May 11, 2024
Day 2 - Altamura to Matera via Gravina in Puglia
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We were awakened at 0600 in Altamura by what sounded like someone dragging a donkey cart up the steps outside our apartment. We managed to sleep a little more, although Rich had a bit of trouble with one of his occasional migraines. With application of Advil and caffeine, Robin got him fit enough to ride, although the headache would last the rest of the day.
We had breakfast at a bakery down the street, where Robin had 2 cornettos (croissants) that she proclaimed « the best ever ». Rich couldn’t eat and contented himself with keeping another cup of coffee down.
Altamura on a Saturday morning was rocking. The center of town was manageable as we walked the bike through the busy pedestrian streets. But the car traffic outside the center was pretty intimidating. We walked until we thought we could mix in well with the traffic.
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Finally we got to a corner that looked workable, so we jumped into the traffic stream and pedaled like crazy. A few hair-raising moments ensued, but we were soon out of town and on a low-traffic road to Gravina in Puglia.
Coming into Gravina was one step below Altamura, but still pretty intimidating. We dodged cars and worked our way into the center, then walked the bike out to the Ponte Acquedotto viewpoint to marvel at the view.
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We then walked back toward the cathedral, where we stopped in a cafe for a coke and a cornettto for Rich since he was feeling better. We took turns touring the church, admired the views some more, and then set off for Matera.
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We followed the EV5 route from Gravina to Matera and can highly recommend it. Especially if there’s a wind from the north! The wildflowers were out along the road and the wheat fields were a beautiful green.
There were a couple of small climbs but mostly we sailed along without pedaling. At 30km/hr, we spin out our highest gear. So we relaxed, chatted, and watched the world pass by. The wind turbines were working hard but we were not.
We once again paid the price for beautiful, easy cycling when we arrived in Matera. The climb into town was a steep, short leg-buster that maxed out near 13%. We took a break halfway up, but proudly made the top without walking. We rode though some nondescript parts of Matera before we came around a corner to a view that took our breath away. Oh my!
Due to pedestrian traffic, slippery stone streets, and not knowing exactly where we were going, we decided to walk the last 1km or so to the hotel. The views continued to be amazing. What a photogenic place!
Our hotel, the Caveoso Hotel, gave us a secure location to lock our bike outside, but we sweet-talked the receptionist into letting us store the bike in our room. We set the tires on Richard’s gloves, and used our pack towel to cushion the handlebar against the wall. The receptionist seemed reassured that no damage would be done. Sweet!
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After cleaning up, we set out to explore Matera using the map and route provided by the hotel. We joined all the other tourists oohing and aching over the views, and generally wandered around enjoying ourselves.
Deciding on dinner was a challenge, but we had a serviceable meal at « Casalnuovo ». Matera seems to have a lot of capacity for tourists. Most of the restaurants looked somewhat empty. It made us glad that we weren’t here in the high tourist season.
Tommorow is a rest day as we’ve booked a guided walking tour. We took the opportunity to wash some clothes in the hotel room sink. Our room is in a converted cave, so it remains to be seen whether anything will dry over the next day!
Today's ride: 44 km (27 miles)
Total: 114 km (71 miles)
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