Salento in October - Maglie and Baia dei Turchi

On Saturday morning we go to Maglie, a short drive from Otranto, for the market and to look at the centre. It’s easy to park at the rather dilapidated bus station and from there it’s less than ten minutes to walk to the centre. Maglie is really nice, more than one specific monument it’s the whole of the historical centre which is pleasant, quite large, many fine palazzi and the monument dedicated to Baroness Francesca Capece and her work in educating young people. Maglie is also the birthplace of Aldo Moro. Locals here dress very smartly and I wish I’d upgraded my own gear from local market to smart town. In the main church they’re preparing for a wedding, it’s quite gloomy baroque inside despite the nice façade. Further along is the Chiesa Maria delle Grazie – nice - with some fine frescoes dating back to the 17th century. 

We had got off to an early start, but we spend longer than we expect in Maglie and then go to the market, scattered rather bizarrely in the middle of a parking area with the fruit and veg section a few streets away. It’s large and interesting and we finally struggle back to the car at past midday with 6 plates, 2 pairs of slippers, some pyjamas, a couple of bags (it will snow, I never buy a bag), giuncata, 10 nodini di mozzarella, some yogurt, more puntarelle, green beans, caki vaniglia and grapes and a kilo of mushrooms.

We get home late and lunch is just latticini and some cuccuzata from Conad on the way, delicious.

Late lunch means late going out again. The weather is still iffy, muggy with occasional threatening clouds. We park at the bridge by Laghi Alimini and Alimini beach. The lines are blue but the meters have already been removed so parking is free. It’s still windy and there are clouds around but when we get on the beach and look south towards Baia dei Turchi the sun is shining and the view of the beach, sea and the coast and the green of the Mediterranean undergrowth is breathtaking. 

It’s a decent beach for walking so we go south as far as Baia dei Turchi and beyond. It really is beautiful, at least now, out of season with a handful of people in the whole stretch of beach. The clouds catch up with us and it’s quite chilly so we walk back to the car.

On the way back to Otranto we stop to see the Laghi Alimini. There are two – the one by the sea and bridge where we parked which is salt water and another lake, further inland, which is freshwater. There’s nobody around, it’s very quiet, just a few birds in the distance and the sun starting to set behind the trees. Poetry.