Matera to Bari

 20,000 steps

Decided to go for one last walk around Matera this morning before we needed to check out at 10AM. Nice to see the city in the sunshine and blue skies instead of all the rain we had the last 24 hours.

On the way back to our cave we went down some stairs we had gone down a few times now and read the history, we were actually walking through an old cave church. Looking around more we saw some paintings that were still on the walls, how did we miss this?

Back to the apartment and pack up and have some breakfast. We need to be out by 10AM, but our bus isn't until 11:45 so we decide to walk to the bus station since it is so nice out. We took the city bus when we arrived so we knew the 2KM walk was mostly all downhill. Arrived at the bus stop in lots of time, found a bench in the shade and read. Andre got an email that our bus may not have the logo on it for the company that we bought the tickets from, so of course when a bus shows up everyone is going over to see if that is our bus. There were about 20 of us waiting for the bus. Anyway after a few anxious moments of wondering if it would ever show up the bus arrives and our 1 hour bus ride to Bari passes quickly.

We arrive in Bari to early to check in so again we walk the 2KM to Old Town. We decide to walk all the way to our apartment and hope that we get an email that the apartment is clean a little early. No such luck, but we find our apartment building and there is a restaurant right outside the door so decide to just eat there. Luggage put in a little back space and we order wine, and ping, email that the apartment is ready for us. We order our meals and tell the waiter we want it in 10 minutes, we show him where we are taking our luggage. Check in all sorted and we are back a few minutes and meals are delivered, both are very delicious, we have Orecchiette pasta that Bari is famous for. Wendy with turnip tops and anchovies, Andre's was with ragu. While we are eating the skies open up, pouring rain, thunder and lightning. We move tables out of the downpour and finish our meals. 2 people come by selling umbrellas, I had purchased one yesterday and today Andre decided he may need one too, 5 Euro well spent. Weather forecast the next few days not great.

Back to the apartment, unpack, load of wash done and we head out for groceries. Back to the apartment for a rest up then after dark, a walk along the waterfront that we hadn't even been to yet. We will need to do a lot more exploring tomorrow.

A couple of last views.

The way to our Airbnb plus a bunch of steps

The stone church, surprise to us

Our cave Airbnb

It had a nice courtyard but it was either too cold, too wet 

An electric Fiat, no back seat, would be fun to drive in a place like this, 

A small church on the way to the bus station

Outdoor car wash. No big winter here

Will need to buy some

On the drive to Bari

Better than PEI potatoes????

Good thing we were under cover as it poured

The only guy that is happy that it's raining, Selling umbrellas

Orecchiette pasta

Where we had lunch

The main square in Old Town Bari

lots of places to eat