Matera

3/10/2008
The drive to Matera was very different countryside with gray soil, ploughed fields ready for sowing and many vineyards. We saw many hilltop towns which would appear in the distance and disappear around the next bend without any viable road leading to them.
Matera is an extra ordinary town and does not disappont with its uniqueness. Stone houses carved out of caves and cliffs called the sassi. People lived in them up until the 1950's until forced to relocate to new government housing. The cares are now a tourist attraction and where some movies have been shot here including Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ".
We had booked our accommodation ahead and called into the Tourist Information to ask directions. A very nice man rang our landlord who said he would send someone to meet us. A guy arrived on a motor bike who didn't speak much english but with some arm waving and gesturing we indicated where we had parked the car. Then followed him through the narrow lanes which we thought were one way but as cars were coming towards us we would breathe in as we squeezed past.
With a map we had from the tourist information we did a walking tour of the sassi which is a UNESCO world heritage site. We went into a cave/house which has been restored depicting how people lived when it was inhabited. We also visited a church built into the rocks which has quite a few frescoes and holds art exhibitions.
We passed a small garden where grapes were growing and just near the wall there was a basket with figs and grapes int it. I was pointing it out to Bob when an elderly Italian gentleman popped up on the other side of the wall and gesticulated to help ourselves. Then came over and offered us some chattering away in Italian all the time. We took a fig and he insisted we try his grapes too. I wanted to take his photo but he insisted only his family can take his photo... so I didn't. He gave us more grapes and chattered on and we understood he was saying he was 75. We gave him a gold kangaroo and when he realised what it was his eyebrows shot up and he said he did not want payment. We said it was a gift and he looked very pleased when .... and we left him munching grapes and calling out grazie!
That night we had dinner at the restaurant that was connected to the accomodation and who should be our waiter but our guide. He was quite amusing and he reminded us of Manuel from "Fawlty Towers". An American couple were ordering their meal and they wanted to share a course. Manuel told them no... not possible. The lady asked why not but he kept repeating not possible... not possible. We were going to do the same, but after their experience decided to order separately. I ordered mussels and Bob ordered scampi and prawns and he brought bothe dishes and put them in the middle of the table .... to share, could not work that one out at all! Manuel kept walking past the table and would say... it's okay? and we would nod and give the thumbs up! As soon as we finished the last mouthful the dishes were wisked away!
Our accommodation is actually a cave but it was not the best experience as I found it quite claustrophobic. There is obviously a problem with damp as all the furnishings had a damp feel to it
and the air conditioning unit ran flat out and a humidifier as well, which was full of water. I did not sleep well and found it hard to breathe.