"Rest" day in Matera

It is hard to resist the urge to explore just one more winding stone staircase, to ignore one more photogenic vantage point... all this on a day when the Pope was in town, the Popemobile is roaming the streets and the church bells are tolling.

This is a unique city and I will probably never visit again so worth spending some shoe leather on. Its improbable history and geography combine to produce something wonderful.

After the crowds from the Papal visit dispersed there were still the usual number of tourists.  The main thoroughfares can be a bit crowded but it is easy to get away from the crowds in the lesser-visited areas.

We dined together, making our departure plans for the morning and back into Puglia.