Unexpected moments in Otranto

I am not one of those people who spend hours studying a place and deciding what to do before I get there. Perhaps I should.... but although it would be a sensible thing to do, I have found that the best bits of travelling are the unexpected and unplanned hapenchances. I like surprises.

We decided to come to Otranto because of its convenient step off position on the way to Corfu.
What I didn't expect was the fantastic medieval city that unfolded. One step into its 11th century cathedral left me completely speechless. The floor is an enormous mosaic, depicting a glorious mix of biblical fantasy facts and fable. It centres around the "tree of life" with Adam and Eve, Noah and the Ark, King Harold, Tower of Babel, The Inferno along with dragons and monsters.. Oh and also a unicorn,chess boards and surreal imagary akin to Heironymous Bosch. Bizarre and wonderful.

 It's apparently the best and largest medieval mosaic in the world, laid in 1123. It was strangely moving to see this work, done by 12th century monks, full of humour and wild imagination at a time of plague and constant turmoil.

I also popped into its aragonese castle. Not only was that mind blowing in itself, but it housed an exhibition by the Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani. The portraits were powerful and thought provoking...another surprise delight.

It's winding streets unfold nooks and crannies. Too narrow for most cars, there is always a tiny Fiat scattering diners, trying its best to negotiate the impossible, as people flatten themselves against buildings to let it past and a torrent of Italian erupts. 

As in parts of Croatia and Montenegro the local stone is white, with cobbled streets polished to a smooth shine with centuries of feet. On the parapets of the city wall there are bumps at intervals apparently to allow the cannons to be rolled up more easily , but now serving to stop tourists sliding around with selfie sticks in one hand and ice creams in the other.

One other unknown gem for me was the Saracen towers that we could see dotting the coast on the way past. Built in the 16th century as watchtowers at strategic points, and forming a communication system by means of smoke and fire signals. A sort of national guard .....'because of both unreliable performance by its guards and their lack of weaponry, the level of actual protection offered by the towers was often unpredictable'....sounds a bit like Dad's Army.         M