Italy: Matera – from shame to chic in 50 years

Matera, the ancient capital of Basilicata, has been awarded European Capital of Culture for 2019 and is preparing to swing open its doors to tourism.

Sassi di Matera (c) Fototeca ENIT/Sandro Bedessi

There’s a tiny corner in Southern Italy that has only recently come out of the shadows. Much maligned as recently as 50 years ago as “The shame of Italy”, Matera, the ancient revamped capital of Basilicata, with its magnificent rocky cavernous landscape and its troglodyte dwellings, has been awarded European Capital of Culture for 2019 and is preparing to swing open its doors to tourism.

So is it worth going to visit?

Without a doubt, Matera is very easy on the eye. Imagine a scene of tightly knitted hillside stone dwellings, so compact that sometimes one sits on top of the other. It’s ancient style oozes a sort of mysterious grandeur with a mix of cave churches carved into the mountain and ornate grand churches in the old town. It could sit easily within the pages of Dan Brown thriller blockbuster.

For one can’t help but wonder about all the goings on and strange characters that may have lurked in those ancient cave dwellings of Sassi di Matera (the stones of Matera) for the best part of 9000 years. Indeed, Bronze age evidence of human existence in the area makes this one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world.

From shame to chic

Reproduction of how people used to live next to animals in Matera (c) Fototeca ENIT/Sandro Bedessi

Yet not so long ago, living conditions were so bad that the streets of the two sassi (meaning “stones”) districts of Barisano and Caveoso, became inadvertent sewers, homes were badly ventilated often with 90 per cent humidity and on top of that farmers lived with their animals (horses, sheep) in small spaces. None of this was helped by overpopulation, disease and poverty.

The council was so appalled that they evacuated the 20,000 inhabitants and moved them into square two-story homes dubbed casa Mussolini with modern amenities on the outskirts of town. Matera was now ripe for renovation, and has scrubbed up beautifully, so much so that it is gearing up to be a European Capital of Culture for 2019.

Now bathing in the warmth of the limelight, the city is bound to become the next must-visit.

Go for a walk

S. Giovanni Battista church (c) Fototeca ENIT/Sandro Bedessi

Matera is divided into the civita – the town centre –  and surrounding sassi cliffs. It’s a walk of sometime steep ups and downs and highlights include the sensational views especially from Parco della Murgia Materana, the national park.

The thirteenth century Cathedral of Santa Maria della Bruna made from tufa stone, stands tall overlooking the Sassi from the hightest point on Civita hill. Inside it is rich in Baroque style, with stucco, paintings, gilded frames and sculptures.

Several other churches cut out of tufa stone but a notable exception is the 13th-century San Pietro. It’s worth checking out the Appian Way to Cripta del Peccato Originale to see the medieval cave paintings.

High in this hills is the cave church of Santa Lucia alle Malve, one of 155 rupestrian (made of stone) with extraordinary frescoes.

Film fame

(c) Luca Aless

It’s hardly surprising that Mel Gibson chose to film his The Passion of the Christ in 2003. The sassi caves are instantly recognisable as is the church of San Nicola dei Greci which selected as the location for the Last Supper.

Also look out for the soon to be released Ben Hur spectacular starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Huston where Metera features as the backdrop.

The forthcoming Wonder Woman is being shot in Matera and is due for release in 2017 and stars Gal Gadot, David Thewlis, and Robin Wright.

Check out the bread

(c) Sharron Livingston

Bread making was a big deal way back when. Households would prepare the dough (enough for a week) called Pane di Matera IGP with 100% Lucanian milled semolina grain known as “Senatore Cappelli.” Once a week the trumpet would sound and a baker boy would pick up the dough to take central bakery for baking. It was returned later fully baked. For this service, the baker kept some of the dough for sale as part payment.

Bread is still a big deal and you can taste it at  Il Forno Di Gennaro on Via Nationale, owned by fourth generation baker Particia. You may even get a demo.

Ravenous? Dine in a cavernous restaurant

Baccanti Ristorante (c) Sharron Livingston

Matera has a few rustic restaurants but Baccanti Ristorante does a fabulous Podolico cheese flan with pork sausage as a starter, and hearty dishes such as lamb chops and calf’s cheek served with vegetables

Matera Tours

Package deal:

Sunvil  feature short breaks and multi-centre holidays to the Matera and the south of Italy. A three night stay at the Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita Hotel in Matera from costs from £745.00 per person. This price includes return flights from London Gatwick to Bari, a hire car and three nights’ B&B accommodation. Alternatively, stay at the Palazzo Gattini for £691 per person on the same basis. A seven night itinerary to Basilicata and Puglia including two nights in Matera before heading off to explore Puglia, starts at £1345 per person, including return flights from London Gatwick, car hire and B&B accommodation in stylish small hotels.

Where to stay

Le Grotte della Civita, which comprises 18 cave-cum-bedrooms is luxuriously rustic and ripe for romance. For those in search of a spa as well, Locanda di San Martino Hotel e Thermae Romanae’s Roman baths may tick the box, while Palazzo Gattini provides spirituality with a view.

Road trip through Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a compact country but has ancient cities, hillside tea plantations, wildlife sanctuaries and, of course, glorious beaches.

Sri Lanka is a compact country, not much larger than Wales, but has ancient cities, hillside tea plantations, wildlife sanctuaries and, of course, glorious beaches.

Getting around the country is relatively simple, with a good network of buses and trains, but to get the most out of your visit the best way is to hire a car with a driver. It’s not expensive, less than £50 a day including the driver’s meals and accommodation, and it gives you the flexibility to stop whenever you want. The added benefit is that many of these drivers make excellent guides, just make sure they speak good English. You can do this itinerary in a week, but it makes sense to spend longer to give you time to linger.

Colombo

Sri Lanka Girls (c) Rupert Parker

After a long flight, it’s worth stopping for a night in Colombo and the city is less than an hour from the airport. Of course like most Asian cities it’s rapidly growing a selection of high rise buildings, but it still retains much of its leafy charm, partly because investors shied away during the long civil war. Explore its narrow lanes, lined with colonial buildings to get a sense of the old Colombo and sights include the National Museum, the Gangaramaya Buddhist temple, the restored Old Dutch Hospital, and the busy markets of Pettah.

Galle

Galle Ramparts (c) Rupert Parker

There’s new highway linking Colombo with the south and it only takes around two hours to cover the 128 Km to the city of Galle. The 18th century Dutch fort area is a UNESCO world heritage site and is the best example of a fortified European city in South Asia.

Remarkably, in spite of the boutique hotels and handicraft shops, it’s still a working town with the law courts and schools drawing locals every day. It can get hot here so walk the ramparts and get some cooling sea breezes, watching local boys leap into the ocean. The 17th century Dutch Reformed church is worth a visit, but best just to wander the narrow streets past tumbledown colonial buildings and soak in the atmosphere.

Turtle Hatchery

Young Turtles (c) Rupert Parker

Heading east along the coast it’s worth visiting the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery. The beach here is a prime nesting site for turtles but locals have a taste for their eggs so they’re often stolen. The good folks at the hatchery either collect them from the beach, or buy them at the market, and incubate them until the hatchlings break out. They’re then released back into the sea after a few days. They also rescue injured turtles and you can see a few specimens here.

Nuwara Eliya

Ella (c) Rupert Parker

Turning north and climbing up to hill country, it’s a gruelling six hours on narrow winding roads to cover 253 km. The climate noticeably cools and the vegetation changes. It’s worth stopping at Ella, at 1,000 m, for scenic views of jungle covered mountains, notably through what they call Ella gap, a niche in the hills by the side of Ella Rock.

Nuwara Elliya (c) Rupert Parker

The road climbs further upwards and soon you’re in the cloud as you reach Nuwara Eliya at 1,868 m. This is the capital of the hill country and was founded by the British in 1846. It’s also known as Little England, since the buildings look like they’ve been transplanted from Surrey (a pretty part of South East England), complete with hedges and manicured lawns. Here hard drinking tea planters spent their leisure time, in between elephant and fox hunting trips. It still has a race course and of course, a huge golf course with an appropriate club house.

Tea Plantations

Tea Picking (c) Rupert Parker

Even though the British are long gone, the tea plantations continue to thrive and the hillsides are covered in the emerald green bushes, dotted with workers still picking by hand. One of the tea factories has been imaginatively transformed into a hotel, complete with its own garden where you can try your hand at picking tea. You can taste the fruit of your labours, if you wait the two days it takes to dry the leaves. Instead I visit the Bluefield Tea Gardens Factory and see each stage of the process, of course accompanied by various tastings.

Kandy

Drummers at Temple of the Tooth, Kandy (c) Rupert Parker

It’s another three-hour drive and 85 km through the mist and drizzle to reach Kandy, Sri Lanka’s former capital. The town is tucked on the edge of an artificial lake, surrounded by green hills on all sides and it’s an attractive place. The big attraction is the Dalada Maligawa, or the Temple of the Tooth, where they have one of Buddha’s canines, kept hidden inside a Russian box of caskets. That doesn’t stop worshippers queuing up to see the monks opening the sacred sanctum twice a day. It’s a tremendous sight, with incense, drumming and exotic costumes adding to the sense of ceremony. There are usually cultural shows nearby with displays of traditional dancing and fire walking.

Sigiriya

Sigiriya (c) Rupert Parker

Still heading north and descending to the plains, after 95 km and three hours driving, you reach Sigiriya, or Lion Rock. This Rock Fortress or “castle in the sky” was a royal citadel for 20 years in the 5th Century. It’s a massive monolith of red stone that rises 600 ft above ground and the climb to the summit is reached between the paws of a lion.

Beneath it are the remains of the Royal Palace landscaped with waterways and lakes and there’s also an excellent museum. On the way up there are well preserved frescoes depicting topless women and of course the view from the top is stunning. Signs warn of wasp attacks and they’ve been known to attack tourists, but there’s a caged shelter in the middle of the climb, just in case.

Minneriya National Park

Elephants Reflection (c) Rupert Parker

There are a number of protected areas in the vicinity and Minneriya is known for its large herds of Elephants who gather to drink around the reservoir of the same name. It has all the ingredients of an African safari and you transfer to special vehicles to journey deep into the jungle.

I arrive in late afternoon and am rewarded by the sight of over 250 elephants milling around on the edge of the lake, some of them taking the opportunity to have an early evening bath, as the sun sinks on the horizon.

Polonnaruwa

Monkey and Buddha (c) Rupert Parker

Not far away is Polonnaruwa, the island’s medieval capital from the 11th to the 13th Centuries, before being abandoned to invaders from South India. It spreads over a huge area, fortified by three concentric walls and laid out with an irrigation system and clusters of temples and shrines. You’ll need your guide to drop you off at strategic points, otherwise distances are too great to walk.

The highlight is the Buddhist temple containing four colossal Buddhas carved out of the rock, sleeping, sitting and standing.

Passikudah Beach

Passikudah Beach (c) Rupert Parker

A couple of hours east, is Passikudah, a small coastal village about 35 km from Batticaloa. What brings people here is its long bay, fringed with golden sands, and clear shallow water which makes it safe to bathe. The hotels are all recent developments and, although they’re clustered next to each other, are tastefully low rise and hidden in the palms.

Fishing Boats Passikudah (c) Rupert Parker

At the far end of the beach fishermen still set out in their canoes every night using lights to attract squid, their main catch. It’s a pleasant place to relax but just be aware that it can take seven hours to drive back to the international airport in Colombo.

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Where to stay

Amaya Beach Passikudah (c) Rupert Parker

The Kingsbury, in Colombo, is right on the seafront and close to the main attractions.

The Beach Cabanas in Koggala are around half an hour from Galle and have comfortable bungalows which open onto the sand.

The Heritance Tea Factory sits in the middle of the tea plantations in a converted factory.

The Mahaweli Reach, in Kandy, is just outside the town and overlooks the river.

The Heritance Kandalama is an eco-friendly hotel and sits in the middle of the forest on the shores of Kandalama Lake.

Sun Rise by Jetwing sits right on the beach in Passikudah.

Amaya Beach Resort is at the far end of the beach in Passikudah.

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Sri Lanka Travel has tourist information, including a list of travel agents.

Georgia: Birthplace of Wine

Though the French may claim to have the last word on wine, the Georgians surely have the first: they’ve been making — and drinking — wine for 8,000 years.

If you reel off the great wine regions of the world, you think of France, Italy, and Spain, and possibly Australia, South Africa, and California. But real wine lovers should really be looking to the Caucasus, as it’s here that you’ll find 8,000 vintages, more than 400 varieties of grapes, and a culture which is inextricably entwined with viticulture. Wine making in Georgia has been recognised by UNESCO on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, and this year UNWTO chose the country to host their first conference on wine tourism.

What’s all the fuss about Georgian wine?

Chateau Mukhrani (c) Sophie Ibbotson

The Georgians invented wine making sometime in the 6th millennium BC, and so they’ve had plenty of time to perfect the art. The country’s medieval monasteries were veritable universities of viticulture, keeping meticulous records about grape varieties, terroir, and factors which affected production. Members of the church congregation were expected to tithe a certain amount of the wine they made for use as sacramental wine, and it was the most valuable asset that many of the churches possessed. Priests fortified the church wine sellers, and would defend them to the death!

Many of Georgia’s wine makers still produce wine using traditional techniques, and the resulting flavour is quite different from that of wines made using European methods.  Firstly, every part of the grape — including the skin, seeds, and even stalk — is fermented along with the juice. This gives the white wines a much darker colour, and hence they are known as amber or orange wines. The wine is fermented in a qvevri, a pointed terracotta vessel similar to an amphora, which is buried in the floor of the wine cellar. The qvevri is lined with lime and beeswax, and as it is subterranean, the wine is at a constant temperature throughout the fermentation process. Due to its shape, the sediment naturally sinks to the bottom, so there’s no need for the wine maker to add sulphites to separate it from the wine.

Qvevri (c) Sophie Ibbotson

It seems that every Georgian you meet has knowledge to impart about wine making! But as you travel around the country, there are definite spots of historical significance, and centres of expertise.

Uplistsikhe Archaeological Museum

Uplistsikhe (c) EvgenyGenkin

The earliest parts of the Uplistsikhe Archaeological Museum date from the 10th century BC. It’s a rock-cut monastery complex, similar in many ways to Cappadocia in Turkey, and amidst the vaulted caves is evidence of early wine production: 3m-long troughs in the rock where grapes were crushed under foot, and narrow channels through which the juice would flow into secondary troughs or pots.

Ikalto Monastery

Ikalto (c) Archil sutiashvili

The Ikalto Monastery, near Telavi, was an ancient academy, where priests were trained in theology, rhetoric, astronomy, philosophy, and wine making: the pillars of a good education. The recently restored complex of churches and  ecclesiastical buildings is scattered with grape presses and wine cellars, and lines of discarded qvevris.

Twins Wine Cellar in Napareuli

Twins Wine Cellar: climb inside a two-storey-high qvevri (c) Sophie Ibbotson

If you want watch wines being made, visit Twins Wine Cellar in Napareuli. This combined vineyard and winery is run by twins Gia and Gela Gamtkitsulashvili, and they’ve developed the site for agritourism: you can join in the grape picking and pressing, climb inside a two-storey-high qvevri, learn about the history of Georgian wine making in the museum, and meet the wine makers themselves. The twins use traditional techniques, and have 107 qvevris in their cellars, and also arrange tastings.

Where are the best places to drink it?

Pheasant’s Tears (c) Sophie Ibbotson

In Georgia, there are no shortage of places to stop and drink wine, but if you are looking for both quality and range, several options spring to mind.

In Tbilisi, Vinotheca has an excellent selection in their shop, and Barbarestan and Cafe Gabriadze both offer an extensive wine menu alongside mouthwatering Georgian dishes. Two wineries to particularly look out for (and drink whenever you can find them) are Lagvinari and Pheasant’s Tears, both of which are made in qvevris, and which are fine examples of the traditional Georgian style.

Note: If you are travelling from London, you can try before you fly at Hedonism in Mayfair. They stock Lagvinari, and the Georgian Wine Club has a good selection of red, white, rose, and amber wines.

What else is there to see?

Tbilisi (c) Sophie Ibbotson

Though the wine is wonderful, there’s more to Georgia than the mighty grape. The capital, Tbilisi, is culturally rich, with numerous museums, galleries, a botanical garden with waterfalls, dramatically situated fortress, and a charming Old Town packed with historic buildings, cafes, and shops. Quirky things you won’t find elsewhere include the Abanotubani district of domed sulphur baths, and the Gabriadze Theatre, which puts on extraordinary puppet shows, including a re-enactment of the Battle of Stalingrad.

Christianity arrived in Georgia in the 4th century, and so there are also some exceptionally old churches, several of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The 12th century Gelati Monastery has jaw-droppingly beautiful murals in vivid colours, and the Jvari Monastery near Mtskheta is said to have been founded by Saint Nino, the female evangelist who introduced Christianity to the country.

Kazbegi (c) Sophie Ibbotson

Mtskheta (c) Sophie Ibbotson

Mtskheta (c) Sophie Ibbotson

Mtskheta (c) Sophie Ibbotson

The Caucasus Mountains stretch across much of Georgia, creating a dramatic backdrop to valleys and towns, and numerous opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and skiing. Gudauri comes alive in the winter months as the winter sports capital of the region, and the wildernesses of Svaneti, Tusheti, and Kazbegi are waiting to be explored.

Where to stay

Vinotel has to be the first choice for wine lovers coming to Tbilisi. It’s a boutique property in the Old Town with just 13 suites and rooms. The atmospheric restaurant and vaulted wine cellars are the big attraction, however, so even if you’re not staying, you can pop by for a wine tasting.

Larger and quirkier is Rooms Hotel Tbilisi, a design hotel with a passionate fan base of celebrities, artists, musicians, and lovers of Soviet-kitsch. Converted from a former print works, the hotel’s style has a glamorous hint of 1930s New York, but it’s still very much Georgian, with silkscreen graphics, antique mirrors, and leather furniture.

In the wine region of Kakheti, you can stay on the vineyard at Twins Wine Cellar. You have a choice of simple double or family rooms, all with views of the Caucasus Mountains. And of course you can drink wines straight from the cellars!