Basilicata in October - Matera Day 2

Going down into the gravina on path 406 towards the ponte Tibetano is easy thanks to a fresh breeze and our hiking boots. But we keep left away from the bridge to the opposite side, across the stream and up towards two chiese rupestri, one of which you can see in this photo. 

Going up we are amazed to see some wild boar cross the path just ahead of us, running down towards a green area near the stream. It's strange considering the amount of time we spend out and about but it's the first time we've seen wild boar in the wild so close up. When we get higher up and look down we see there are quite a few of them, and some are quite close. 

Here there are Chiesa Rupestre Madonna delle vergini and Cappella di San Giovanni di Matera. The latter is closed but the other has an opening in the door at the top so we can see a little once our eyes have got used to the light. We go back down and cross the suspension bridge which isn't at all scary, not very long and not very high above the stream either.

 Going up the other side of the gravina is not too tiring because it's still mostly in the shade and the views of Matera are stunning. Nevertheless it's a good idea to have hiking boots, it's better to be able to concentrate on the view than where you put your feet, and it's certainly not the sort of terrain for sandals or flipflops.

Up at the top we decide to carry on to another Chiesa rupestre a little further on Chiesa Rupestre 'Madonna delle Croci (o della Croce)', on path 408. The sign says it'll take us 20 minutes but it's longer than that. Iron bars deny access, but allow us to have a look. The crosses carved into the stone ceiling are nice and once again the views are splendid.

Unfortunately we didn't expect to take so long to get there. It's twelve o'clock so we speed up a little on the way back, stopping to peer in to two other rock churches with frescoes, Chiesa madonna delle tre porte and Sant'Agnese. 

Thanks to our hiking boots it's an easy walk back down to the bridge but there's no escaping the walk back up to Matera where the sun has been beating on the rock all morning. It's quite short but I arrive at the top red-faced and hot. We are both a little tired from the quite long walk, the heat coming up and the lack of water and food.

Fortunately Acquedotto Pugliese arrived in Matera too so I splash myself under a fountain and we wander around a little dazed in search of a water vending machine. It's lunchtime but nothing attracts us. Andrea mutinously refuses even ice-cream and I decide if I don't eat something I will pass out but can't begin to imagine what I could possibly eat. The vending machines come to my aid and I get one of those plasticky packaged soggy white bread tuna sandwiches which I would never eat normally but turns out to be ideal for an overly hungry and overheated stomach. The vending machine then provides cappuccino without coffee for me and coffee and chocolate without coffee for Andrea and we come to our senses enough to sit outside a café near the San Giovanni church for proper coffee.

Mostly restored we wander Matera's streets relaxed and happy, new things to see around every corner, artist's workshops, little churches. Before we know it it's well past four and we make our way home for a shower, proper food and some work.