Leely2

yorkshire, how was the parking situation at Torretta Sassi?

yorkshire

We visited in late May two years in a row and parked on the street or in a small lot (which was often full, but plenty of street parking nearby on Via Lucana if memory serves) -- Torretta Sassi gives written instructions to this lot as it is the closest access to the hotel, and since there are different access roads into Matera they give you the best road to take to avoid ztl (entering from the south by the hospital). We pack light and have no mobility issues, but it was not a difficult walk.
In summer or with mobility/health concerns, I would look for a place with dedicated parking.

kja

Many people do fly after a long haul flight -- which does not make it safe. Just as the fact that many people drive after drinking does not make it safe. It makes those who avoid a rare, but horrible, consequence "lucky."

The man I know who was responsible for killing four teenagers, after a lapse in attention that was probably only milliseconds long (a "microsleep"), does not consider himself "lucky." The parents of the children who died in car accidents due to driving with jet lag -- whether they were driving or whether the children were in a car that was struck by a jet-lagged driver -- don't think that the fact that many people do it makes it OK.

And because I know people like these -- and others whose lives have been forever changed by driving with jet lag -- let me say that I believe that taking a risk for oneself is one thing, but taking a risk that imperils anyone else who happens to be on the road at the same time is an entirely different thing.

Assuring anyone that it's OK to take that risk is, frankly, appalling. IMO.

In this case, the OP has some wonderful options because Bari is on a major train line. There's an easy, convenient bus from the airport to the train station. From there, one can easily go to Lecce or Trani or any number of other destinations that are well worth the day or two that it would take to adjust to the time zones before renting a car.

whitehall

I apologize to the OP for the off-topic unsolicited statement that equates driving after long haul flights to drunk driving. There is no science I am aware of to support such an assertion. Tired, drowsy or fatigued driving is NEVER a good idea, but different individuals can experience varying degrees of so-called “jet lag.”. As the World Health Organization (WHO) says: "Individuals react in different ways to time zone changes. Frequent flyers should learn how their own bodies respond and adopt habits accordingly." I simply recognize that many do drive after long haul flights. And, to say it is "appalling" to offer suggestions - similar to those offered by WHO - to make such driving a safer experience is simply scary and ludicrous. ×

kja

And that's the key issue, isn't it? Whitehall has, on previous threads, made it clear that he is neither current on the scientific literature nor qualified or competent to evaluate it. That HE are unaware of the underlying science is not surprising. That he continues to pretend a current, informed, judicious weighing of the evidence and so the risks is, indeed, appalling IMO.

AimlessWanderer

No problem at all with discussing this very important issue. That is what forums should be all about, a sharing of ideas sometimes unrelated to the original idea.

We have driven many times after crossing various time zones (usually in Europe) but with at least some sleep on the flight, we are always feeling refreshed and awake when we land, and our drives are never more than 150 km from the airport, and most are less than that, but I can see where extended drives lasting more than a few hours being a little risky.

We want to spend at least 4 nights in the old town of a seaside village/town and we are wondering if we should choose Gallipoli, Otranto or Monopoli (we stayed just outside Otranto the last time we were in Puglia and took a day trip to Gallipoli on that same trip). We do not want the town to be too small and it should also have a decent nightlife filled with locals and tourists enjoying balmy, summer evenings. If there are any other suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks

whitehall

Kja knows someone who had a tragedy, so it is understandable that her over-reaction sounded more like a presidential tweet rather than her usual well-written posts. I prefer science to "hunches" and have previously asked her for "scientific literature" and simply received condescension and a link to two studies that had little relation to the issue. I am open to changing my mind, even admitting I am wrong, but until then I will stick with the World Health Organization opinion that "individuals react in different ways to time zone changes", which is all I have suggested now and in the past. I don't think you, me or or others who drive after a long-haul flight are all endangering ourselves or others, anymore than the normal risk of driving, although I will repeat: "Tired, drowsy or fatigued driving is NEVER a good idea."

As for a good seafront base in Puglia: We visited all of them. Monopoli had a very nice feel and seemed to us to be less touristy. We had thoughts of returning there and exchanged several emails with a couple who wrote in the NY Times about their year living in Monopoli. They were delighted with their choice. ×

kja

I'm glad that whitehall agrees that "Tired, drowsy or fatigued driving is NEVER a good idea." Note that knowing people who have been affected horribly by driving after crossing multiple time zones does not preclude extensive knowledge of, nor expertise in, the scientific literature behind the conclusion that driving after crossing multiple time zones is just as dangerous as driving drunk -- scientific literature that is not available on the web, but rather in academic and medical libraries.

The microsleeps that are the apparent source of the risk are not linked to whether one has slept or even how refreshed one feels -- in fact, many people aren't even aware of them. No distance is safe. Having done it before without problem does not mean that it is safe.

HappyTrvlr

We enjoyed walking down through the Sassi caves in !Matera but had no interest in staying in Matera longer than one night. What did I miss with so many here loving the town? I could have spent more time every place we visited in Puglia, however.

kja

One night was sufficient for me, too! And I did more than walk through the sassi -- for example, there are some churches in the part of town above the sassi that I found interesting, and a small archeological museum with some rare items IIRC. But I saw basically everything I wanted to see in a bit over 24 hours. If I had had a car, I would have wanted to visited a few of the caves outside of the town itself. And if I had been committed to hiking, I might have wanted some time for that.

Nonetheless, I think it's wonderful that people have different interests and preferences. Vive la difference!

yorkshire

RE Matera:
Who can say what draws someone to a place? But I went twice for brief stays and could have stayed longer each time. In addition to touring (and endless wandering of) the sassi, we explored the park across the gorge, took a day trip to Laterza where we walked another gorge known for raptors (saw none, but did see some orchids), took a day trip to Craco and toured the abandoned village. With more time, we would have visited Castelmezzano and Altamura.
The town itself has lots of restaurants and a good vibe, so I just dug it. Pretty much everywhere in Italy has tons to see close by to where ever one is--le sigh.

whitehall

While I agree everyone has different tastes, I think one night in Matera might be only a check the box experience for many people. We stayed only two nights, which gave us a little more than a day and half. Simply not enough for us. We have been nearly everywhere in Italy, and there is nothing else like Matera, perhaps the main reason this blog calls Matera the “most spectacular city in Italy.” https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/sassi-matera-italy/

Although Matera was chosen as a European Capital of Culture for 2019, it is still not overrun like so many of the better known sites. It is a place to slow down, visit the cave dwellings and churches and absorb the shameful history of an impoverished people right up until modern times.

As the Smithsonian Magazine says: “It’s easy to see why Matera has been chosen to double for ancient Jerusalem in films, including Pier Paolo Pasolini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. “Matera is one of the oldest living cities in the world in terms of continuity,” Antonio Nicoletti, an urban planner from Matera, told me. “You can find older cities in Mesopotamia, but they have not been occupied in modern times. Where else can you now sleep in a room that was first occupied 9,000 years ago?” Estimates of the earliest occupation of the site vary, but archaeologists have found artifacts in local caves dating to the Neolithic period and even earlier.”

For us, since we take lots of photographs, it was also fun to spot locations in some of the two dozen Biblical films (including the recent remake of Ben Hur), and do a side-by-side comparison with the actual location and the many “movie stills” available online. It is not surprising that movie producers have few modern changes to erase when they shoot a film here. Do take the time to go to the outer edges where the caves are original and ancient. Although there is plenty to see close by, there is a nearby hike across a rope bridge to the oldest caves.

And, we also found some great food in friendly local restaurants and shops. We will never forget the smiling face of the proprietor of a cheese shop that sold only hanging balls of scamorza cheese that we enjoyed while there. Our photos from Matera are spectacular and unmistakable. ×

MyriamC

I totally agree. Matera is so special, so different from the rest of Italy. We also spent 2 nights (2 full days) and could easily have spent another day.