2011: a season of great success for the whole Salento and for Salentotime too.

This year our website celebrates his 13584 unique visitors from the first of January 2011 to the 31st of October 2011; the 43% of these visitors were coming from abroad.

In the same period we received 492 written requests of reservation concerning specific accommodation as well as generic and telephonic requests.

Salentotime has been in the tourist market of Salento since the 21stof March 2007; during the first three years Salentotime has practised the activity of Tourist Office in the office set in Regina Isabella street, in the heart of the historical centre of Lecce.

Even this year, November is the month dedicated to the selection of properties that most affect us for elegance, location and amenities; we choose among houses, villas and trulli, always giving priority to the reliability and helpfulness of the owners that represent for us the best guarantee we can offer to our customers.

Moreover, we have a great news for the next holiday season: on the page of every structure we will indicate the telephone numbers and the e-mail address that owners will provide us, in order to create a direct link between the customer and the owner who will manage the reservation requests in a completely independent way.

As always we will continue to offer telephone and e-mail service to those visitors who will need advice, information or clarifications.

We hope to meet you soon in Salento.

During this month there will be another important event called “I TRENI DEL CENTENARIO”, because this year is the centenary of the birth of Maglie – Gagliano del Capo \ Leuca – Nardò railway, which was inaugurated on October 16 1911 by the old “Società Anonima delle Ferrovie Salentine”.
Moreover, “Sud Est railways” will celebrate their eightieth birthday with an exhibition of coaches of the thirties, restored and brought back to their original colours. These coaches are pulled by a typical diesel engine dating back to 1955.

Finally, for those people who are fond of cinema or theatre a course for actors and actresses will be held in the province of Brindisi, organized inside the Drama School “Talìa”.
The whole course will be about Charlie Chaplin. Don’t miss it!

CASINA GIALLA LAST MINUTE  500,00 € for a week:
A splendid dependence in a countryside villa with pool, surrounded by vast plains on the outskirts of Lecce. http://www.casinagialla.it/.

CASINA SAN MATTEO in the heart of the historical centre of Lecce, for just 60,00 € per day (per two people): on the first floor of a wonderful historical palace, finely renovated, you’re welcome in a small and elegant apartment: it consists of an entrance-living room with kitchenette, bathroom and double bed.
The easiest way is to call us and tell us your budget, then we will manage to organize a custom made holiday in less than 24 hours!

These and even more offers you can take advantage of.
Just € 180,00 for a weekend for two people!

On Sunday the 20th February successfully ended in Milan the 2011 edition of BIT, the International Stock Exchange for Tourism. Again this year around 100 thousand people took part to the event, and other participants attended the events of Fuori BIT, the Outside BIT, a wide range of events organized all around the city.

13 thousand stands were welcome in the two main expos: Bit Buy Italy,  a meeting place for the best Italian touristic offers and a selection of international buyers; and the Bit Buy Club, the first European meeting dedicated to associative tourism.

Silvia Godelli, Tourism Councillor of the Apulia Region, satisfied declares: “The extraordinary success of the Apulia Region in Milan concurs with the great achievements in terms of tourist flows. This promotes, especially abroad, life in Apulia, is land, the multiplicity of its offer and its tourist attractions”.

This year an increase of 4% of arrivals in Apulia is expected.

We just have to follow what Shakespeare says:

“If thou remember’st not the slightest folly
That ever love did make thee run into,
Thou hast not lov’d”.

Valetine’s Day is drawing near … make a lasting gift for your loved: a weekend in Lecce!
This weekend just starts with the Shakespeare’s play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, the leading role is played by the romantic love.

 You can have a dinner in one of the traditional restaurants in the historical centre and then relax in a double whirlpool bath with a bottle of champagne, in one of our B&Bs.

During the day, you can reach the coast and have a romantic walk on the beach, or even go horseback riding on the beach.
Maybe you can have a fish and seafood Sunday lunch with sea view and, in the evening, a candlelight dinner and live music.

And on Sunday, just think about a few relaxing hours in a wellness centre, with thermea spa bath, sauna, turkish bath and much more.

The focara is an immense, enormous bonfire rising to even 20 meters in height, which, the night of the 16th January, St. Anthony’s day, is burned up with a spectacular fireworks show on the outskirts of Novoli, one of the small towns of Salento. This is a popular tradition that dates from the XV century. In the last years, about 50000 people took part in this event, that it’s a must now for every tourist or non-tourist living the winter in Salento.

Besides the fireworks show that make the lighting a magic moment, many other religious and non-religious events are planned till the 18th January.

LIVE AREA 16th January: ELIO E LE STORIE TESE’s concert– with intro and ending by Simone Perrone, Insintesi and Blackstarline. 17th January: Vento del sud and Scazzapieti and Alla Bua concert. 18th January: Music round the Focara and Kamafei

FESTIVAL NEGROAMARO WINE CELLARS 15th January at the theatre: GASTRONAUTI E TEATRANTI, a dialogue with wine tasting and performances – at 17:30: TASTE LAB with a brief tasting and analysis class.

RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS The week is rich of mass celebrations 15th January: Young People’s Day with the Peace Parade through the streets of the town 16th January: Festival’s Eve – at 13:00 The blessing of the animals; at 15:30 procession with the revered statue of St. Anthony, patron of the town. These listed events are just some of the events planned for the festival.

The “Focara Festival”: one more reason to visit and discover the loving Salento.

Le pittule ccè ssuntu, me sai tire?
Nnu picca te farina ‘nmienzu all’egliu.

Ma lu Natale nnu sse po’ sentire
se mancane le pittule é lu megliu.

Le pittule la sira te Natale le frice
Mama e ieu me le rriggettu!

Ssu bbelle caute e nnu me fannu male
puru se quarchetuna bbrucia ‘mpiettu!

Le pittule a Natale ssu dde casa, alli
signuri e alli pezzenti.

Li mangianu li ecchi e li carusi…
la uei nna pittulicchia** Mmamminieddhru miu?

TRANSLATION
“Pittule” what they are, can you tell me?
A little of flour in the oil.
But you cannot fell Christmas
if you lack “Pittule”, the best.
It’s mum that fries “pittule” on Christmas Eve
and I scoff!
They are so hot, they are not bad
even though some of them burn inside!
Pittule at Christmas are close
both to Lords and peasants.
Old and young people eat them
do you like a “pittula” my little Jesus?

We welcome you in Salento to delight you with this specialty.
Again, we wish you a merry Christmas!

New Year’s Day in Lecce for two people:
Accommodation in a nice apartment with all comforts in the heart of the historical centre, just a few steps away from San Matteo Church: 300,00 euro for the whole week; 180,00 euro for three nights (prices include the availability of the whole apartment for two people, utilities and final cleaning).
Please, don’t hesitate to ask us more information: we can offer a personalized organization, including New Year’s Eve dinners, concerts, visits and much more.

New Year’s Day in Otranto
Accommodation in a Farmhouse with breakfast service and New Year’s Eve dinner: 225,00 euro for three nights and 275,00 euro for 4 nights (prices include 1 person accommodation in double room).
Wellness packets are available at 350,00 euro, for 4 nights, with full board service (prices include 1 person accommodation in double room).
Here you will welcome the first dawn of 2011, with crowds of people, in the  wonderful setting  of the harbor. After the New Year’s Eve concert, a fireworks show and music till the New Year’s dawn.

New Year’s Day in Santa Maria di Leuca
For a quieter and more evocative celebration, we suggest one of the luxury apartment in a breath-taking Historical Palace near Santa Maria di Leuca: 500,00 euro for the whole week and 250,00 euro for three nights (prices include the availability of the whole apartment).
In Santa Maria di Leuca, the first edition of “The multiethnic New Year’s Day” and the numerous pubs and restaurants with sea view will make your New Year’s Eve special.
Take advantage of our numerous offers! We are at your complete disposal! We will fulfill all your needs and we will help to get a personalized New Year’s Day celebration in our wonderful land: Salento!

On the 14th December, Malika Ayane live concert in Brindisi.
From the 6th December  to 27th February under the sign of Caravaggio: “Caravaggio’s echoes in Puglia”, in Lecce, in San Francesco della Scarpa Church, in Piazzetta del Convitto Square.
On the 22nd December in Squinzano, MaMa Marjas live concert at Istanbul Cafè.
On the 23th December Noa live concert.
Premiata Forneria Marconi will be in concert on the 23rd December in Lecce.
The music in Saletta della Cultura “Gregorio Vetrugno” in Novoli, near Lecce, go on with the festival “Tele e ragnatele” (“Canvas and cobwebs”), that has been offering from years live concerts of some of the most representative Italian singers.
On the 24th December the “Sagra della pittula”(a traditional food fair) animates the breathtaking alleys of Specchia, the wonderful village member of the club “The most beautiful Italian villages”.
On the 28th December in Zollino the “Festa de lu focu” (The fire festival): the fire swallows sorrows and misfortunes of the year and raises hope for the new one.

The city of Martyrs, Otranto, offers, as every year, the New Year’s Day L’alba dei Popoli (Peoples’ Sunrise): the festival, full of events, already started on the 4th December and will finish on the 6th January with the Epiphany; it will reach its top on the 31st December with the Nina Zilli Midnight Live Concert.
From the 13th to the 24th December in Lecce the Santa Lucia Fair.
Many live Christmas cribs will take place, as the Tricase Live Christmas cribs, this years at its 30th edition. In these days, the Monte Orco Hill shines with its 35.000 lights and the ancient village come to life again with shoes-makers, clay-pottery repairmen, donkeys, Roman soldiers, blacksmiths and shepherds seething around. Not to be missed is the Live Christmas cribs in the village of Vignacastrisi, where 300 volunteers make unique your walk through the alleys and the ancient houses of this village of Salento, one step away from the beautiful Adriatic cliffs.

On the 31st December, in Piazza Palio (Palio Square) in Lecce, Après la Classe and Sud Sound System Live Concert.

For these and other reasons you could live Christmas in Lecce and in Salento CELEBRATING.

Alongside the culinary art, also the artistic side of Lecce comes out as usual thanks to its handicrafts. These days, the papier-mâché craftsmen in their workshops offer intense emotions, especially to those visitors interested in discovering folklore. In Lecce there is a dozen well-known professional papier-mâché craftsmen and something like sixty amateurs, so called just because they realize handicrafts in papier-mâché as an hobby and, in these days, they begin to show their precious handicrafts at the annual exhibition organized by the Municipality of Lecce. Not to be missed!

The papier-mâché technique is an ancient art, a tradition of this area, and it has been practiced since the beginning of ‘600. Lecce’s people has always showed a creative artistic genius, as proved by the chisellers’ activity registered since the XVI century: humble workers, specialized in chiselling the “Leccese stone”, have enriched with “flowers, angels, saints, fruits, leaves and birds” the architectural elements of the buildings in the historical centre of Lecce.

The craftsmen of our days (called “mesciu”, that is “master” in the local dialect), in the past worked at creating huge statues in papier-mâché for the Nobles or for the Churches. Nowadays, they use their art to create little statues for Christmas-cribs. One of the pioneers of this art was Mesciu Chiccu Perdifumu, who first moulded figurines in clay and dress them up with pieces of tissue and pieces of paper dipped in the glue, giving birth to the papier-mâché technique.
In this way, through imperceptible changes, the technique of the classical figurine of Naples developed in the art of the traditional figurine of Lecce.

The city of Lecce lends itself to entertain even the most exigent tourist, offering:
- the best accommodations (we offer here a large selection of the best)
- shows and concerts, also for free
- clothes shops or fancy goods and gifts shops
- workshops and ateliers, where you can find arts and crafts or tailored clothes
- food and wine tasting
- Christmas lighting decorations, which brighten up the well-known alleys of the historical centre, …and much more

These are the ideal days for plunging in the uniqueness of this land kissed by the sun, that offers overwhelming emotions in Christmas days too.