An unforgettable experience!
You know those movies and commercials that show the "dolce vita" with all the clichés and you think to yourself "nah, that's just a stereotype. No one actually lives like that!" ? Well life really can be that sweet and without care! We stayed in Lecce in this apartment for a whole week and we had the full Italian experience: The nicest, inexpensive coffee right around the corner, cheese and ham to take home and enjoy on the rooftop terrace, pizza the size of a waggon wheel and with the freshest, tastiest toppings, crowds swarming through the narrow alleys of centuries-old, beautiful architecture, quite corners where you smell traditional cooking throw the open windows, cats seeking a bit of shade and plants growing down the baclonies.
Did I just say rooftop terrace? Yes I did! You know the scene when the secret agent arrives in a new, exotic town ready to take the place of a henchman he is about to kill and they sow the view above the rooftops with wires, satelite dishes, clothes lines and church towers? You're gonna have that view, 360°, while in your pyjamas or undies and drinking your morning coffee!!!
The apartment is located inside an old building but is fully renovated with all the ammenities you could need. Still you get the traditional experience with a narrow balkony overseeing the alley, a ridiculously high dome-ceiling and friendly neighbours.
The city itself is amazing but you should check out more extensive articles about it because I'll keep that part short: lots of history, beautiful architecture, amazing little stores and boutiques. Most of the tourists are Italians so it's not that much of a trap. You will hear German, Dutch, French and English voices here and there. But I think it's a sign of quality that the majority of visitors are nationals and things aren't overprized and purely commercial. You truly get the full immersion into Italian culture!
We had a rental car to visit all the beautiful beaches and historical towns in the area of Salento (the name of the peninsula). Beware of the parking rules. To park your car inside the walls of the historical city-center you need a residential permit. At least during the day. There are paid parking spots along the roads around the city center.
If you are doubting if this is the right choice, doubt no longer! I am already checking my vacation days to see when I can come back. I'll admit, at the airport on the way back, I was as sad about leaving as I had never been before on any vacation. I felt so at home instantly that it was a truly painful departure.
Don't miss out on it!