Matera, Altamura, and Gravina di Puglia

For Greg, today's itinerary couldn't have started any better than it did - with sleeping in for two hours - while his bride went running. I've also been highly anticipating today, excited to do a half marathon time trial. As enchanting as it sounds, running in Italy while fueled on last night's pizza and wine, with only 8 ounces of water and two Gu's, in 82% humidity through the winds and steeply rolling hills outside of Matera - are not the best conditions to PR. Ironically Avenged Sevenfold was singing "I'm not insane" from my playlist.

A beautiful start to my day on the roads outside of Matera. Just me, the huge alligator slugs, and ancient snails.

I second-guessed myself completely when I rashly followed some blogger's advice to spend two nights in Matera. Months into my reservations I questioned whether or not that was the best decision - since there are so many places to see in Puglia - but decided to stick it out. I realized today why our itinerary was so great and why two nights worked well for us - because we took a day trip to flat cities. I think Matera is one of the coolest places I have seen, but I didn't have the energy to spend a second day climbing through the town.

After a nice breakfast at the hotel, we went on the ~2-hour hike across the ravine for incredible views of the Sassi from Parco della Murgia Materana. The hike and especially the views were awesome; it is a good idea to do it in the morning while it was partly shaded.

View of Matera's Sassi from a cave in Parco della Murgia Materana

View of Parco della Murgia Materana - and its caves - from Matera's Sassi

Our day trip took us not very far at all (15 minutes) to nearby towns in Puglia that aren't on anyone's normal itinerary. We went to homey Altamura for the food. It is known as the 'city of bread' and its breadmaking traditions have existed for centuries. Horace, the great Latin poet of the 1st century, told travelers that the bread of Altamura is "the best by far". Altamura bread has a Protected Designation of Origin (for a DOP explanation, see my Parma blog). The strict recipe that only 10 local bakeries follow includes: flour grown in the fields outside of town, water drawn locally, and the main player is the starter that has been fed for over a century.

To make Altamura bread, the baker can choose between only two shapes: high and crossed over, or the typical form that looks like a priest's hat.

Another specialty of the region is the delicious Focaccia Barese. The dough is similar to pizza dough and the classic toppings are tomatoes, olives, oregano, and olive oil.  So yummy!

We gobbled up our delicious focaccia from Panificio Del Duomo in a shady spot next to Porta Matera, one of the main gates of Altamura's old city.

We decided against a big loaf of bread, which we would have got from Panificio Di Gesù (a family business for five generations), and opted instead for a sample of the yellow crumb and a crunchy crust.

Similar to a cupcake with cream filling, Tette delle monache ("nuns boobs") is a typical dessert from Altamura, obviously named for their shape.

Next we went to Lamalunga Visitor Center on the outskirts of town intending to see a rare and unusual sight: the Altamura Man. He lived more than 130,000 years ago, and was discovered preserved in a cave here in 1993. You actually can't see him because he is still embedded in the underground cave's rock, but supposedly the informative tour near his resting site is interesting. Despite the internet and signage on the door stating they were open, everything was locked up tight. Oh well.

So we headed to the next stop, Gravina di Puglia, to see the Roman Ponte Acquedotto that towers 121 feet over the ravine below. Likely the only reason we are here is because it was made famous by the 2021 James Bond film "No Time to Die" - in the opening chase seen, Bond jumps off the bridge.

It was a little disappointing to discover Gravina di Puglia's Ponte Acquedotto was under refurbishment - but such is life in an ancient country.

Returning back to Matera to our room with a view, a bottle of wine, and more pizza was how we spent the remainder of our evening.