01.24.08

Matera, Italy

I am continually amazed at the places the Lord guides me.I drove up from Sicily battling 40mph winds which was pretty interesting.Several times I was literally riding sideways!It is amazing that I did not get blown off the road.Because I had a horrible stay the night before I was determined to make it to Matera.Wind and Rain did not stop me and I prevailed and wow am I thankful.I feel like I am in a fairy tale or something.Matera is just beautiful.The city is built in and on the cliffs of two huge ravines.The caves dotting the cliff sides up until just the middle of this century were actually still inhabited.Pretty cool to walk around and peak in!The city is so quiet and clean it is amazing.

I woke up this morning in my incredible hostel and on my way to breakfast stopped by the chapel on the 1st floor and said my prayers.How cool is that to have a chapel built in the 16th century in your hostel!Breakfast was awesome with some good old English Breakfast tea.Every time I drink tea in the morning I think of Aunt Hilda and John in Northern Ireland.I am excited about being with them again at the end of my trip.It will be pretty cool to sit at the table with the same cup of tea and be at the same place that I started, but I know it will be different!

I decided to roam around the city today and took it easy.I walked everywhere and then found a great café and I think the rest of the afternoon just sat and drank tea and enjoyed all sorts of Italian delights.Of course after all the goodies I had to squeeze in a nap!It is official boys and girls I am definitely in love with Italy.The food the lifestyle the geography is just awesome.The food is just crazy.It is everywhere and the pastry shops I think dwarf the shops you find in France and not only are there pastries galore but pizza and Arancini's which are balls of goodness filled with all sorts of things.

I realized last night after searching some websites about Italy and travel that my trip now is just scratching the surface of what all the countries I am visiting have to offer and I am looking forward to the rest of my life really enjoying all the wonderful spots I have found on this trip.Because I am traveling alone right now, I am seeing everything with a completely different perspective.I have all the great places to come back with my family circled in red on my road atlas and wow I have lots of red circles.

Tomorrow I am off to the very eastern end of the peninsula and then I begin my slow trip back up with Venice in my sights!

PS So this morning when I woke up the front desk explained that in the paper he read that they closed the road I drove up on yesterday because of the wind…HA…and I was riding a motorcycle through it all!Crazy