Park Hotel Centro Congressi 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>

... shock already has started to loose its stability, which turns the motorbike appear to be like a crazy donkey! I struggle with the question now, to continue traveling without repair, or to stopover somewhere, to do the repair.<br><br>I also recognize in Italy a significant cool down of the climate. I have to get used of the winter feeling.

... the ravine with the wind in my face. The flight only last a few minutes, yet it felt like an eternity, gazing down upon the treetops and the valley far, far below, maybe I should have kept my eyes closed afterall. It was both terrifying and exhilarating, and certainly offered an adrenaline rush like no other. <br><br>But this was not a one way ticket, having survived and recovered from the first flight, the ...

... train station in the country and they could give you any information about any train in the country. We showed up to a small town train station and they had to call 2 different numbers to find out what the price was for the train and also to find out that in fact bikes are not allowed on the smaller regional trains. We would have to bike the desert and mountains in order to arrive in Potenza a train from which we could take a State train.

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&amp;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 :)