Discover Southern
Italy, May 18 – 29, 2010
Discover Italy begins and ends in Rome. Ambassadors will secure
their own transportation to Rome, which will allow flexibility for those
who wish to spend more time in the Eternal City.
The first week will be
spent in mountainous region of Basilicata followed by six days in
Mediterranean coastal towns Maratea and Sorrento, on the Bay of Naples
May 18, Tuesday -
Rome to Potenza
The evening of May 17 we will gather at a lodging
place, hopefully a convent (yet to be determined) in Rome to get
acquainted. Lodging at the convent is optional (not included in
the exchange price). We
will departure from the convent at 9:00 a.m., May18 by chartered motor
coach to Potenza, the
capital city of the region of Basilicata.
After we arrive at the Grande
Albergo hotel in Potenza, we will have
free time to visit the central part of Potenza. Dinner and
overnight in Potenza.
BD
May 19, Wednesday
- Venosa
We travel north
to visit Cantine del Notaio and have lunch and wine tasting. We will spend the rest of the day in the town of Venosa,
birthplace of the Latin poet Horatio, who coined the phrase, “Carpe
Diem” (seize the day). Venosa has been designated as one of the
most beautiful small villages in Italy by the National Association of
Italian Municipalities. In the heart of Venosa is a castle built
by the Aragonese in 1470. We will visit the 11th century abbey
(Abbazia della Trinità), which is reported to be one of the largest
building projects attempted by the Normans in southern Italy.
Adjacent to ancient Roman ruins, the complex retains its presidential
quarters and two churches, the newer of which was never completed (the
Incompiuta). Transfer
to Matera, dinner and overnight in Matera.
BLD
May 20, Thursday –
Matera
Guided tour of the old Sassi district, visiting rock churches and caves.
The Sassi district with its houses and churches carved out of limestone
are unique. In 1952, the Italian government moved the Sassi
inhabitants to new housing and vacated the area. Water/sewer
systems had not been installed because of the limestone environment,
creating sub-standard living conditions. During the 1990s the
government provided Sassi restoration grants. Now, life has
returned to the Sassi district, which has been inhabited since ancient
times. Bread workshop in an old bakery
and sample the famous “Pane di Matera” (bread of Matera).
Lunch and visit to the Rock Church Archaeological Park. Activity with local people and in home
dinner. Overnight in
Matera.
BLD
May 21, Friday – Tricarico and Irsina
Today we
will travel to the heart of Basilicata to visit Irsina, a small and
ancient village surrounded by large fields of grain.
Here you will have a cooking class taught by local ladies.
In the afternoon we will travel to visit Tricarico, in the mountains.
This village has a rich centre with a Rabatana, a Moorish district. We will return to Matera.
Evening dinner will be in a restaurant in the old Sassi district.
The local people from Matera, whose homes we visited the day
before will be our guests. Overnight in Matera.
BL
(We host our family from the night before in a local restaurant)
May 22, Saturday - A
day in the Magna Grecia.
In the morning we will travel to Metaponto, an old Greek colony.
Following visits to an archaeological area and a nearby museum, we will
visit an orchard. In the
afternoon we will have free time to visit beach in Metaponto.
We will stop in Montescaglioso to visit
the local Abbey with time to have a gelato before we return to Matera.
B
May 23, Sunday -
Aliano, the Calanchi
area and the Maratea Coast
Aliano is a small peasant village where the writer, painter, and
political activist
Carlo Levi remained
in exile during the fascist era. He wrote the famous book,
Christ stopped at Eboli, which
described the daily
hardships experienced by the local peasants.
Walking tour of Aliano by a descendant of one of the characters in Carlo
Levi’s book.
We will cross the Calanchi area, a landscape
of fan-shaped furrows created by surface water erosion on clay slopes
as we travel to San Costantino Albenese.
This village, like many in southern Italy, reflects the influence
of immigration from Albania.
A local person will demonstrate how to make and play the
zampogna, a bagpipe used by shepherds in southern Italy.
Transfer to the costal village of Maratea and get situated in the
Hotel Capo Casale.
B D
May
24, Monday - The Maratea coast
Excursion
along the devastatingly beautiful coastline bordered by the Lucanian
Mountains with stunning vistas of the sea and the sheer limestone cliffs
interspersed by beaches. Free time in the central square of
Maratea to stroll and relax with a gelato (ice cream). Dinner in
Maratea and overnight in Maratea.
B
May 25, Tuesday; May 26, Wednesday; May 27, Thursday;
May 28, Friday - Sorrento
Following breakfast we departure for Sorrento. We will travel
north on our private coach to the city of Sorrento on the Bay of Naples,
where we will stay for four nights at Hotel del Mare. Breakfast
is provided each morning, all other meals are on your own. There are a
variety of world-renowned sites to visit near Sorrento including Pompei,
Capri, Mount Vesuvius, the Amalfi coast,
Herculaneum,
Paestum, and Naples.
The Hotel del Mare is located in the historic Marina Grande area.
This area has been a fishing village for over 2000 years. There
are restaurants and trattorias a short walk (about one block) away.
The hotel has a roof-terrace with a nice view of the sea and the bay
area. Also it has WI-FI internet in the hotel
for your wireless Internet devices.
This area oozes with all the charm one could imagine for an Italian
fishing village!! Click here for a few
images.
B
Optional Excursions
Excursions can be scheduled to the above
sites, which include door-to-door transportation from the Hotel del Mare.
Excursionscan be scheduled after arrival in Sorrento.
Excursion pricing and more
information can be found at
http://www.goldentours.it/en/index.php If
you follow the link the link above click the English icon in the upper
right corner for the English version.
If
individuals want to set their own agenda to visit
Pompei, Mount Vesuvius,
Herculaneum, or
Naples, the local
commuter train is a a 15 minute walk from our hotel or minibuses run
from the hotel to city center and the train station about every 30
minutes. An all-day train
ticket is about 3 Euro.
Optional Cooking
Classes
The Sorrento Cooking School is located on the grounds of the Esperidi
Resort. The classes are two hours followed by lunch or dinner,
eating the dishes prepared during the class. Classes are lively and taught with the aid of an English translator.
Each class is 50 Euros, which includes the meal following class, copies
of the recipes in English, an apron, hat, and bag. There are four
different menus offered for those that take more than one class.
See the Sorrento Cooking School web site for other programs they offer.
http://www.sorrentocookingschool.com/index.asp
Please contact me if you wish to schedule a class or program at the
Sorrento Cooking School.
May 29, Saturday -
Sorrento to Rome
We
will return to Rome by chartered motor coach.
Option: Lodging at the convent upon
our return to Rome is not included in the cost of the exchange, but
exchange director Richard Spencer can make reservations on your behalf.
Cost:
The cost is $1892, which does not include airfare to Italy.
Note:
Due to the
fluctuation of the euro against the U S Dollar the price may change
slightly.
Please note
This exchange will require walking at many sites and lodging places.
The cobblestone walkways in Matera are often wide steps, built to
accommodate the stride of a donkey.
These cobblestone steps become slippery when wet, something to consider
packing walking shoes. Many of the villages are in the mountains
and walkways are irregular. There are no optional departure
or return times from and to Rome.
Discover Southern Italy is an opportunity to experience the region of
Basilicata to which few venture. Natural beauty abounds and
remains untouched in many areas. Greeks, Albanians, and other
ancient people who settled here have influenced the south, creating a
unique culture. I hope you will consider joining our group for
this Discover Southern Italy, Friendship Force International Discovery
exchange.
My interest in southern Italy began while hosting an exchange student
form Basilicata. Later, as a musician in the U S Navy I was
stationed in Naples, Italy for two years. I have returned to Italy
several times since my military service.
Please contact me at 402 488-6930: I’ll be happy to answer your
questions about Discover Southern Italy.
Links
Here is a link to southern Italy at wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Italy
Timeless Basilicata
http://www.italia-magazine.com/files/issue-18/IT18_Timeless_Basilicata.pdf
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