Hopping across the peninsula from the Ionian Sea to the Adriatic Sea, BRÍNDISI lies 60km east of Táranto, once a bridging point for Crusading knights and still strictly a place for passing through. The natural harbour here, the safest on the Adriatic coast, made Bríndisi an ideal choice for early settlers. In Roman times, the port became the main crossing point between eastern and western empires, and later, under the Normans, there came a steady stream of pilgrims heading east towards the Holy Land. The route is still open, and now Bríndisi - primarily - is where you come if you're heading for Greece from Italy. First impression on arriving is that the entire town is full of shipping agents; and this, when all is said and done, is the town's main business. But even if you're leaving the same night you'll almost certainly end up with time on your hands. You could just while away time in a bar or restaurant down the main Corso Garibaldi, but the old town is pretty compact and, although it isn't brimming with ancient monuments, has a pleasant, almost oriental, flavour about it - and a few hidden gems tucked down its narrow streets. What's more, the town's evening passeggiata is one of the south's most boisterous.