Calabria- The Tyrrhenian Coast
After leaving Sicily we travelled north through a region
called Calabria to the town of Amantea. The German folks we met in Palermo were
headed for 2 weeks to Tropea which is more south on this coast, but we had set
our sights on getting some R&R in, if the place we had scoped out worked.
And it did! Big time so we stayed here 4 nights,
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| View from our room |
rested up since Sicily was
riding every day, got likely too much sun, and had some fine meals at both the
hotel restaurant and from local places in Amantea. Weather has been in the 30’s
each day, and we even got the chance to snorkel. Bonus! The coastline from
southern Calabria to Diamante is very sand beaches with a high forested mountain
range behind them. It makes for very scenic views and daytime heating can
generate late afternoon clouds which form thunderheads.
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| Our Pool view |
We weren’t bothered by
these except for one afternoon.
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| Christ the Redeemer Maratea |
Basilicata
From there we headed up the coast to Diamante and then
Maratea. Diamante had a reputation for having murals on its walls similar to
Chemanius, but it doesn’t hold a candle to our bedroom community on the island.
From there up to Maratea the drive is beautiful and has the 5th
largest in the world, Christ the Redeemer statue perched high atop a mountain
just outside town.
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| Maratea - from the Statue |
The drive up was an experience to remember and one we will
with it captured all on video, and the views from up top spectacular. Here is a youtube video to illustrate just how spectacular it is http://youtu.be/kCtroUN55X8. But the
best thing about the place was our B&B, the Maratea Garden House located
just outside Maratea in Acquafredda. The
kindest people we have ever met in the world. And our restaurant out there La
Pepe, was great food and a superb waitress! Then to top it off Maiteus , the owner of the garden house told
us about another World Heritage Site, the monastery at Padula, and gave us
great direction to it and improved ones to
Castel Mezzano and Pietropetrosa,
these are all in the region known as Basilicata.
Yesterday as we rode the drive was magnificent!
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| Castel Mezzano Yes this is real! |
Videos to
prove it and the scenery breathtaking, for the most part mountains and we ended
our day in Matera a prehistoric city and you guessed it a World Heritage Site
and to this point no Rick Steves!
Mezzano to Pietropetrosa - Check the road tunnel lower right corner -yeah kind of unbelievable |
Matera
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| Matera by Night |
It has much in common with
areas we covered in 2011 in Turkey, see Nevsehri to Derinkuyu to Goreme, July
2011.While here we have stayed in the Sassi in a 17th century Noble
home at the top of the canyon. The city is the connection of two ravines that intersect
with what they consider their grand canyon and it is very scenic. This dates
from Palaeolithic
period times.
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| Caveosa - Matera -subterannean homes |
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| Mans Best Friend |
While known to Italians specifically, as it was referred to
us by our friends Mauro, Betty, Massimo and Elisa it is not well known outside
Europe. Matter of fact we did not see any other North American or Asian
tourists here in our time. It’s part of why I call this “Hidden Italy”. I saw
recently that Rick Steve’s may be coming here soon to cover this area but to
date we struggled finding current relevant information in planning this part. And like elsewhere, we spend time each day
explaining our travels to others who question the presence of a Canadian couple/motorcycle
here.
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| Matera Fountain |
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| Castellana Grotto |
Puglia (Pull –ee-a)
Puglia is the third region or province that we enter in the south
of Italy. Castellana de Grotte and
Alberobello are our two destinations here plus another we didn’t realize.
Natuzzi farms are present everywhere in this region, yes THAT Natuzzi that
makes the leather as in our couch and loveseat in our living room. These people
obviously are in the business from wellhead to pump ( if you were in the energy
industry). Huge farms, plants etc. and it seems beef prices are depressed in
this area. A restaurant we were at had fabulous looking steaks for very
inexpensive prices.
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| Tour of Grotto |
Castellano de Grotte is a world class grotto located only
about 60 kms from Matera and 17 kms from Alberobello. The grotto was discovered
in the 30’s and is the largest in Italy. Photos are permitted in the first
chamber only, but the 3 kms of underground caverns are very beautiful. Since we
visit caverns seldomly you tend to compare them, and yet they are all each
unique. This one likely has the most impressive chambers of pure white calcium
carbonate stalactites we’ve seen, while having a very large opening chamber and
other unique features. The first of these kind that I went to was in Kentucky
(Boones Caverns) and it was special, the Lewis and Clark caverns in Montana are
neat and much more intimate but not as flashy, Sokjen caves in Slovenia were
definitely the largest with an active river running through it, and the largest
highest volume dome, but this first chamber must be pretty close. I’d rate
these highest for color variations.
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| Trullis |
Alberobello is unfortunately a place you have to see, but also
a “Banff” from a tourism perspective, complete with all the trinket shops.
Alberobello is home to the “Trulli” a hut that resembles the Neolithic era ‘beehive
huts’ we found in France back in 2004. Same dry stack build of the roof, only
these have rock block walls and are circular in nature, while the French versions
were dry stack slate rock walls and roof, and could take more rectangular
shapes as well.
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| Typical real ones |
The Trulli is considered World Heritage worthy as well and is also
known for its very hot peppers as can be judge by the picture.
Hot Peppers Anyone?
1 comment:
Thanks for your very kind comments. Your carbon wheel rental page in Brisbane may see us there in the future. We may have family relocate there. Take care yourself!
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