Twinkling Toes in the Ionian Sea

For my birthday several days ago, I REALLY, REALLY wanted to dip my toes into the Ionian Sea at the tippy tippy tip of the “heel of the boot” of Italy. That meant driving from Bari, south along the length of Puglia to Santa Maria di Leuca, the southernmost spot.

We stopped along the way in Polignano a Mare, a cluster of whitewashed buildings jutting up from the cliffs, high above grottoes and crashing waves. The buildings would have been brilliant white if it weren’t for the dark rain clouds above us (and the puddles under our feet). We wandered a bit, then kept moving south… thankfully as the rain clouds remained north.

Leuca is NOT a spot of soft sandy beaches, but rather craggy, sharp rocks, which made for awkward and uncomfortable barefoot splashing. Nevertheless, I couldn’t wait to slip off my sandals and step into the Ionian Sea. Dream come true.

After a little birthday splashing, it was lunch time at a little seafood restaurant just 20 feet off the waves, tucked away and invisible from the main road. We ordered a plateful of mixed, fried seafood, and… anchovy meatballs made with mint and served in a delicious red sauce. (Yes. Anchovy meatballs.) The fried fish included teeny little squid tentacles, little fishies, whole shrimp, and some larger squid bodies. The “meatballs” were actually very mild in flavor, and we didn’t detect any mint, but rather basil. Rough, pugliese bread was ideal for sopping up that red sauce.

We marveled as the waiter came out to the table next to us with 12 tasting dishes balanced on one arm. He expertly removed one dish at a time, and placed each one on the diners’ table, again as neatly stacked as they had been on his arm.

After a lovely lunch, we headed back up north, stopping in baroque Lecce to peek at the Roman amphitheater smack in the center of town. A local cat made itself comfortable on someone’s bike seat, as tourists milled about.