Park Hotel Centro Congressi Potenza

... to get on – it’s funny to watch old people elbow their way onto a bus. We decided there wasn’t much point pushing our way through the crowd as it was a school day and there was another SITA bus coming right behind this one. We joked with the Victoria couple about Canadians being too polite and the next bus showed up half full so there was lots of room and no one had to stand. Another windy trip ...

... not the only ones disappointed. While we waited for another bus to return we chatted with the American couple and watched stray kittens and cats roam and play. How nice it would be to bring an italian kitty brother or sister home to our cats. J

Once back in AnaCapri, we decided to go on a chairlift to the highest peak in Capri. It was a great way to get good pictures and to catch a cold. Geez, the sun would go behind the clouds and you would be stuck ...

... zip wire summon us onwards for the return journey. As I set off thunder rolled around the valley and lightening flashed across the mountains, adding to the drama. Unique, amazing and inspirational, I was shaking when I descended, but happy I’d done it – and survived to see my boys again and lived to tell the tale! I will never be short again for a good story to tell around the dinner table.

This place is crazy. Totally a fitting welcome to this fun country. We show up in the morning from our overnight ferry. There's total confusion as to whether the pedestrians are to get out with the cars or somewhere else. Bikes, we assume go with the cars. Of course that is until someone decided to tell us differently. Everyone waits in the boat for 15 minutes having no idea what's going on. When the doors finally open, the cars don't know ...

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.

... to ask some one for directions. After explaining to me that I would have to continue climbing up hill I slid into the gutter, going down, bike and everything. The man hurried to help me up: "stanci ha?" he said in a worried tone. "Si molto" (yes, very). "De Dove vieni?" (where did you come from?). "Salerno" I said. He nodded heavily and gave me a little push up the hill.

... the old building. Matera has be inhabited longer than anywhere in the world for the longest period of time. There is sone age painting in caves through this region. When we post the pics, you will be surprised about the living conditions that once were. Though some people still are living in the abondon homes. Later, J&K

... were preserved by the ash that covered the whole city. On the way out we found the cutest little kitten which we named skanky kitten. It probably had rabies. We also got distracted by this lady wearing the shortest shorts EVER...in fact, I think her **** was trying to eat them, cos there wasn't much being left to the imagination!! Had a bit of time to do some quick souvenir shopping and to have a bite to eat. So Matt ran off to a Pizzeria and started talking to the Chef and ended up ...

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 :)