Sassi di Matera – Visiting Sara

Pronto..si d’accordo arrivo allora..a presto! Off i go.. vacation..yehhey! That’s how i plan my escapades…at the spur of the moment.

I am going to meet Sara…the two month old baby of my neighbor in Tripoli…they live a flight of stairs above our flat. My friend Cinzia left Tripoli when she was almost due so i did not see her baby. Back in Italy for the usual renew of visa i got the opportunity to go and visit the newborn.

My contact of the South of Italy is ’till Rome..further than that…nada..niente! So i was eager to see my friends but am eager to see too their place. Travel info Florence-Rome-Salerno-Potenza by train. They have booked me to this beautiful bed & breakfast for two days in Matera right at the heart of another UNESCO Heritage site Sassi di Matera.

A very big plus to this visit… never heard of it…googled the place and surprised it is famous worldwide..unknowingly even have seen it on the screen The Passion of Christ by Mel Gibson. Armed with enthusiasm and this time my camera (i always forget it) i travelled many hours by train specially the regional one from Salerno to Potenza…at every small station we stopped but gladly i made conversation with a nice lady from Milan returning home for the May 1st holiday helping me improve my geography…hahaha. Now i can cite you all the stops from Salerno to Potenza..wink!

Finally i arrived in the Station and voila’ Sara, Cinzia and Michele…how wonderful to have friends around the globe and thanks to these people i experienced a real and grand…SOUTHERN hospitality!

My ignorance hasn’t prepared me…i thought we are close by the sea instead we are in the mountainous area and that day it was cold. We arrived a bit dark already the owner consigned me the keys and showed me my lodgings… B&B IL CORTILE wow i am inside centuries old house carved on the rocks.

Early morning though the view that greeted me from my table breakfast which was laid out lovingly by the charming owner was worth all the many hours of travel. The good thing of staying too in the b&b is for the informality but warm atmosphere homely yet very comfortable accommodations.  For the rest of my stay along the narrow streets, nique and corners a leap to the past so vividly real. A very unique experience i will truly remember…never have i walked and climbed stairs in my whole life in two days time…hahaha!Thank you Sara for giving me this opportunity to know and meet your family…this i will truly treasure…till next visit!