B&B San Rocco Matera

... a program where they would give away properties in the Sassi if you would renovate them and make them &#8220;livable&#8221; while maintaining the historic integrity and appearance of the area. <br><br>Today nearly 50% of the Sassi buildings have been renovated and are now occupied. You can still wander the streets of the remaining abandoned area and see just how horrible the living conditions must have been. The area is so primitive that is was used as the setting for many ...

... in a humid cave which so recently housed entire families, and gazing across the ravine to opposite cliffs where shepherds sheltered for millennia, we got a sense of how hard life was here for so many. Stepping through the courtyards, ancient wine cellars and narrow streets, however, you do also get a strong sense of the communities which survived and flourished against the odds. <br><br>Tiny ...

This is where Pietro, an old Italian guy, jumped into Bruce and navigated us to the trulli. He saved us from a traffic jam in the narrow streets of Puglia.<br><br>Pete was also called Pietro while in Italy. :-)<br><br>Trullo comes from the Greek word, "tholos" &#8211; meaning &#8220;dome&#8221;. See the pictures of the wee houses.<br><br>We found the Belvedere pub here too - also the name of our local in Aus &#8211; meaning &#8220;beautiful view&#8221;. It was beautiful.

... we get to customs where there's complete disorder. Then we see the road ways. I've never seen so much disorder in my life.<br><br>Last nights rest on the boat was awesome. We wanted to get some sort of cabin, but all were full and we were forced to be deck passengers. There were a lot of us and most everyone crowded into a lounge and attempted to make beds out of dining booths. Chrissy and I were the only ones to set up our sleep mats ...

... and look over at the village from the other side of the canyon. So we took all sorts of little tracks until we found the right one in the dying light - and what an awesome sight it was in the morning, coffee in hand sitting on a rock at the edge of the canyon, watching the mist clear (check out the pics). For any movie buffs, we happened to be sitting on the spot in Mel´s movie where Christ was crucified - so not ...

... who is the sister of my grandfather). Gianluca's mother prepared delicious meals both days we visited and I ate so much I could hardly walk. Gianluca's grandmother looks exactly like my grandfather and she has a fantastic sense of humour. It was quite overwhelming to meet one of my grandfather's siblings and family in Italy and speak in Italian with them! Anyway, it was a great weekend, and I hope to go back there again before I leave! The ...

I decided to remain in Matera for an extra day. The old city, boasting a heritage of nearly 10,000 years is clearly majestic in its effect on the first time visitor. Not too touristy (yet), the city gives out the real feeling of what living in a small, secluded, cliff hanging cave town would be like. One can easily imagine this by looking up towards the still vacant stone houses and caves or looking down at the creak and the rocky hills surrounding it ...

... where the two pharmacists, once again, proved to be extremely kind and helpful. Armed with a dictionary and query Italian, I tried to remember the words for "rash" and "crouch". In the end I settled for a few jesters and finger pointings. "where? where? - oh, down there.. OK..", the pharmacist finally said, heading towards the baby ointments section. The whole process took 5 long minutes; the line behind me grew, yet the ...

Short ride yet breathtaking. Via Appia is magnificent! An ancient roman road which is situated comfortably on the mountains above the highway is also amerced in natural forest and meadows, dotted here and there by small town houses, grazing sheep, pigs or hens. There is barely any traffic on the road - definite a bikers heaven. The mountain peaks reach a hight of more than 1000 m.

... Divino - the name means Divine Spirit but it's a play on words as it can also be read as the Spirit of the Wine - di vino, get it? We are still digesting today's and last night's meal so we only have a mixed platter of local salumi (cured meats) and cheese, bruschetta, and a plate of mixed grilled meat which we eat with our fingers - oh, and of course a couple of bottles of Aglianico del Vulture, and a cleansing ale ... I think you get the picture. <br>My aunts are a bit miffed ...