On Oct. 27 we departed Matera with the intention of taking two leisurely days to get to Rome. Our first stop was at the port city of Bari, where in addition to walking along the waterfront, we visited two sites of interest. From Wikipedia:
The Basilica di San Nicola (Saint Nicholas) was founded in 1087 to receive the relics of this saint, which were brought from Myra in Lycia, and now lie beneath the altar in the crypt.
The Norman-Hohenstaufen Castle, widely known as the Castello Svevo (Swabian Castle), was built by Roger II of Sicily around 1131. Destroyed in 1156, it was rebuilt by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. The castle now serves as a gallery for a variety of temporary exhibitions in the city.
- A loud but friendly card game.
- The port
- A construction project uncovered this ancient road bed.
- St. Nicholas
- Basilica of Saint Nicholas
- Somewhat skewed interior
- Swabian Castle
We spent the night further up the road at a rural AirBnB. The next morning I got up early to catch the sunrise colors.
- Our digs for the night.
- A refinery out here “in the middle of nowhere”!
- Looking back at our unit (lower center) as we drove away toward Rome.