Matera

May 15, 2019

Today’s ride was the polar opposite of yesterday’s, and great from top to bottom. It’s another day where afternoon showers threaten, so we get an early start. At 7:30 we walk over to the cafe we’ve been given a pass for (our place is listed as a B&B, but this early in the season they don’t provide one themselves because there are still so few guests) and wake up with cherry cornati and coffee. Afterwards we make time for a quick pass through the old town, it’s streets alive with parents and children walking to school. I’m struck by its white marble streets and white houses. Suddenly it feels like Puglia, which is just a few miles further to the east.

We struggled a bit with our itinerary to Matera today. Matera is one of the the great attractions of Southern Europe, and the intensely eroded ravines that surround it are a significant attraction too. With several appealing routes to choose from, we pick one of the shortest. If rains come in early, we can hope to get in dry; and if they don’t, we’ll have time for a short hike along the way.

We leave Bernalda heading east, and almost immediately find ourselves surrounded by beautiful, open farmland - rolling wheat fields and poppies, small herds of cattle, eucalyptus stands. It’s very colorful, and very quiet. Memories of our stressful miles on the expressway quickly fade.

I can never remember what this sea-foam green crop is. You’d think it would stick - it’s such an unusual, distinctive hue.

This too reminds me of Puglia. We’re here about two weeks later than our first visit, when it felt like we were biking through a vast wildflower garden. I was afraid we might miss this show this time, but we’re experiencing a late spring.

The first seven miles of the day are essentially flat as we bike northwest atop a ridge enjoying broad, open views. The Bradano River, which here forms the border between Basilicata and Puglia, flows five hundred feet below. Then, we turn east, drop to the river, and begin the slow thousand foot climb to the historic ridgetop village of Montescoflioso. We allow ourselves time for a short exploration before the darkening skies encourage us to move on.

Montescoflioso, high on the ridge on the opposite side of the Bradano River.

Someone will know what this is. I’m amazed that I could get this clear an image, as the birds are in a far off tree.

Some colorful entertainment distracts us from the pain of the climb as we approach Montescoflioso.

The ride until now has been very pleasant, but once we start dropping from Montescoflioso it turns exceptional. Between here and Matera we follow the western boundary of Murgia National Park. Scenery is spectacular, as are the conditions - the darkening skies never develop rain, but are dramatic against the undulating fields to our left and the national park on the right. Today’s video gives a nice feeling for how fine today’s ride was.

Most of the park is a wild, roadless area, but about halfway to Matera we come to an unpaved path that looks cyclable for a ways and decide to stop for an exploration. We almost immediately encounter a pair of hikers that encourage us to continue on at least as far as the bridge and suggest that we might even see black storks. They look skeptical about the bikes though.

They were right to be skeptical. A few hundred yards later it becomes clear that we’re using the wrong mode of transit. We ditch the bikes in the bushes and walk down to the bridge where we stop for lunch. No black storks at the moment, but other than that it feels perfect to us.

Before returning to the bikes we continue on the path and climb up the other side of the ravine, lured on by dramatic cliffs we can see just around at the bend. Before long we come to a fine if precarious viewpoint, and look across the canyon at a few of the cave dwellings that this area is so famous for.

Dropping from Montescoflioso, we enjoy a stunning view across the Bradano valley.

Beautiful riding, as we gradually drop toward the national park.

Looking east across the national park toward the Puglian border. Just across the ridge the land drops into a deep limestone ravine.

Entering the national park, we find a short stretch of bikeworthy road.

A part of this road in the park must be an old rail bed. Fifteen foot brick walls line either side of the path through a cut in the hill.

Our lunch spot, in Murgia National Park. That staircase across the stream carved out of the granite is so interesting. Why here, and how long ago was it hewn from the rocks?

Look closely at this road. The sides and roadbed are carved out of the rock.

We’re in a somewhat precarious position here, so Rachael takes the prudent approach.

Cliff dwellings, across the canyon. Note the chimney. Human history in Matera is very ancient, with signs of inhabitation going back seven thousand years. It’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited regions in the world.

A close-up of one of the cave entrances or windows.

Surely this can’t be a Sicilian Fence Lizard - lizards could never swim across the Strait of Messina. Must be something related but new.

The ride into Matera is fabulous as we continue to skirt the national park until we enter the outskirts of town and start another thousand foot climb. What a splendid day!

Ahead of me, Rachael exercises this sheep dog protecting his flock.

The ride continues to be beautiful right up to the outskirts of Matera, visible high on the ridge to the right.

Matera! What a place - you can’t imagine. You’ll have to try though, until tomorrow when we’ll take the whole day to explore it. In the meantime I’ll leave you this short video to tempt you to come back for more. We heard this unusual street musician earlier, eerily (and jarringly, to my ears) playing his saw. Now, he’s pantomiming to a recording of an earlier performance.

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Ride stats today: 28 miles, 2,600’ elevation gain; for the tour, 1,450 miles, 105,200’

Today's ride: 28 miles (45 km)
Total: 1,450 miles (2,334 km)

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Lyle McLeodHi there,
Kirsten here ,we are just about to get to Matera so I was reading you blog for your insights and finding them useful and very informative. Thank you.
The fellow pantomining playing the 'saw' is actually playing a theremin. A version of this instrument is played by the Beach Boys in 'Good Vibrations '. It is also played in most cheesy Sci fi movies! We saw a similarly aged fellow playing one in Brataslava a few years back. We will have compare pictures, maybe it's the same guy.😉.
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5 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Lyle McLeodOh, that’s so great! What a good thing to know. I’ve never heard of this instrument. Great story about its development too. Thanks so much for identifying it for us.

And thanks for journaling your tour! I’ve been following it with great interest, especially the past week. We’re planning to end in Rome for next autumns tour, and I’m taking notes. We had planned to bike through Ariana and Benevente ourselves last year until we decided to reroute through the Gargano.

Have a great time in Puglia! I miss it already.
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5 years ago