San Domenico Matera

... 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.

... and welder's eyewear but had donned suede slip ons and chinos. It's as if all the Swiss dress as businessmen from the age of 15, mind you Swiss women do a mean line in anything leopard print - shoes, bags, LEGGINGS, the lot! Add those to the thigh high boots (allegedly) coming "this season" and voila, instant high class escort...Sadly I only spotted the Lindt chocolate shop as we drove home, I wasn't at the wheel so couldn't ...

... a glint in his eye, before you leave to fly across the canyon.<br> <br>Trepidation was mounting, and all I could think to write was a message to my husband and sons &#8211; in case I never saw them again! I felt less angelic and more like a sacrificial lamb as I was trussed up in secure harness; logic and fear are not good bed fellow. And then I was off &#8211; flying at a speed of 120km an hour, racing ...

... 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 ...

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.

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.

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 ...

... heading for the Trulli Country. Trullis are mediaeval dwellings that dot the countryside in a certain part of Puglia, between Bari and Brindisi, circular or square buildings with idiosyncratic conical grey-slate roofs. There is a cluster of villages famous for their Trullis, and we stopped at nearly all of them, the largest and most famous being Albarobello, where there is a village-within-a-village made up exclusively of trulli houses. They really are unique and quite ...