Hilton Garden Inn Matera

... to come walking out of one of the dwellings.<br><br>We found a couple of very good restaurants (Nadi and il Cantuccio) and also explored the new town area which was surprisingly lively with numerous local families and residents walking on the streets at night in an almost carnival style atmosphere. <br><br>We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Matera because of its &#8220;other worldly&#8221; setting and feeling. It was a long drive to get there but very much worth the effort.

Where to start! Martera and the Sassi are absolutley beautiful - definitley a must see when visiting Basilicata.<br><br>Matera,the second largest town in Basilicata is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to its extraordinary labyrinth of caves, used as dwellings as recently as the 1950s, and which are literally part of the town &#8211; under your feet, beside you, and around the next corner. Many ...

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.

... sleeping bags out on the deck outside. The weather was amazing and we slept in peace and privacy.<br><br>The disorganization continued of course. <br>After realizing that we were dropped into the armpit of Italy and then attempting to cross a desert followed by mountains we decided to look into taking a train as we know we probably wouldn't make it to Rome in time with out train help anyway.<br><br>If we were in france we'd show up to ...

... us, but the director, saw the most photogenic spot. <br><br>We spent the full next day exploring the old abandoned cave/ houses, where they used to keep livestock in the spare room (as you do). Some of them had been recreated into exactly what they would have looked like back then, and you could visit the old churches with their centuries old frescoes painted onto the rock. Sooooo many photos taken. Just stunning.

... guide of the protected parks in Matera. He has just finished a degree in forestry and environmental science and knows all about the native flora. It was very interesting, but funny at first because the first place he showed me was full of gum trees and looked exactly like home! Anyway later on he pointed out all the native birds, the native plants and also the pests - like the gum trees. He makes a very good tour guide and it was a really ...

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 ...

Ah, I will miss Cericarica... As I entered the village I knew I wanted to stay. The village it self is situated on the cliff of a mountain densely populated with old stone houses. The town itself is small and tranquil. The people I met were kind, welcoming and keen on helping. When I went to look for a degreasing material for my bike, the bike store honor offered to wash my bike (together with him). And so he did. We took his ...

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.

... the would-be councillor invites us all to a bar for a gelato and a drink, and we share a lemon gelato and drink a beautifully smooth local grappa made from Greco di Tufo grapes (to aid our digestion). <br>I consider the difference between cultures - can you imagine a candidate for local council elections in Australia inviting friends and potential voters to a rustic restaurant and plying them with food and wine until they can hardly move? I guess you can consider it as ...