Day 25 Monday 9 September

Both our colds are bad, Vern making a little progress better, but me getting worse. The only consolation is that I haven’t as yet lost my taste. So we enjoyed our last little buffet and good coffee before getting a taxi to new town to pick up our rental car.

Avis is on the other side of new town, and it was interesting and surprising to see how big Matera is as we spent all of our time in the Sassi (old town). We did the paperwork and got pointed in the direction of our wheels for the next 9 days – a VW Polo, manual. We call her ‘Pollo’ complete with accent – kind of like Paul-o. No Nav or upgrade this time, but we have iPad sim so that does us fine. A little anxiety as we navigated out of town, but it was only a few turns and we were on the Strada and an hour and a half away from our new home for 5 nights at Polignano a Mare.

The Italian drivers are a mixed bunch ranging from lots of terrible to some very good. I have noted a few of the rules we have learnt.

Indicators – what are they?

Traffic lights = when red speed up. In fact very few lights, as people don’t need them …

Lane marking – what did they put them there for – I drive where I wish

Speed limit – what does limit mean?

Pedestrian – if one walks out to cross the road, stop or go round them

Merge like a zip – we enter and you make way

Texting while driving – of course, even on a scooter.

Something not right? – Stop and wave hands and have an argument.

Seize the moment – always look for a gap and take it.

Unmarked roads – drive in middle and only pull over to the right (your side) at the last minute.

Claim the road.

Don’t yield to oncoming traffic when squeezing through is more fun

Just follow the blue and white arrow sign (indicates direction of travel).

Rules for pedestrian

Cross walk or pedestrian crossing – is for decoration but fun to use

To cross road, enter traffic, make eye contact and walk confidently.

Do not wait for the traffic to stop, you must enter and see if it stops.

Traffic lights are not available at all crossing – some just have orange flashing all the time which means proceed with caution. Right.

Back to our trip – not scenic and despite the marked motorway it was still a bit nerve wracking driving as the Italians do not indicate or stay in their lanes or stick to a speed limit. Our google couldn’t find the address correctly and had us on the wrong side of the highway for our accommodation, but we had line of sight and got there easily enough. Our hosts are just lovely, very welcoming and our room is very spacious and airy with the smell of sea air surrounding us. It is rocky and dry and reminds us a bit of Marjorca island or somewhere North Queensland – but not as pretty or green as either of those places.

We unpacked and then went into town to find some lunch. Polignano is about a 10 minute drive down the road, we are staying just out in a villa which makes for a peaceful location, free and easy parking, and smooth day tripping entry and exits.

Marielle had given us some directions to a parking lot, but we took a wrong turn and ended up in a rip off place who told us €3 and then wouldn’t give us change for €5. Really don’t like this Italian trait. Ah well karma bus hopefully will come to pick him up.

When we got to old town, a lot of places were closing as it was close to 3pm, but we managed to get a pizza in the square to share – with courgette flowers and salami (which was actually a prosciutto type ham). The pizza was nice enough but as mentioned before I am used to a more flavoursome topping being the hero, not the base. Also our colds are probably masking some of the flavour as well and not helping.

We made our way back to the car park, stopping at the one supermarket close by. It was not Tallin by any means, but had a wonderful array of local foods and an impressive seafood section. We will probably come back and picnic from here, in the meantime we just got some waters and headed home for a shower and rest.

Our hosts were around when we got back and kindly gave us a recommendation for dinner and rung and made us reservations locally. The restaurant was a 5 minute drive to the little port at San Vito in the other direction from Polignano. The restaurant is in an old Benedictine monastery in front of a quaint little harbour-port with small coloured fishing boats – a very romantic story book scene.

We shared a grilled vegetable and steak dinner which was simple but pleasant. Beef here is not as flavoursome as home – almost like aged veal, but still good to get some iron in there to fight our bugs and keep us going. We cannot live by bread alone … spoilt kiwi. Vern had a very nice Italian Rose beer, and I a nice white wine. I did ask for red, but things get lost in translation sometimes – even if you point at the item at the menu…

When we left the restaurant it was such a lovely scene we paused to dreamily enjoy it. A moderate cooling sea breeze refreshed us as we watched the small coloured fishing boats bobbing around in the gentle waves, a big ferry slowing moved along the horizon twinkling against the dark night sky which was getting illuminated dramatically in the distance by a random lightening storm. One of those moments again you cant buy, and gets banked into your memory to enjoy again.