Return to the beach from Matera
After deciding to visit Matera, just over the border of Puglia into Basilicata, I started reading about the town. After finding what it was all about, I couldn't wait to go there. I had planned to stay just one night but once there decided to stay two.
Matera is a medieval town started back 9000 years ago (7000BC) as caves dug out of the limestone mountainsides. With a ravine having 2 rivers converge and a mineral rich plateau for growing food, Matera was geologically a unique but intelligent location to start a community.
The city is so intriguing that I bought a book on Matera detailing the entire history.
The city now has a population of 60,000 focusing almost entirely on tourism visiting the more updated caves from 1200AD. As late as 1952, the last of the cave-dwellers were relocated to modern built apartments outside of the "SASSI" stone houses due to unhealthy living conditions. No electricity or indoor plumbing compounded by disease including Malaria were reasons why the government stepped in and built new and modern living facilities for the 16,000 "SASSI" inhabitants.
As a tourist, I got to walk among the cave dwellings now some turned into restaurants, businesses and upscale B&B's. To purchase one of these 'caves' means spending approximately $200,000 plus the cost of renovating per building codes and permits. Some wealthy people have bought some of these 'caves' just for that purpose. At one time, Matera was considered to have some of the worst poverty in all of Europe. Now it is a thriving tourist area supporting many B&B's and restaurants.
I found a B&B within the town plaza (not a cave B&B) owned by a man named Amadeus. The building was built in the 1800's and Amadeus has renovated it to being a luxury hotel on 3 levels. The bathtub alone could easily fit 4 people and served as a whirlpool of which I took full advantage of. Walking in and around all the cave sites was difficult at best for anyone with bad knees and feet. There were many steps and hills made up of walkways of slippery marble where on more than one occasion, saw people slip and sometimes fall. By the end of each of the 2 days I walked old Matera, I was exhausted and totally wiped out from the sun, heat and tough walking. I would have to think twice if anyone asked if I would do this again. But it was worth all the pain.
Each night on the plaza there was live music and performers(break dancers) of which I had a bird's eye view from my room and rooftop garden. Most people stayed out well past midnight especially on Sat. night where I could still hear a lot of noise until 3am. Just downstairs and next door from my room was a bread store and next to that was a Pasticceria emitting wonderful pastry smells at 6 o'clock in the morning.
A typical breakfast for these Italians is to gulp down a shot of espresso and either a plain or cream filled croissant. Being at a B&B, Amedeus said I could go there each morning and get anything I wanted on him. This saved him from bringing food to the people staying at his place.
The first sounds of the morning was the garbage collectors at 5:30 am. Next came the street sweepers, washing and brushing the marble plaza. Garbage is a real problem in all of Italy. People just dump there garbage bags at the side of the highway and along side streets. Cigarette butts are EVERYWHERE! I see couples, young and old, some with small children, smoking. And smoking doesn't seem to be not allowed anywhere. I've sat in a restaurant with people smoking. Sometimes at the end of the day I can taste smoke.
I could go on and on about the amazing town of Matera. But like all good things, it must come to an end. So I headed out this morning on a new route back to the beach and Villanova.
The countryside all around Matera and Locorotundo, Putignano, Fasano and out to the beach was very beautiful with rolling hills and farms. It seemed to be more cows and hay growing than in other parts. No big farm houses; just really small, cement, square houses with very little windows.
I saw some small amounts of corn being grown and still large fields of olives and grapes.
I'm back at my apartment in Villanova now. The wind has died right down so some beach-goers are back. Snorkelers are spear fishing right here at the beach. In the rocks are where they get the octopus. I see some small fishing boats further out.
Tonight I shall go out to get a salad for supper. And a beer. Tomorrow I think I will stay here, outside, read and stay out of the car for a while. My poor Toyota AYGO. I have put it through a lot.
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