Let the cycling begin

November 11, 2024

Matera to Putignano

The route and profile. The only real steep bit was getting up to our hotel.

We left Matera about 9:30 after being set up with our bikes. Unfortunately it was cool all day and we had to deal with about an hour of rain at the start. The route went through farm country and on very quiet roads for the most part. Some of the roads were gravel and pretty rough so a hard tail mountain bike or gravel bike would be best for this tour. Our e-bikes had front shocks and wide tires so they are fine albeit it very heavy. The lock they gave us must weigh 5lbs on its own. About noon we passed through Gioia di Colle where we had included in our tour a meat and cheese tasting with a little sample of wine in a local shop. We are in mozzarella country so there was a big dollop of it. We stared to see some Trulli structures incorporated into houses but many more abandoned ones in the farmers fields. Tonight and tomorrow night we are in Putignano with a loop ride tomorrow. Our hotel for tonight is run as a collection of small apartments so Tim and I each have our own sleeping area. It is very quaint and well appointed. The old part of Putignano is like a rabbit warren so we are going to have to close attention to the map or we could be wandering about all night. Click the links for information about Apulian cow’s milk cheese.

https://www.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-cows-milk-cheeses-in-apulia

While waiting to go for supper, which is late in this part of Italy (8pm) we stopped for a wine tasting. We had delightful time tasting.ocal wines and discussing them with our host Massimilano Marchitelli a wine connoisseur who works at a wine club in London called 67PallMall. He is home on a years sabbatical and working at a friend’s restaurant called Mirum in the old town. We spent a wonderful 2 hours tasting and discussing wines.

Our dinner was included at a restaurant that was only open for the 2 of us. We had a wonderful meal in the farm to table philosophy, some of which was a little of the wall as you will see in the photos.

This is the logo for our cycling club and their motto is “I slow you”, I think something got lost in translation.

At the start, you can tell by our clothing it was cool and wet.

Just outside of town was this lovely market.

We passed these cute guys so we had to take their photo.

The entire countryside is divided up by these rock walls.

If they sell this pasta at a specialty shop in Italy then I should be buying it at home.

One of the local cow’s milk cheeses that we tried, it is called Scamorza.

Our tasting of 5 cheeses including a big dollop of mozzarella, 2 meats, bruschetta on focaccia, artichoke and sun dried tomatoes in olive oil. We also had other bread which like the focaccia was oven baked in a wood stove.

Riding around more rock walls on small farming roads.

Our flat from my bed. Tim is up the narrow steps on the left.

There are many of these little pot people around the old town.

A lasagna made with slices of pumpkin and Parmesan and tomato sauce.

Tim’s pasta made with faro in a meat and tomato sauce. The unusual part was that meat was donkey.

My faro pasta with a pumpkin sauce and wild boar meat.

Today's ride: 62 km (39 miles)
Total: 562 km (349 miles)

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