Polignano a Mare

​Ci vediamo, Matera. Your beauty was a highlight of our trip. 

Upon arriving in Puglia at our first stop in Bari, I almost told Wes to keep driving. Then we found Old Town and the coast line. We found the pier to be the meeting spot of all the local Italian men over the age of 60. All with a beer in hand - even at 1030 in the morning and wrinkles from the sun. I caught this fisherman serving fresh clams and octopus, a staple in Puglia, served here raw with a splash of lemon juice.

We wondered the alleys and found a marionette artist (didn’t know these people still existed)

Until we found the basilica of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children, who is buried in this cathedral.

The ceiling was spectacular! This church was opened in 1197!

We had lunch, that include a spritz of course, and for dessert picked up the famous Le Tette, the nun tits, because we are all about culture (and I have the sense of humor of a 14 year old boy).

We walked the long way back to the car, and I saw a double arch that I thought would make a great pic. I said as much, but I couldn’t take it because I was in deep after drinking a large limoncello spritz and was doing great to walk a straight line, and Keagan said, “I can’t take it; my hands are full of tits.” 😂

Our next stop was Polignano a Mare, a seaside fishing village where fisherman fish for octopii. We took a boat ride into the colorful grottos. 

A little prosecco, the sea breeze, and the water colors made this trip dreamy. 

Our next stop was Napoli, where we have the cutest apartment for the next two nights. 

The exposed limestone rock with the modern building is perfection.

Matera

​The second oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. For more than 9,000 years people have lived in the caves in the mountains.

Granted UNESCO world heritage site honors in 1993. 

European Capitol for Culture in 2019. 

This is Matera.

This city is fascinating. Until 1952 poor people lived in the caves - with their animals - in the sides of mountains without any power or water. The government removed them due to disease and sickness. It was considered, at that time, to be Italy’s greatest shame.

Today the city is the country’s architectural star. These people still live in caves, but in much different circumstances. In fact, we are staying in a renovated cave house that, on the inside shows no signs of being a cave.

We arrived last night to an opera singer performing, and the acoustics of the limestone carried her voice through the SASSI.

The stairs here among the mountain levels and elevation zones are no joke. 

Today we took a historical walking tour and learned about their complex system for collecting water in underground cisterns.

The area hosts more than 150 churches cut into the rock. We toured one of the oldest today.

After lunch, we visited one of the art museums with a Dali exhibit.

Keagan and I had our daily dose of gelato, and then we all went home to take naps. We spent the late afternoon hours on the balcony listening to the birds chirp - living La Dolce Vida.

We tried to be Italian and eat a late dinner. They typically eat at 9:00, when I’m already in bed. But tonight we held strong and stumbled upon a restaurant with terrace seating. We were there to see the sun set. 

The Old Town streets were teaming with people - all Italians - at 9:30. All were out for gelato, sitting at outdoor trattorias having dinner, and enjoying the much cooler temperatures. 

We are on the road again tomorrow to see Puglia.

Ravello

​I woke up at 0700 to fireworks. Is the village celebrating the arrival of the weekend? I’m not sure. I had a lazy morning on the porch looking out over the water. Wes went to find a post office to pay our ticket. I’m still winning on this trip. 

I’m saddened that we are leaving this village and this beautiful house. This tile work is so beautiful.

And the views.

And the gardens.

But Ravello stole my heart. We drove an hour to the mountains where we found the most perfect spot on the Amalfi Coast. 

We parked the car and then walked up ♾️ stone steps to the pedestrian zone. 

We toured the gardens of Villa Cimbrone where the views of the water below were jaw dropping. While it was a home years ago, it has been converted to a hotel. I told Wes it has rooms and plants. It’s just like The Opryland Gaylord. Same. Same.

Then we walked into the plaza where we stopped for melonello spritz made with the liquor Passoa.

It was delish! It topped my challenge list! We did some window shopping, bought some pasta, and Keagan got his daily dose of gelato. 

We made friends with more feral cats. Keagan and I stop to chat with every one we spot.

This village of Ravello was quaint, quiet, and just perfect with a dose of history and modern conveniences. We all agreed that we would live here. There were tourists, but it didn’t feel overrun or super crowded. Love. Love. Loved it!

On our way back down the mountain we captured this view of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius.

Ciao Costeria Amalfitana. La prossima volta.