You Only Live Twice

Gallipoli and Matera
The last stretch of our tour of Southern Italy found us meandering along the Ionian coast of western Puglia heading back north. We were excited about visiting Matera, the current European Capital of Culture but first we had a couple of days to spend on the coast in the delightful town of Gallipoli.
All roads in Gallipoli lead to the natural focus of the town which is the Old Center located on a small island across the romantic bridge of Ponte Seicentesco.

Gallipoli, Italy

The old town boasts a magnificent castle and an abundance of churches. The nearby island Isola del Campo is home to a lighthouse and provides a lovely backdrop on the east side of the island. Make sure you watch the sun set with a drink of your choice at one of the sea wall bars there. There are a few beaches to explore, some good shops beyond the usual tourist haunts, and an excellent choice of bars and restaurants, which all go to make a couple of days in Gallipoli more than worth your while.

Gallipoli, Italy

Whilst in Gallipoli we had the pleasure of joining in the the traditional family Sunday walk, the Passeggiata, something we first came across in Naples. On another evening we watched a religious procession wind its way through the old town. Catholicism forms a very strong part of the Southern Italian culture.
We found Gallipoli laid back with enough about itself to make watching the world go by with a glass of wine here, an absolute pleasure

Gallipoli, Italy

Matera is a three hour drive from Gallipoli and nothing can prepare you for your first glimpse of this magnificent spectacle. We had booked an apartment on the edge of the Sassi. The Sassi di Matera being two districts of the city made up of ancient cave dwellings which had been inhabited for 9,000 years, and as recently as the 1950s. Then the government relocated the people still living in the caves to the developing modern part of the city.
Left untouched until the late 1980s, the area started to undergo a regeneration which was buoyed by recognition as a UNESCO World heritage Site in 1993 and continues to this day. To the point where in 2019 Matera was named as the European Capital of Culture. Matera continues to enjoy the spotlight as filming for the new James Bond film 'No Time to Die' had just wrapped a few weeks before our visit.

The iconic setting as a backdrop to a classic Bond car chase to is sure to fuel Matera's continuing resurgence. And it deserves the hype!

Our first view of Matera, Basilicata, Italy

Unless you are James Bond the Sassis has driving restrictions. Which means leaving your car in the modern part of the city. Our genial host met us and drove us to our nearby apartment and when we rounded the corner our first view of Matera was breathtaking. This wow(!) extended to the apartment which had a small balcony with the most perfect view of this incredible city.

Matera, Basilicata, Italy

Matera is like nothing I've ever seen before. A jumble of cave dwellings on dwellings resulting in a cascade of human inhabitantcy and religious worship that builds to create something quite unique and awe-inspiring from so many angles.

Matera, Basilicata, Italy

There are lots of organised walking tours available but the beauty of Matera and the Sassi can be enjoyed under your our steam by just wandering up and down the different levels via the myriad of steps and passages. You may well find yourself going round in circles but it's all part of the fun and eventually you will get to see all the fabulous views  of the city. A visit to one of the Casa Grotta is recommended. These small museums showcase typical living quarters from only half a century in the past but it could be from thousands of years ago. They provide an enlightening insight into the history of the Sassi.

Salvador Dali in Matera, Basilicata, Italy

As part of the European capital of Culture for 2019 Matera was host to a large collection of Salvador Dali works, spread throughout the city. These pieces took on another dimension when set against the stunning surroundings of the Sassi. The centre-piece was an excellent Dali exhibition in a very apt, surreal cave setting. It was in the same church cave that Scorsese filmed the scene of the Last Supper for 'The Last Temptation of Christ' film.

Dali Exhibition, Matera, Basilicata, Italy

The food in Matera, as we have found throughout Puglia was excellent. Given the history of impoverished conditions the local tradition for basic food is celebrated and amplified in the modern restaurants of the area. We had some of our best food on this trip to Italy in Matera. Simple, honest and intense in flavour. A great example was the local specialty of Le Orecchiette Al Tegamino, which consists of a pot of the local ears of pasta with sausage and cheese. Complimenting any meal in Matera is the incredible Pane di Matera, a concial shaped loaf with a hard brown crust and yellow centre. Make sure you try it out, it is a real delicacy of the region.

Dali Exhibition, Matera, Basilicata, Italy

We loved our time immersed in the wonderful other-worldliness of Matera and there was still one last vantage point to check out from the other side of canyon that Matera majestically rises from.

A short drive from Matera around the deep river gorge via Strada Strale 7 are the hilltops and caves of Belvedere di Murgia Timone. Given the almost biblical views of the city and the history that the permeates throughout the hilltop area, it's no surprise the location was used as the the backdrop for the crucifixion scenes, again from Scorsese film.
It's a popular spot with tourists but resonates peace and humility which means, despite the nearby obligatory coach park you'll easily find a quiet spot to enjoy the silence and Matera's unique grandeur. 

Morning in Matera, Basilicata, Italy

Our tour of Southern Italy was coming to an end, and it was almost time to bid farewell, but not before a fleeting overnight stop in Bari. We didn't have time to venture into the city as we had chosen to stay in an apartment on the outskirts near the airport.
But the apartment did offer a stupendous view of the Faro di San Cataldo lighthouse.

Faro di San Cataldo Lighthouse, Bari, Italy

We had just enough time to explore the quiet western Bari seafront, taking in the lighthouse views. There were a few shops and the huge upmarket shopping centre of 'Eataly' to explore. And a surprise restaurant tip, on the local sea front you'll find Le Terrazze del Santa Lucia, where that evening I had one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten!

Back at the apartment with a glass of red wine, we sat on the balcony in awe of the lighthouse and it's beams of light spinning around in the night sky and celebrated a great ending to a wonderful Italian trip.

Faro di San Cataldo Lighthouse, Bari, Italy