

Ginny

Italy, Lecce 2026 – post 3

by ginnyinshanghai

My first Lecce post I mentioned stairs. Let’s revisit that point. Upon walking into the apartment, these steps greeted you.

You turned the corner and found these steps.

You were then in the living space, with more stairs leading up to the bedrooms.

Walking through the archway, led to these steps.

And we weren’t done yet. These were the final 3 steps to our bedroom. The thing we chuckled about, you had to step down to get into our bedroom. Yep, another step!

Enough about stairs. I have one more church to talk about before leaving Lecce. Truth be told, we visited several more churches in this town, but you’ll have to visit on your own to see those. 🙂

The Basilica of Santa Croce Lecce was built where a monastery stood in the 14th century. In 1549, a new church was begun, using, among others, houses from Jews who had been ousted from Lecce in 1510. The construction dragged on for two centuries; by 1582, the lower façade had been finished but work continued on other pieces of the basilica before finally being finished.

Loved the dragon. There was symbolism everywhere, really too much. The animals under the balustrade would symbolize the Christian powers which participated in a battle: the dragon was the symbol of the Boncompagni, family of Pope Gregory XIII: the griffon the Republic of Genoa, Hercules the grand Duke of Tuscany. I only captured the dragon.

But I may have found the griffon and Hercules in the photo below (to the left of the dragon). I was sorting through which photos to include and maybe, just maybe I got lucky?

So when we walked to the church one morning, individuals were blocking the doorways and we couldn’t get in. Why? A wedding was being held. We seem to keep running into weddings. We think this was the 3rd one we encountered during our Europe trips. Got a quick shot of the bride after the ceremony. I didn’t know why the bundle of greenery was brought along. It came from inside the church and was going with the wedding party. Checked the internet and found this explanation: Italian weddings often emphasize natural beauty. Hanging vines and greenery branches enhance the romantic ambience for vows and photography. Now I know. (I think?)

Inside the church, the ceiling was striking.

The church has seventeen altars: the main one has a decorated portal with the coat of arms of the Adorni family, whose tombs were inside the basilica. I believe the photo below is the alter described.

A lot of gold and red really drew your attention.

This was one of the last altars before exiting.

Here’s a closeup view of one of the cherubs seen above.

Okay, that was the last church I’m going to talk about (in Lecce).

Eric had been visiting this bar – Quanto Basta – half a block from our apartment. One afternoon Adrienne went with him and raved about a grapefruit drink. I was curious enough to visit with them.

Why the carrot in the above photo? They were part of the munchies brought with your drinks: popcorn and carrot sticks. Not typical bar food that I was used to, but it worked.

Going back to the grapefruit drink…….it was pretty tasty. I agreed with Adrienne, it went down v.e.r.y smoothly.

We wanted our last evening in Lecce to be a special meal and that happened by going back to La Spore.

No surprise, Eric had been making friends.  Somehow (?) they heard about him being a FOH F&B manager and possibly the bartenders at the bar next door…………….saw him on U-Tube?  Maybe? I don’t know how that ‘randomly’ happened.  Ha!  We could be seated with no reservations at La Spore as long as we vacated our table by 9:30 pm – it was 6:30pm when we walked over.  No problem.   

Like normal, we shared a number of appetizers.   The hummus dip was still one of my favorites.

Menu selections were pasta and eggplant.

Eric meant to order these meat balls, but there was a communication miss.  He said he was very happy with the eggplant, but guess what arrived shortly?  Yep, the meatballs.  I tasted them. I guess that’s one of the benefits with being short-term friends with the locals. They were good.

We wanted to finish the meal with dessert so we chose these two.

egg cake with fruit filling
tiramisu

The owner continued to check in with us throughout the evening and agreed to a photo to commemorate our experience. 

It was a very nice evening with (new) good friends and good food.  I was even convinced to order wine for our meal.

While Adrienne and I headed back to the apartment, Eric stopped back in the corner bar for a last evening with his new friends.  I really liked Lecce.

Ginny

Italy, Lecce 2026 – post 2

by ginnyinshanghai

We went back to the Lecce Cathedral in the morning going inside for the full tour.  While the first documents indicate the existence back to the Norman period, the old building was demolished to make way for the new cathedral in the mid-16th century.  At this point the square was given a new monumental appearance fitting for one of the most important artistic and cultural centers in Southern Italy. 

These statues flank the entrance to the plaza.

They are saints or Fathers of the Church and give the impression they are guarding the entrance.

The cathedral has a Latin cross with three naves divided by pilasters and columns, and the main altar is placed at the eastern end of the church. The central nave and the transepts covered by a wooden ceiling with coffers created in 1685.  This was our first wooden ceiling and it was fantastic – The Last Supper.

Each of the altars was more decorative than the last one.  There was a lot of detail everywhere!

I’m sure you could come back every day for years and find something new. This scene was above one of the side altars.

Near the pulpit was a staircase leading to an underground area containing the hidden jewel of the Cathedral:  the crypt. The cross vaults inside are supported by a veritable forest of columns.  Each of the 92 capitals featured a different decoration of medieval inspiration.  I sooooo wanted to take photos but I respected the wish of the church for this sacred spot – no photos.

Next door was the bell tower.  The tower was constructed in 1661–1662 and was built to replace the previous Norman bell tower, which crumbled at the beginning of the 17th century.

It has a square shape and appears to be made up of five tapered levels, the last of which is topped by an octagonal majolica, on which there is an iron statue of a local saint.

The bell tower offers views of the Adriatic Sea, and on clear days even the mountains of Albania are visible. It was hazy the day we visited. so no sea or mountains.

It was s.u.p.e.r windy on the day we went to the top.  The only way we got Eric up there…….in 2022 a modern lift provided access to the balconies on the third floor. No steps for him but he will do an elevator. Ha!

Lecce is also the spot of a Roman amphitheater that is being excavated and offers a glimpse into the city’s history as a Roman resort and trading port. 

The amphitheater which could hold 15,000 spectators was hidden from view until 1901 when construction began on a bank. Not sure what happened with the bank, but I would guess they weren’t exactly thrilled that the land they were going to build upon, would not be an archeological site.

All this running around was creating an appetite. Time to find some nourishment. This was our stop for a lunch.

Can I just say……very interesting placemats. Yes, those are records.

These homemade chips were a starter, getting us ready for the main course – one of my favorites.

Pizza!

Bufalo mozzerella
Anchovies & olives

There’s one more church I want to mention in this post – Chiesa di San Matteo. The Church of San Matteo was built between 1667 and 1700 to replace the ancient chapel of S. Mattero, now small and in mediocre condition.  This turned into one of my favorite churches.

I read that this church embodies the canons of the Baroque style so much that it has earned the title ‘the pantheon of Lecce Baroque’. 

The perimeter of the interior is marked by twelve columns on which statues of the apostles stand.  Each represented something specific about that apostle – could be their origin, what they stood for or where they ended. This church had an excellent audio guide & map sharing descriptive information.

The weather was so gorgeous we enjoyed walking around the town and found this city park. Kids were playing on a playground, others had brought a book to read and a few couples were sitting quietly taking it all in.

Barely noticeable, but Adrienne and Eric were in the background of the photo. There was a bridge that connected the space between the fountains.

Those two followed me around while I got photos of flowers. The redbud trees were starting to bloom – something we can’t grow in Florida. Kind of cool that flowers could be seen along the trunk of the tree, not only on the branches. Yep, there is Eric and Adrienne in the background again.

Eric found an interesting place for supper and made reservations earlier that day. Once the sun started to set, the temps went down quickly. He needed to go back to the apartment for warmer clothes. Our apartment was a few doors behind him.

Tonight we headed to Vico dei Sotteranei.

They are described as a cozy restaurant in the historic town center sourcing local ingredients and paying attention to the details, mixing in tradition with innovation. Nice. Those two drank some of the local wine while I went for a local blonde ale beer – it was a nice change for me.

Some snacks arrived while we waited for our appetizer. The olives, round italian crackers and the olive spread – which was excellent by the way. The carrots………..let’s just say that Adrienne has a love/hate relationship with carrots. Actually, it’s hate/hate relationship! No way is she going to eat a carrot.

We started with a smoked swordfish carpaccio with burrata cheese, walnuts and roasted fruits. Not exactly my thing, however I did like the cheese and the fruit.

Adrienne and Eric both ordered the 40-day dry-aged beef with sauteed vegetables. They loved it.

I ordered the ‘sfoglia’ – fresh sheet pasta with slow-cooked beef, pecorino cheese, smoked paprika and rosemary essence. It was okay. I ate most of the beef and left the pasta – I was getting full.

But what made the meal memorable……………..the dessert. They were called spumone but was nothing like any of us had ever eaten. We ordered two but I only got one photo, you couldn’t really tell them apart, until after you started eating them. Technically they were called Spumone al pistacchio, nocciole e cuore al croccante and Spumone al cioccolato fondente con copeta e fichi.

Looks kind of unassuming right? It didn’t matter what they were called, we ate every last crumb. Once you broke through the outer layer of ice cream, more flavors and goodies were inside. Delicious!

Walking home was quick and easy. Sharing the photo so you can see how narrow the streets were and we had to step aside for the cars and motorcycles to get by.

Ginny

Italy, Lecce 2026 – post 1

by ginnyinshanghai

Where and why Lecce? One of the reasons was that it doesn’t attract most Americans. Most have never heard of the city. Two, we will get to explore a part of Italy that we’ve never traveled – the southern section. Three, we will be able to travel by train, something not typically done in the states. Plans were made and set. Transportation routes were purchased and accommodations were booked.

Before leaving the U.S., Eric received an (Italian) email that there was a problem with our route as a portion was involved with a landslide/washout.  Not much we could do at this point but wait until we got there.  By the time of our departure, the train had been re-routed and while it was going to be a longer trip, no other problems with our booking.  Whew! 

There are two main sources of agricultural income in his point of Italy: wine and olive oil. We saw some amazing olive trees along the train route.

We arrived safe and sound! Lecce was the end of this route that started in Milano earlier that day.

It was an easy walk to our place, less than 10 minutes from the station. We can do it. Figuring out all of the instructions to get in, took a bit more time. Ha!

Two bedroom, two baths and a kitchen with this one having a working washing machine.

Bedrooms were above the living room.

Please notice the stairs, more on that later.

What we needed at this point (maybe ‘wanted’ was the better word) was some libations. Walked a block down the road and found a place that was open, only for drinks.

We were literally sitting behind the church at this point, the Lecce Cathedral. It was originally built in 1144, rebuilt in 1230 and restored in 1659. The facade is a masterpiece of Baroque art. One reason that Lecce is called the ‘Florence of the South’ because of the rich baroque architecture that abounds in this city.

We purchased multi-day tickets for our church visits during our stay. Not going to start our visits until the next day. Something that was rising to the top of our list……….dinner. This spot was highly rated and very close to our apartment.

We were one of the first to be seated, that’s us the American early bird diners, at 7pm.

We started with two similar appetizers. Nice presentation and very tasty.

This was said to be more typical of southern Italy. Still had the buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes, but a different type of mixture and herbs. This one was sitting on some Lecce bread, which was covered up by the cheese and can’t really be seen until you cut into the mozzarella cheese..

Next appetizer was soooo amazing, we had it several times during our stay: hummus with fava bean puree and local grilled mussels. O.M.G.

We only needed two entrees for the evening. Eric ordered a meat dish that was composed of beef, pork and horse cooked in a tomato sauce. He enjoyed it.

Adrienne ordered their grilled seafood platter. She was very happy. They both let me have a few bites from their selections. That was all I needed at this point.

Until it came time for dessert. Once again, we ordered two items but shared them all.

tiramisu
citrus cheesecake

Before turning in we went back to the Lecce Cathedral for an evening shot.

Nice way to end our first day in Lecce.

Ginny