Chris's space

All set to go from Matera and my battery was dead, anyway I got a push start and carried on. Did not have any further problems with the battery so figured that I must have turned the ignition key one notch too far into “Park” which leaves some lights on thus flattening the battery. B roads all day mostly in poor condition.

I went via Alberobello to see the stone roofed houses called Trulli, tourists and tour groups everywhere.

From the Trulli I rode to a small farm near Sannicola which I used as my base to explore the area. Gallipoli has a very densely packed old town.

Leuca is the southernmost point of Italy’s boot heel. This coast has many beaches and is a popular place with the locals.

The ride from Naples to Matera was very nice. Once I turned off the coast road traffic disappeared, winding roads through hills and rolling countryside with farmland, perfect if a little warm 35c hahaha but I was only wearing a long sleeved shirt so I did not cook.

Matera, also known as the “the Subterranean City”. The old city or the “Sassi” is a UNESCO world heritage site, a very interesting place. It is also a registered Knee killer :-).

The 2nd of July is the Festa Della Bruna in Matera and all the streets are lit up at night.

Capri, a resort island in the Gulf of Naples, visited by millions of day trippers. Famous for the Blue Grotto and the song “Isle of Capri” by Gracie Fields in 1934 followed by countless others.

I took a train to Sorrento and boarded the ferry from there to Capri, cost of a return ticket is 37 euro. The ferry takes 30 min and runs about every hour, you don’t have to book in advance and you can get on any ferry regardless of the time on your ticket. To get from the Sorrento train station which is on a cliff down to the port involves climbing down a very long steep set of stairs, coming back I used the elevator cost 1 euro, first you have to find it, just ask a local.

The ferry arrives at Marina Grande which is the main port on the island, from there you can book boat tours around the island (16 euro) and to the Blue Grotto. There is also a Funicular that will take you up to Capri for 2 euro or a bus for the same price. You can also get a bus to Anacapri from the port for 2.50 euro or from Capri for 2 euro.  The round the island boat tour takes you past the Blue Grotto but will not stop there for long because you have to transfer to a small row boat to get into the Grotto and it cannot wait that long. So you return to the port and get another dedicated Blue Grotto boat and come back, took about 2 hours for me because of the queue to get into the Grotto. Entrance to the Blue Grotto is 14 euro and I tipped the boat man another 5 euro. A very busy day.

Pompeii – one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy, quite a remarkable place. The effort involved in excavating an area this large must have been immense. There are two train stations that will get you into the site, Pompeii Scavi in the West which is on the Sorrento Line and Pompei town in the East which is on another line, they both start from Napoli. I happened to get on the one that stopped in Pompei the town, which wasn’t a bad thing because there is a richly decorated Cathedral in the town, a must see. I spent 3 hours wandering around the site, it was packed with tour groups, many from one cruise ship, they were numbered and labelled hahaha very annoying.

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel – Huge and crowded, reminded me of the Louvre in Paris.

Roman Forum ruins and Altar of the Fatherland

Rome – capital of Italy and once capital of the world, its history spans 2,500 years, population 4.3 million. Lots of things to see and do and therefore lots of tourists.

Interesting ride to Rome via the B roads, took a while getting through Florence and I went past the statue of David on top of the hill.

Public transport consists of 2 metro lines, trains, trams and busses. I bought a 7 day pass for E24 which covers all forms of transport. The metro lines are easy to navigate but the rest are not. I found an app that helps get from A to B, very useful, Citymapper.

Castel Sant’Angelo

St.Peter’s Square and Basilica

Colosseum

Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon

On the way to Florence from La Spezia I stopped at Pisa to look at the Leaning Tower. The road follows the coast at first before turning inland to Pisa. There are hundreds of hotels and resorts along this stretch of coast.

I stayed in a village in the mountains and took the train into Florence every morning E3.50 and 40 minutes. First stop Uffizi gallery.

I then walked up the hill to the copy of the Statue of David and a view of Florence, back down and the Galeria da Academia where the real David (by Michelangelo) resides.

Modena to La Spezia on the SS63, this is a biking road, lots of motorcyclists enjoying the curves and very little traffic as well. Going over a couple of passes at 1200m , cool in the mountains, good ride.

This area is famous for Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre which consists of 5 small villages built on cliffs overlooking the sea. There is a hiking trail from the first to the last village over some very hilly terrain, I took the train hahaha. The train runs through a tunnel emerging into the sunlight only at the stations. Very popular with tourists so the place is packed and I avoided the weekend and went on a Monday and this is not peak school holiday season. It has also now become a cruise ship destination as well which adds another 5000 people to the mix. The train runs from La Spezia to Levanto with the 5 villages in between. The complete journey only takes 30 min and there is a train about every 30 min, an all day ticket costs 16 euro.