Off across the Aegean sea

Bari, Italy

We woke up at 6:30 but I was still very tired and didn’t want to get going. Still after breakfast, we went to the Lounge and got our tickets for Tuili houses and Sasse di Matera. The weather is cool but I’m good with that.

No immigration. Just the usual walk off the ship and onto the bus. There were only 32 of us on a bus for 50 people. That’s nice as there’s lots of room and little hassle with stops.

We wound our way out to a superhighway and out of town toward Sassi di Matera about 1  ½ hrs away.

Tuili houses

These are squat conical shaped houses that were built long ago out of local stones and resemble the onion domes in Russia. They were built this way because when the conquest came, and the soldiers and their minions demanded taxes for buildings, they would tear down the buildings to avoid the tax. After the bad guys left, they would rebuilt them by placing the stones in concentric, ever smaller circles and top it with a head stone. They aren’t very large and were used for humans and animals.

Along the way

There was a great deal of highway construction to double the width of the road and as we whizzed along, in a desolate side road, I spotted a very thin, very tall, lovely woman in very high heels and very short shorts. Well I confess my idea was not very flattering and so I passed it off as my ignorance. However, later on, past the major part of the construction, was another similarly unclad lovely lady. This time I couldn’t ignore the reality. How convenient: the guys get a break and refresh themselves with the ladies.

On the way back I saw two more ladies and this time I noticed a small shed nearby about the size of the chicken coops we used to lock the hens in overnight. The one woman’s image passed so quickly I can’t remark on her looks, but the last woman was clearly no spring chicken, rather plump, in a bikini with a drink in her hand of some kind, bleached blonde hair and ready for business. I also wonder if public prostitution is legal in Italy. I have to ask.

Sasse di Matera

Is a town created out of caves over many years ago. Front pieces have been created so that they look like a modern very dense subdivision all made out of the local rock. We climbed up and down so many rocks and pebbles; good thing we both had trekker sticks. We saw a few churches, but only one inside. It was originally a Greek Orthodox church complete with frescos. A family eventually inhabited it and destroyed some of the frescos and tore out some of the walls. Mold got many of the frescos as well. It was interesting to see how this soft limestone had been carved by people. They even had a place for their animals.

The builders had created gutters to guide the water to cisterns which allowed it to provide a way to survive in this unhospitable area. All of this are is now a UNESCO site.

On the top of the mountainside where all these cave houses are, a modern city has been created using the same styles and stones.

Highlight of my day

One of the tours was of a home in the cave. I started in but it looked too dark for me, so I waited outside where there was a group of probably 8^th grade students. One boy began to talk to me and then others gathered around until I had a bee hive of giggling boys and girls. They wanted to see if I spoke Italian. One tried to speak Arabic to me. I tried my Spanish but the one girl who supposedly spoke Spanish wouldn’t come forward. One girl had pretty good English but probably like me with my Spanish, she had exhausted her mastery. But I had so much fun with these kids. I didn’t understand that they wanted to know where I was from. When I said Los Angeles, there was a big whoop. Later in response to something, I said Hollywood and one asked about Oscars. None of this made much sense but it was such fun. One little guy: “An-to-nio!” wanted to know my name. they got the “bonnie” part. It was just so much fun and made my day. Ed got a video of it and put it on FB.

Lunch

Was in a local restaurant. They had red wine for everyone; everyone who liked red wine liked it. We had hard bread with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, some breaded round ball, and a small round of some kind of cheese?? Then we had beef with small amount of gravy on it and roasted potatoes. The dessert was a very sweet creamy center in a light crepe like outside. I had water with gas until someone figured out they had still water.

The toilet required one to twist sideways to get into the sink area. To each side was a restroom: one for men, one for women. I have often been transported back to Cuba on this trip as they are without a toilet seat, and often no paper to dry your hands. They do seem to have running water, soap, and usually toilet paper but there’s no guarantee of the latter.

Back on ship

Ed slept the whole way back. I have had an annoying something on the instep of my right foot for over a week and since I can’t see it to assess it, and it is continually irritated by walking, I dropped by the medical clinic. The doc did some kitchen surgery: he checked it out, squeezed it a lot and expressed some pus (well at least I felt validated a little), told me to keep it clean, put some Neosporin on it and keep it wrapped. He thinks it might have started as a blister.

Supper: we went late and Frances and Randy were already there. I only wanted a salad and a fruit plate. Francis is like a Jewish mother and so he brought two scoops of the very famous strawberry ice cream. I was good: I only took one small spoonful.

Photo raffle: a lovely family on board won prizes #2 and 3! And a lady travelling with her young son won the first. I was happy about all of them.

Tonight’s show: the Maori singer we had the other night with the harmonica player. I’d love to hear the singer but we are both tired so probably an early night for us. Another long tour tomorrow in Hvar Croatia. (Hvar is pronounced: hard “ch” like you’re clearing your throat, and then var).