"Baking Beauty" Lecce by mikey_e

My memory of Lecce is spotty at best because of the intense heat of southern Puglia. I stupidly came to Lecce from Brindisi at about 2:30PM, when the sun was just past its zenith and it was about 40C without humidity. I had some water, but it really wasn't enough, especially since I wasn't staying in Lecce and had to carry at least some of my baggage with me around the city. As I sweat profusely, Lecce rose like a white mirage in front of me, a city of outlandish beauty that looked like it belonged in Morocco or Tunisia rather than Italy. Perhaps the dehydration was the reason, but wandering through the deserted old city made it seem like I was in some sort of dream induced by eating chilli infused chips just before going to bed. Nevertheless this is magical place of white buildings and streets, like a city carved from marble in its entirety.