Well, I’m off again; this time to Puglia and Sicily, Italy with my sister, Anne. My E. Brookfield neighbor, also Ann, was supposed to come with us but she had to cancel because she needed a knee replacement. Ann, you will be missed and I hope you feel better soon.
Anne, my sister, lives in NC so we did not fly together. My friend, Robyn, took me to the airport but not before grabbing dinner in Somerville. I flew to Bari (in Puglia) via Paris. I had a whole row to myself on my flight from Boston to Paris so I was able to get some sleep. I had about a 4 hours layover in Paris where I dozed. The flight to Bari was uneventful and after picking up my luggage, I met the driver. There were two other ladies, also traveling with OAT, in my transport but they were with a tour that starts in two days. We were headed to Matera, about a 60 minute, exhilarating ride.
Someone from the hotel staff met me at the town square and carried my 44 lb suitcase the quarter mile to the hotel (he didn’t want to roll it for fear the cobblestones might break a wheel). My room is cut into the side of the sandstone cliff as evidenced by the ceiling.
Matera is not actually in Puglia but rather right on the edge. It has a history of continuous occupation dating back to prehistory (the eighth millennium BC), it is renowned because it is carved into the sides of a cliff. This configuration allows for the rain to be collected in the basin below.
Our guide, Nicola, held the tour brief within a few minutes of my arrival since I was the last to arrive. Early indications are that Nicola will be an excellent guide. There are a total of 9 people on the Puglia pretrip, 2 couples, 3 single ladies and Anne and me.
After our briefing we walked to dinner. The town consists of many well worn rock stairs. Beware they are slippery when wet. I will definitely be using my stick to ensure I stay vertical. Local cuisine was served for dinner, meatless meatballs appetizer, a pork chop or pasta, and profiteroles (meatless meatballs with chocolate) or a lemon sorberto for dessert. We came straight back to the hotel after dinner and I got a little settled and when straight to bed.
Fingers crossed for a good night sleep.