Matera, Italy

Up early again for another travel day. We all felt that we spent JUST the right amount of time in Rome and were all ready to head down South for the week. We ate breakfast in our lobby before catching a taxi to Fiumincino. I was so impressed with how nice and new the airport was - so much better than gross JFK. We hopped on a bus to get to our plane and then, 40 minutes later, Bari! Luckily we had no trouble with our rental car (Matt got to relearn how to drive a manual transmission) and an hour later we pulled into the parking lot in Matera. Evie wasn't feeling well after the drive, so Matt and Hannah took a car to the hotel with the luggage while Evie and I walked in - and what a walk! Matera is literally built into the mountain and there are these caves carved all in the city, inluding our hotel - Sextantino - and it was absolutely breathtaking. Our room was in a giant cave - literally built into the cave the girls (and us) loved it so so much. We spent some time exploring our rooms and then went outside for some drinks and cards. Later in the evening we walked down the main street, twisting and turning past the big bascilicata until we reached our dinner destination at La Lopa. The restaurant was also built into a cave and at the bottom of the stairs was a cinema that played Italian movies shot in Matera (lots of bloody, naked guys). Then we walked home and went to bed (in the cave!).Read more