Lori and Troy do Europe 2025

Today is 66 and sunny. We started out with breakfast. They have a pretty good selection of choices but we were really looking forward to a few specific things. They have a good selection of Italian bread which makes for great toast. The specific bread that I like was a little lacking today. There were only 3 slices left. A grabbed 2 and put them in the rolling toaster. It is a conveyer belt that slowly scrolls through a machine toasting it. Well someone must have messed with the controls because the bread started burning as it was scrolling too slow. I tried sticking long knives if there to try and force them through before it was too late. I couldn’t get it to feed faster and I couldn’t reach the toast before it fell through completely black and ruined. That left 1 piece. I immediately grabbed it because the other options were full of seeds, nuts and grains (Lori bread). This time I asked for assistance from the waiter which resulted in a perfect piece of toast. Then Lori walked up and grabbed one of the loaves that was in the back. She hacked off a crooked piece and placed it in the toast maker. It looked just like the bread that I just made into toast. I started hacking off straight pieces and placing them in the machine. Then the waiter walked up and babbled something in Italian that I didn’t understand. Lori must have understood some of what he said because she had a very apologetic look on her face. The guy repeated it a little slower and said “that bread is a display and not for eating”. I immediately started laughing and blamed Lori for hacking it up in the first place. He started laughing and said “I told them this would happen!” We pushed the bread display to the back of the table to save others from the same fate. After we checked out I told him that we were leaving and he didn’t have to worry about us eating anymore displays. He laughed but I’m not sure he fully understood.

Another thing that happened at breakfast was that we met some people from Brighton, Mich. I had my Higgins Lake shirt on and they recognized it and asked us if we were from there. We compared travel stories as they were on the reverse route as us. They gave us some good pointers and we passed on some to them as well.

We were given a bottle of Olive Oil as a gift when we checked out. Now we have 3 bottles. One that we bought in Croatia and two as gifts from the last 2 hotels. All we need is some real bread and we will be all set.

We headed to Matera. This is an inland city about 1.5hrs from our current location. There was not a direct route so we had to drive North to Bari then head West. It was a beautiful winding road with more olive trees than we could ever imagine. The farm fields were tilled and ready for planting. Not a weed to be seen. The soil is a reddish color with lots of stones. No wonder every field has a stone wall. They just keep stacking them up. We can’t stop being amazed at the amount of stone walls. They are about 3-4 ft high and look like they were precisely built. They are level and there are no gaps in between the stones. I can’t imagine how long it must have taken to surround one field let alone every field! It must have taken centuries.

We arrived in Matera and I was not impressed. It was just a regular, somewhat modern city. Just like you would see anywhere. The old towns are usually walled and really old. Lori found a place for us to park on Apple Maps so we blindly followed as usual. Fortunately, we have a small car (Skoda Fabia) because the spaces were tight. I had to let Lori out before I pulled in. Then I had to think very thin thoughts just to open the door and exit. I hoped that the guy next to me would still be there so that I could get back in to the car.

There was a travel place across from the parking lot so we decided to see what they had to offer. It was your typical tourist trap with all kinds of tour options. We decided to just peel off a map from the stack on the counter. Usually they are free but that little mistake cost us a Euro. The lady was at least kind enough to direct us to the closest WC (bathroom) as we were not allowed to use hers. The breakfast and 1.5hr drive has now made this an emergency! We quickly walked the mile to the nearest restroom and paid another Euro to use it. They are not worth it the price of admission but you have no choice when nature calls.

We were now in the heart of this town where there should be something to see. We noticed a stairwell going down into some old ruins which turned out to be a cistern. This is basically a giant well that can hold 5 million liters of water. It was explored in 1991 by 2 divers who found lost buckets still floating and remnants of things that were dropped into the well access points. It reminded me of the dwarf mines in Lord of the Rings. Then we saw a lookout area that looked like a giant poster of a town in the Middle East. We walked in and found a viewing point which that was unbelievable! How did this get in the middle of this modern city? It was an old town that was built in a valley with ancient homes and walkways everywhere you looked. It was an incredible site that I’m not sure pictures will not catch. This place may be one of the coolest places that we have ever seen! We decided to go check it out and found another tour spot. We looked at the several places that she had to offer and settled on 2 churches that were built into rock. We could not see the churches from our current location but she directed us on a 20 min walk with specific directions. We weren’t sure why at the time but found out by following the path that she suggested.

As we walked we came across several viewing points as if you were looking into a painting. We had walked to the other side of the previous village to another part of town that was more cave like. People used to live in these caves with around 10 people and a mule. The homes were dug right into the rock where they made rooms and kitchens. It reminded me of the forts that we used to build except these were dug out of rock.

We walked deeper into this city and we just couldn’t believe that this unique place was so sheltered by the modern city surrounding it. There was an area that reminded me of the Grand Canyon where people were hiking up and down these painful looking switchbacks. On the side of the cliffs were more primitive cave dwellings.

We visited 2 churches that were carved into the rock with ancient religious paintings on the walls inside. Some were damaged or fading from time but there were many that were in really good condition. Then we came across a tour of a dwelling where 11 people lived. it was a cross between caveman days and the 1800’s. It was a carved out home but it had a wood stove kitchen built into the rock with a chimney cut through the rock. There was a well below the cave to draw water from. The well was brilliantly fed from rain water that was channeled into the well. They had a donkey housed inside the main room and they used the dung to heat the place and then after a week used it for fertilizer. In the 1950’s the city came in and built modern homes around this village and paid everyone to move into the newer homes. Eventually people moved back, reclaiming dwellings and turning them into hotels, small cafes and shops.

After trekking up and down the endless hills and stairs we decided to visit Martina Franca which was another 1.5 hr drive but it was on the way to our hotel. This was another pleasant surprise tucked in the middle of a city. It was a little difficult to find because there were no castle walls to designate the area. Although one easy way to locate these places is by looking for a large steeple. There is always a church or several churches in the middle of these old towns. Listening for church bells is another way to locate them. Apple Maps shades the areas in a light orange color.

Since it is Monday, most things are closed so it is tough finding a restaurant. We walked around the maze of alleyways and noticed that this city focuses on doorways. There are big elaborate doorways at every turn. There are also many tourists taking pictures of them, including us. We found a restaurant and had dinner. Lori had undercooked pasta in red sauce and I had 3 different ravioli with cheese, spinach and ham. Mine was pretty good while Lori struck out again. Maybe she was being punished for cutting into the display bread at breakfast.

This was a short visit as we were getting tired. We drove another 30 minutes to our hotel weaving back and forth through the countryside. It is like driving a street race course with people tailgating and pressuring you to drive faster. By the time we reached our hotel we were exhausted. Between the honking, motorcycles just whipping between cars as if they had their own traffic laws not to the mention the lack of stop signs at intersections we were ready for a break.

I dropped off Lori at the front of the hotel with more people honking. I’m becoming hardened and now just ignore them and wave . I parked down the street and waited for Lori’s direction on where to park. She called me and told me to just park in front of the building and drop off the luggage to a bell hop. I pulled up in front where it was marked as a bus stop. There was no other place to park. I got out and began to empty out the car. No bell hop! I then went in the front doors where the receptionist gave me directions on where to park. Just go down here past the Esso gas station, turn on this street, drive about 50 meters and ring a doorbell at a gate. It seemed pretty straightforward and I thought it would all make sense while driving. I saw the Esso, there were no street signs that I could find, more beeping, I pulled over to let cars past, still no signs so I just turned. I ended up in an alley with cars parked everywhere and could barely fit through. I drove to the end which put me in an industrial district. I drove several blocks until I found a gate with a doorbell. Turns out it was about 50 feet from where I waited for Lori to call with directions. By this time it looked like I developed a colic from all of the head turns. I parked the car in what seemed like a dark woods and walked in the direction of the hotel. I’m not sure how I made it but I was exhausted when I caught up with Lori.

Tomorrow we are going to an Olive oil tasting tour and then tour the city of Ostuni.