This was my 6th RS tour, chosen especially for two reasons: 1) This is the last area of Italy that I hadn’t seen yet. Public transport not quite so easy to manage as farther north, so it seemed wise to choose a tour. And 2) I’ve been studying Italian more diligently recently and wanted to practice it in what seemed to me to be less touristed regions.
As is my custom, I arrived a day before the tour. First things first, I dropped by Vodafone to purchase a SIM card for my iPhone. This was the first time I had not, instead, purchased an international plan. I’ll do it again next time, as I found it very useful to use my phone whenever I wanted. Spent my free time wandering around Trastevere, which I love. Also toured the Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentino near Trajan’s column. This is an excavated Roman dwelling located under a current governmental building. The ruins are below a glass floor, which was a bit disorienting until I got used to not feeling as though I were going to fall through the floor. A fascinating tour.
The morning my RS tour began, I visited the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, still in the family’s possession, containing a vast array of art. I enjoyed the audio tour recorded by a family owner, especially the anecdotes about polishing the terrazzo floors as a child. Since it’s right on a main street, it’s easy to find and makes for a cool, peaceful stop on a hot, busy day. Later in the afternoon we met our guide, the personable Tommaso Pante, and our fellow tour members. I was happy to match faces to usernames of Patty and Kathy, both of whom I’d “met” on this forum. We were then off to a short walking tour and our first group dinner.
Before we left Rome we enjoyed a tour of the Capitolene Museum and a walking tour of the Jewish Ghetto , with wonderful Francesca Caruso. Although I’d visited both places before, I learned a lot from her informative and interesting commentary.
The next day we were off to Vieste via a stop to see Hadrian’s villa. It was interesting to me to learn that Hadrian didn’t particularly like city life in Rome, so he moved not only his home but the entire seat of government to the country.
We were pleased to learn, upon arrival in Vieste, that the city was celebrating its local saint, Santa Maria di Merino, with processions, concerts and fireworks. We also enjoyed a boat ride along the coast, dotted with scenic caves and beaches. The weather wasn’t optimal — cold and rainy — so the optional stops for swimming were cancelled. Although Vieste was a charming small city, this was one stop I would have omitted in favor of more time elsewhere.
Our next stop after Vieste was Alberobello, home of the round stone homes with conical roofs. Our time there was somewhat limited, with a wine, meat and cheese tasting and an hour or so to explore. Then we were off again, headed to Matera.
I was especially looking forward to seeing Matera. I belong to an Italian language group in Portland and had watched a fascinating Italian documentary about the history and revitalization of the cave homes in the town and the selection of Matera as European Capital of Culture in 2019. Seeing the town was fascinating, especially a home abandoned with furnishings and belongings when the government forced the residents to move to more safe, modern apartments. Our hotel, built into the side of a canyon, with cave-like rooms, was wonderful. All our rooms had views of the city lit up at night, and many had terraced areas with tables and chairs. We had a great impromptu happy hour there one night. I would have liked to stay here a little longer. There’s a historic cave with frescoes of saints located a few km. from the city that wasn’t included in the tour, and we didn’t have enough free time for me to schedule a private visit.