Have to say that the gluten free options have improved remarkably throughout Italy in the last few years.
With one notable exception: the business lounge of qantas/emirates in the airport terminal. It took them 10 minutes to pull something gluten free out of the freezer (nothing much in the lounge apparently is gluten free).
When they did find their only gluten free offering, we got this:
(Warning – graphic content below)
Some aerial shots of the place we are in.
Chris and Steve left already to Rome then return..
The rest of us leaving tomorrow morning, some to journey home, and some to continue on for a bit longer around parts of Italy.
Coming to the end of the holidays.
Dinner for all of us at our final group stay.
Its pretty touristy, but still an impressive island. Very hilly walking up. An impressive step count and flights climbed on my health app, with some nice views to go with this.
This town was the other side of Pompeii, and it was similarly covered in the eruption in 79AD. Similar to Pompeii, everyone in the town died pretty quickly from either boiling mud or the tsunami that followed.
It was first uncovered about 300 years ago, and the restoration work continues today. Much of the old city is now dozens of meters below the surface, preserved from Roman times.
Spectacular town. Spectacular views as we approached by bus. Overwhelming nausea that took out half the group. No obvious way out.
Slow ferry trip to exit…
First night on the coast.
Staying in a fantastic place…
But not great internet connectivity.
Warm, well lit, wonderful wine…
And inside a hill
From being the national shame to the showcase of Italian cuture, Matera has been transformed, mostly by tourism , into what will be the cultural center of Italy in 2019.
Works are evident everywhere. The area looks nothing like what it did years ago when the 20000 traditional settlers were relocated. It now houses 2000 people in the old part (“casa grotto” or house cave) of town.
