Day 117 – Rainy Travel Day to Lecce

Another travel day today.

We were up around 6:30 this morning and it was still raining outside. Another really wet day. We all sort of lazed around in bed for a little while. It was quite a cool morning so it was nice just hanging out together before getting moving.

We needed to pack up and get ourselves out of the accommodation by 10:00. Luckily, because we had only been there for a short stay, we hadn’t really spread our gear everywhere. Everything was still fairly contained in our bags, so packing up was pretty straightforward.

I have been trying to keep a little tradition of going for a run in every place that we stay. I hadn’t managed to get out the afternoon before when the rain eased a bit, so I decided to just go for it this morning. I strapped on the running shoes and headed out into the rain.

It was only a quick one. I managed about a kilometre running around the local streets. I got completely soaked and my shoes were drenched, but the run was done and the tradition stayed alive.

Back at the apartment we made coffees and sorted some breakfast while finishing the last bits of packing. Everything came together pretty smoothly and we walked out the door right on 10:00.

Our train to Lecce was not leaving until 12:30, so there was no point rushing anywhere. Instead we found a small local coffee shop and ducked in to wait out the rain for a bit.

Kia and the kids grabbed a few croissants. One chocolate, one strawberries and cream, and one apricot. I ordered a small espresso that came with a shot of water on the side. It was called Espresso Dek, which I later learned is a decaffeinated espresso. The water is sometimes served alongside Italian espresso so you can cleanse your palate or adjust the intensity of the coffee.

It was something a little different.

We ended up hanging out there for about an hour. The kids got Maddie’s chess set and started playing. Kia jumped in for a game as well while I hovered nearby helping them with moves and tactics. It turned into a really nice little slow moment in the middle of the day.

Around 11:00 we decided to start making our way towards the train station. It was only a couple of blocks away but it was still raining, so it turned into a bit of a march through puddles with backpacks and bags.

Originally we were heading back to the underground station that we arrived into in Bari, but we accidentally ended up walking into the larger outdoor station nearby. When we checked the board we realised our train was actually leaving from there anyway, so it worked out perfectly.

We were able to get out of the rain and sit undercover while we waited.

There was a small bakery inside the station selling cheap paninis, so we grabbed some sandwiches for lunch while we waited for the train.

Classic travel moment for us happened next.

A train pulled up onto the platform around midday and just sat there. It stayed there for ages. Around 12:15 I looked up at the departure board and realised there were no other trains scheduled to arrive or depart from our platform before ours.

So I went and asked someone.

“Is this the train to Lecce?”

“Yeah, yeah,” they said.

We quickly grabbed our bags and jumped on board. The train must have been sitting there for a good half an hour before departure.

The trip from Bari to Lecce was about an hour and a half and stopped at all the smaller towns along the way. Even though it was raining the whole time, it was still really cool watching the landscape roll past the window.

We travelled through farmland, small towns and clusters of houses that all looked slightly different depending on the area.

The kids used the time to get some schoolwork done. They worked through some maths and writing which helped pass the time pretty quickly.

Before long we were pulling into Lecce.

When we stepped off the train it was still raining but it had eased off a bit. Our accommodation was about a kilometre from the station so we loaded up the bags and started walking.

The route wound its way through the old medieval part of Lecce, and it was immediately clear this place had a completely different feel to Bari. Narrow streets, old stone buildings and beautiful architecture everywhere. After walking through the old town of Bari yesterday it was pretty cool knowing that we were actually going to be staying inside the historic part of Lecce.

When we reached our accommodation we found a small grocery store directly across the road, which was perfect. Unfortunately it was closed for the afternoon siesta.

Inside the apartment we discovered one of the coolest places we have stayed so far.

It is small, only three rooms in total. There is a bathroom, a small kitchen and dining space in the middle, and a bedroom at the end with three beds. But the building itself is incredible. Thick stone walls and these beautiful old arched ceilings that make the whole place feel historic and unique.

It is compact and we are all sleeping in the same room, but it is such a cool space. The shower is excellent, the beds are super comfortable, everything is really clean, and the overall feel of the place is just fantastic.

Definitely one of my favourite places we have stayed so far.

We hung out inside for a while until the grocery store reopened at 5:00. Once it did we wandered across the road and grabbed a few things for dinner.

Back at the apartment we settled in for the evening. We played a few rounds of Monopoly Deal, which has quickly become a favourite travel game for the kids.

There was also a bottle of wine waiting for Kia and I in the apartment and a small bag of rosemary croissant biscuits for the kids.

So we spent the evening relaxing, playing cards, snacking and enjoying the cosy little space.

For dinner we cooked a simple chicken noodle stir fry before settling in to watch a movie together.

All in all it was a really enjoyable travel day. The actual train journey was short and easy. The hardest part was just getting to and from the stations in the rain.

Now we’re looking forward to getting out and exploring Lecce tomorrow.