Column at the end of Via Appia Brindisi is described in various travel books as swarming with ticket touts people in transit, that may have been the case several years ago but it is a far cry from that now. The town has done a great deal to promote tourism, cleaned up the streets and is now a very pleasant place with charming people. There has been a lot of regeneration and there is obviously a lot of pride in the town. It has a nice feel to it.

For centuries two columns marked the southern end of Via Appia the imperial highway from Rome until one of the columns was donated to Lecce in 1666 as thanks to the towns patron saint San Oronzo for having relieved Brindisi of the plague. The remaining column has been beautifully restored as have many of the other buildings in Brindisi.

The historic quarter Brindisi derives it’s name from the messapic age, the term brunda ao brenden meaning deer’s head and refers to the shape of the harbour with two antlers. The huge outer harbour, almost a mile across houses the busy commercial dock and large United Nations base, and a bustling ferry terminal. The middle harbour presided over by Castello Alfonsino is home to the Porto Touristico Marina di Brindisi. Through a narrow channel and past the Monumento al Marinaio d’Italia is the inner harbour with the town quay and Brindisi Yacht Club. There is a small ferry, run by the bus company, which connects the main town with the village of Casale.

The Town quay is quite nice but there is no electricity but we discovered from Tehani-Li who are here, that water is available from the waterman when you can find him. The Tourist Information office is just across the quay and is the most helpful we have ever come across. The art of promenading is well advanced here starting early evening and continuing until after sunset.

Monumento al Marinario d'Italia, Brindisi Decided to spend a couple of nights at the Yacht Club because I have a lot of computer work to do before we go to Albania and need the power but the electricity on the pontoons is very unreliable and is limited to 4 amps! The Yacht Club is on the Casale side of the harbour which has some prestigious properties and a small parade of shops with an excellent bakery. We took the small ferry across to the town and had an excellent lunch at restaurant Picasso which is owned by a Spaniard who’s son is the chef. Very nice people and excellent food at a very good price.

Electric tour buss & guides The Tourist Information office were wonderful and found us a sail-maker and called them for us. The sail-maker collected the sail next day and effected an excellent repair and returned it to the boat 2 days later. In the meantime the Tourist Information office provided Tan with a personal conducted walking tour of Brindisi in English by Angelo. On Sat. 2nd Aug. took the free tourist mini-bus (electric) to the shopping mall and a brief tour of the city. They came and collected us again 2 hours later.