Hotel Giubileo Potenza

OK, so we're living on an Olive Farm for a while now.<br>Bohemian? Yes<br>Practical? Only when its sunny and only when its not olive picking season.<br>So what season is it now? Olive picking and its raining.<br><br>Welcome to our own little corner of Glastonbury<br>

Destination 400<br><br>km195'864<br><br>Traveling in Italy has turned to be a surprise in two different points of view.<br><br>Surprise 1:<br>Traveling without a travel guide let me take the things as they come along. An enormous extraordinary traditional design of houses appeared in southern Italy to be a main attraction. A wonderful ...

... across to the mountain top village of Pietrapertosa. You are at an altitude of almost 900 metres, and the views &#8211; literally bird&#8217;s eye &#8211; were, I was told, unbelievable. I guessed I would have to keep my eyes open! In the village, before you walk up to the landing stage, there is the chance to sign a visitor&#8217;s book and leave your 'last words just in case&#8217; the tour guide told me ...

... 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 ...

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.

Had a great time in Potenza, resting eating, enjoying some quality time with Pino's sister's family - Olympia, Angelo, Pasquale and Simona. I went site seeing with Olympia and then site shopping with Angelo when he got back from his work in the Batipaligia carbinieri (we went looking for a present for Betty's commune "festa" on Sunday). The next morning, a little weary of re-enacting my Salerno-Potenza journey I picked a fairly close destination and started pedaling again.

... any rider's patience. The weather was nice and cool though; by 9:00PM, flashing my red lights I arrived completely exhausted to Potenza, where I stayed with Pino's sister and family. I dubbed that ride - "the most difficult ride I had ever done". By the time I reached Potenza I was pedaling on fumes... As I was climbing one of the hills towards Olympia's house I ...

Quick daytrip while we were waiting for our ferry to Croatia. Basicly, in the 1970's this town had so many disease and poverty issues that the Italian government had to build a new town. People were living in caves houses and malaria was rampant. 50% infant mortality also. Now it is a tourist draw to see what it was like and ...

DAY 12 - Rome to Corfu via Pompeii This morning we departed from Rome and drove to the ancient city of Pompeii. We new a little bit about Pompeii, but we were given a guided tour that we found to be really fascinating. Not many people know, but Mount Vesuvius (the volcano that erupted and covered Pompeii), is still active and everyone who lives around that area today is on high alert! The artefacts that they uncovered were amazing, from the ceramic pots/bowls, to actual human remains ...

The next morning we left early and headed to Matera... As we were arriving in the city a man on a motorbike/vespa thing pulled up beside us and told us that for $10 he would show us where to park the car, and get the best pictures from, and also explain the Sassi di Matera to us.... The place is fascinating... people still live in the houses carved into the rock... worth visiting :)