After the longest drive of the trip, second only to the journey to Legoland, we arrived in Matera. This was after we paid an exorbitant amount for our laundry in Languaglossa in the shadow of Etna.  I’m too embarrassed to say how much but I can tell you how much laundry was required. We had a great need.  When the bill was totaled it equaled the amount of ¾’s of a tank of gas.  And I’m sure you know how expensive gas is in Europe. Yikes!  I’m still chewing on that one.

We crossed the straight of Messina on a ferry and headed up the boot for our little jaunt in area of Puglia.  We arrived late, hungry and without a decent idea of where we were going.  Always a good formula for traveling with children.  I had a map and a street address but lets just say there are little to no street signs in Matera whatsoever.  Plus a lot of pedestrian areas. And skinny one-way streets. Fancy driving was required.  There was a lot of jumping out of the car and asking, wandering, praying but finally we found it. 

It was hard to find because basically the hotel was in a cave in a ravine and none of the pathways to get to said ravine are marked. You can only picture us at 9PM, in the dark, trying to find our way into it.

The original settlement of Matera dates back to 1500 B.C. when folks lived in the caves built into the two sides of the ravine.  Our hotel was one in one of the caves.  It was wild!  A bit claustrophobic but wild.  It had all of the modern amenities, electricity, WiFi , shower. The boys seemed to enjoy it. All 12 hours of it.

We had a bit of lunch then we were off to Alberobello to stay in a Trulli.  A trulli is like a medieval Hobbit hut.  We are still looking for Gandolf as we speak.