Northern Germany, Southern Italy & a couple of different valleys of the Dolomites

[RB]

Pigeon with a view

 

[RB]

International Maritime Museum- always difficult to get photos of things behind glass. Maritime Museum in Hamburg - hamburg.com





Photo of Tamm & the gift that sparked his passion.


As displayed

 

[RB]

Nice building/garden on the walk back to our hotel

 

[RB]

Hamburg Food- we were within a couple of minutes walk of the restaurants/bars of the Portuguese Quarter

No booking the first night & we ended up here







Another night

 

[RB]

Hamburg to Bari-EW7870-10A & 10C Smart Fare
After referencing flight radar and social media, I had my doubts that this flight would depart on time-Saturdays seemed to have a sad history . Due to depart at 10.35am & arrive at 12.55pm, the booking was designed to not have a rushed morning and to have some time in the afternoon in Matera. No sign of delay messages as we got on the train, check-in was fine with an indication of around a 20 minute delay. A very efficient process of getting to the gate & then nothing. No Eurowings staff to be found as the gate allocation disappeared, no plane to be seen & eventually some later time showing on the boards.
Eventually boarded from the 3rd gate & left around 21/2hrs late. Early boarding worked (but then held at plane door) and extra legroom was appreciated. Comfortable enough flight, had a snack & beer (think it was sandwich saver) & arrived at a pretty neat & tidy arrivals area. We had missed our planned bus transfers & had to wait around an hour for a bus. Mrs RB located 1 loo that was near the Maccas in the terminal & declared it off limits. Plenty of people watching while we waited-heaps of F1 taxi drivers, plenty of people hiring cars & a general lack of signage .

 

[RB]

Bari to Matera
A very comfortable bus ride with free wi-fi onboard. Countryside was very dry, it was very hot and we were happy to eventually arrive. Surprised to see so much rubbish dumped in the highway laybys. A bit out of date but some relevance still ( nowhere near as big a problem as we moved north) (PDF) Sorting through the Trash: The Waste Management Crisis in Southern Italy

 

[RB]

La Casa Di Melory Matera La Casa Di Melory, Matera – Updated 2022 Prices

Only disappointment was that we only stayed 2 nights. This really was an exeptional experience. After swapping text messages with her, the owner had a taxi waiting at the bus stop for us. An excellent location, a lift in the building and a modern apartment with a fantastic private terrace, ducted sound system, an over supply croissants, eggs, yoghurt, cookies (sweet and salty), cakes, water etc. All topped off with a rose on the bed! Mariella was an expert in her use of Google translate & was extremely patient in explaining the workings of the apartment & her tips for our sighteeing. A 5 minute walk and we were in the middle of the action that Matera provided. At the end of our stay her husband dropped us back to the bus station..







2nd bedroom








Back balcony

 

[RB]

Rest of apartment














Part of view from terrace

 

[RB]

Around Matera
Things to Do in Matera: Italy's 'City of Caves' - Gallop Around The Globe

Our first night became a walk around to get our bearings. The apartment was a great location for reaching the crowds- 5min walk & we were in the thick of it. A Saturday night & things were really busy but a great atmosphere.
Next day, a bit foggy/low cloud but we had no time to waste! Again a short walk to the town centre & then basically follow your nose in a circuit that took in many of the sites. This was the first time this trip that we had encountered organised tours!-certainly clogged up some of the hot spots. We also returned that night to get some photos.
Great spot to visit and plenty to see & the Italians are certainly more outgoing & publicly welcoming. For a country that had such a battle with covid, the crowds here showed promise of a return of former visitor levels

First Night Walk Around

 

[RB]

More of Matera market








First Moretti for the trip





Ist night-simple meal described as fresh spaghetti, olives, capers, anchovies & tomato sauce-very tasty after a late lunch

 

[RB]

Our Matera Wanderings- some early photos caught the low cloud/fog that was around

 

[RB]

More Matera

 

[RB]

More Matera














In times gone by we would have hiked over the bridge!

 

[RB]

More Matera

 

[RB]

Last of Matera

 

[drron]

What an amazing place. Great photography.

 

[RB]

Matera to Lecce
Only a short distance but a bit complicaed by our reliance on public transport. Our hosts dropped us off at the bus stop for to first leg, a FlixBus. The plan was a change at Taranto and then another FlixBus to Lecce. The late arrival of the first bus meant we had a longer wait in Taranto but then the 2nd FlixBus made up time & we didn’t end up very late at all.
During the 1st leg we saw plenty of grapes, olives, stone fences, light soils and generally flat conditions and it was obvious we were in a dry area.
The longer wait gave us more of an opportunity to wander into Taranto, Taranto - Wikipedia ,have a look around and enjoy a sandwich & adult beverage at CafeNinfole/Bar Palomba. -I’m sure you won’t find widespread reviews/wraps for it but service was excellent, the food fresh, we got to sit outside in the shade on a very hot day and had a water view where the Mediterranean mussels were grown. Again the Italian tradition of some free snacks with a drink lives on.
Back at the bus stop we waited a short while under what looked somewhat familiar ( pepper? maybe someone can identify). Our 2nd driver while very safe, also seemed very intent on making up time. We were saddened to see dead olive groves being bulldozed in spots A Bacteria Is Destroying Italy's Prized Olive Trees, See Them While You Can - Bloomberg

A quick taxi ride from the bus stop at Terminal City (more grand in name than appearance) through some of the streets of the Old Town and were were at the entry to our accommodation.









Drink & a view




Taranto Harbour




Olive groves being bulldozed

 

[VPS]

Does look like Schinus molle Pepper Tree

 

[RB]

B&B Palazzo Sambiasi B&B Palazzo Sambiasi, Lecce – Updated 2022 Prices​

We certainly enjoyed our stay here. A very quiet location but very central and easy to get around the Old Town. The high ceilings, outdoor area / terrace all present beautiful views. There is air con in the bedroom for comfort (needed while we were there). The breakfast was beautifully presented each morning & quite extraordinary for just the 2 of us. Although on a grand scale, the apartment is only suited to a couple with the 1 bathroom accessed via the main bedroom 9very hard bed). Also keep in mind it is more a B&B rather than apartment with no facilities for self-catering and there are stairs to be climbed (adds to the charm though). We ate at the onsite restaurant 1 night- good food enjoyed in an outdoor setting & 20% off because we were staying at the B&B.
B&B Palazzo Sambiasi, Lecce – Updated 2022 Prices

All the areas shown are exclusive ue












Views from terrace




Pretty good breakfast offering for the 2 of us

 

[RB]

Around Lecce Visiting Lecce, Puglia - The Thinking Traveller
As we are inclined to do, we spent the first afternoon scoping out a spot to drink & noting some options for food.
The tourist area is flat, there is not an overabundance of seating and it gets hot! BUT some fine viewing & plenty of streets to just wander around and enjoy.