After a warm sleep indoors and coffee with my hosts in Pulsano it is time to get moving. The sun is shining and I want to see some Trulli houses.
As I head towards Alberobello the Trulli houses stay to appear. These are buildings with conical, stone roofs from the 14th century. Alberobello has a lot of these houses and the area is UNESCO world heritage listed.
Tonight I finally have to put up my tent and as usual, camp amongst the olive trees.
I continue towards Alberobello. The cycling is pleasant, through undulating small roads in the country side. Stone fences, Trulli houses, vineyards, olive trees and the tiny little three wheels trucks.
I reach Alberobello, take a few photos, wander around for a while and move on. On the way out of town I find a bike route to the next town. Looks good. Lunch is a lazy affair, sitting in the sun, cheese and salami on bread and a beer. The sun is out but only in spirit, it's attempts to keep me warm are very feeble.
My bike route doesn't last for very long but it was nice. If Southern Italy connected all their bike routes and paths it would be quite useful. My campsite is next an empty Trulli house - this one a little more modern then the heritage listed ones.
The dew overnight is very heavy. Condensation drips from the centre pole in my tent into the inner. It's a cold and damp night. The ride into Matera is not so intersting, long straight road, side wind. Probably the least interesting cycling I have done in Italy.
Once in Matera I discover that I don't have a couchsurfing host for tonight. I have a look around the old city, enjoy a beer at a cafe and shortly before nightfall I head out of town to find a campsite. I end up among some olive trees with a view into the valley below the city.
I have a sleep in in the morning, lazing in my tent, reading my book and listening to the rain pitter patter on my tent. As I am packing up the farmer sees me and shakes his fist. I say thankyou as I leave.
Matera is famous for the Sassi - a town built into the rock on the side of a steep hill. In the 70's it was quite slummy and everyone was forced to move out but now it is slowly being fixed up. There are hotels, resturants and locals living there again. Washing hangs outside to dry against the walls. Ben Hur (a big Hollywood movie) is currently being filmed there.
I spend the day eating pastry and hiding from the rain before I meet up with my couchsurfing host, Jacopo in the afternoon. It's rainy and I spend the afternoon enjoying the comforts of his couch. In the evening we enjoy pizza and beer for dinner.
The following morning brings sunshine. I have a wander around the old city, getting lost amongst the alleyways and winding stairs. In the evening I meet up with Jacopo in a nearby village. It is shrove Tuesday and there is a carnivale on. Teenagers are dressed up in a wide variety of costumes, flooding the streets if what I imagine is a very sleepy village.
We have dinner at the butchers. You select the meat from the front of the shop and then move to a kitchen/ dining area at the back of the shop. The meat is cooked over a wood fire.
After dinner we catch the parade - only two floats this year, apparently there is usually three but no one wanted to pay for the third one, another sign of the economic crisis. There is a large party happening in the piazza but the music is not my cup of tea.
13/2 beach near Pulsano - past Maria Franca: rode 70km
14/2 past Maria Franca - past Noci: rode 37km
15/2 past Noci - Matera
16/5 Matera: rode 5km
ODO 6750km
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