Chris and Linda Italy 2025

Walter and Veronika joined us Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday was a little cloudy with some showers in the afternoon but then Thursday and Friday were sunny and relatively warm.  We spent most of the time hiking various trails in the mountains around us.  Walter and Veronika left early Friday afternoon and headed for Matera.   Tomorrow we head towards Naples where we are going to spend a couple of nights stay close to the airport.  We hope to get downtown on Sunday but then our flight home is on Monday.  How did that happen?

 Sunday was our last full day at Matera.  Decided to take a bus into the city of Bari and wander around the old city on what turned into a fine sunny day.  Managed to fit in a lovely seafood lunch ('cause there has been a shortage of gastroporn around here - how about pasta with roasted octopus!)  Monday was a day of a long drive from Matera over to Tortorella in the Cilento district.  Our place is well up in the hills.  Some amazing drives on twisty mountain roads to get there  (at one point the GPS told us we were 7.1 km from our destination but the actual driving distance on those roads was just over 18 km. - not too many straight streches!)  On Tuesday we did a little shopping run and then had a short hike around our rental.  Waiting for the arrival of our Swiss friends who are going to join us her for a few days.  

 Another sunny start to the day although the forecast for the afternoon was not so promising. A perfect day for a bit of aimless wandering around and getting repeatedly lost in the charming streets, stairs and lanes of the Stassi.  All of that of course called for occasional  refreshment stops, first for cappuccini and cornetti and later, while the sun still was shining, limoncello spritzes: For lunch we found ourselves in a cave (a restaurant that had been recommended by our tour guide of the previous day):  Some light rain had started by the time we emerged from the cave so we headed back to our place - and made it just before some thundershowers moved in again.  Quiet rest of the afternoon but we have discovered there is a concert this evening at a jazz club about 50 m. from where we are staying.  

 On Thursday the morning dawned fine with sunny skies after heavy thundershowers overnight in Locorotondo.  Headed toward Matera on some very pleasant back roads and managed an early check in at our rental. Just managed to do a few logistical things when the skies darkened and very quickly thunderstorms began again.  Decided we would just shelter inside for the evening. Friday again dawned sunny so we headed out early for a hike we had read about that began at the edge of town to the Belvedere Murgia Timone. About a 30 minute walk from our digs into the Sassi (Districts - the ancient neighbourhoods with the cave housing etc.) to the starting point of the hike. A fine morning of sunshine with a fairly challenging walk through a canyon including a Tibet style swing bridge over the river. Finished the walk by mid-day and headed back to the apartment.  Stopped to pick up some bread for lunch and got the local specialty, Pane di Matera, described somewhere as "... a hulki...

Weather forecast called for heavy afternoon showers but the morning was reasonably nice.  Decided to drive to the Adriatic coast at Polignano a Mare.  Some quick research let us know that, among other things, this was the birthplace of Dominico Modugno and he was honored by a seafront statue.   The original and Dean Martin's cover Despite  this unfortunate past, actually a very charming seaside town with an interesting old centre along the coast.    Did manage to get lunch in before the rains came.  Birthday Girl - no candles in her pie! The heavy rains did set in and we had a wet drive back to Locorotondo.  Off to Matera tomorrow.

The weather held off fairly well today - gray but not rainy or windy.  Decided to visit some of the other towns of the Valle D'Itria.  First went to Martina Franca and made a visit to the Basilica di San Martino and wandered around the centro storico.  Moved on to Alberobello, home of the Trulli village, where we were joined by apparently every school child in Puglia on class outings.  After having had the other towns pretty much to ourselves we were a little overwhelmed but at least did manage a quick tour.     And we finally had to resort to Google to figure out what all of the hanging (and sometimes sitting) female figures were.   Quarantana, Puglia’s lugubrious old Lenten maid