In a few words, this is both a tourist trap and a demonstration of the unrestrained greed of the…read morecomune of Castellana Grotte. The tickets to the Grotte are offensively expensive, given what you get; the tour is long (in time and distance) but rushed; there are too many people by half in each group (and too many groups at once: you constantly run into groups going in the opposite direction, creating traffic jams in the narrow passageways; paradoxically, you're glad for the traffic jams because they're essentially the only opportunity you have to stop and look at what's around you); the lighting inside is tenebrous to put it mildly, which renders 80% of the formations impossible to see (in fact, there are lights everywhere; they're just not turned on, apparently because the approximately €3,000 they're raking in per hour aren't sufficient to illuminate the grotto); you're not allowed to take photos inside because the comune owns the rights to images of the grotto (search Google; you'll find hundreds for free); there is no unpaid street parking anywhere near the grotto; the website doesn't explain clearly that groups are admitted only on the hour, meaning that you may find yourself twiddling your thumbs in a cesspit of a town that has NOTHING going for it but a few overpriced restaurants and shops selling tawdry souvenirs; and, to add insult to all that injury, your 18€ ticket doesn't even entitle you to go to the bathroom for free. Puglia ought to be ashamed of itself for this kind of scabrous tourist con, or Castellana Grotte ought to be ashamed, or someone ought to be ashamed. But no one is and, at times, that's travel in Italy in a nutshell.

We visited Matera, Italy, for the first time in early October and found it to be absolutely…read moreamazing. The whole city is fascinating, especially its history, which is worth exploring to better understand. The most famous part of Matera is called the Sassi, which means "stones." This area is made of two old neighborhoods, Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, where people carved their homes and churches directly into the soft rock of the mountains. It's one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with a history dating back 7,000 to 9,000 years! You can now walk through these neighborhoods and get a feel for what they might have looked like back then. The architecture is very interesting because the houses are stacked on top of each other, with some roofs serving as streets for the houses above. It's hard to believe that people lived there under very difficult conditions up until the 1950s; at one point, it was even referred to as the "shame of Italy." This was due to the very poor conditions of living. Some people even lived with their livestock under the same roof! However, things have changed significantly since the Sassi became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Today, you can walk through the narrow alleys, explore the restored cave homes, and find restaurants and hotels built into the caves. It has become a major cultural treasure. Our group of six agreed that it was a fantastic visit, well worth the time and effort. I highly recommend taking the opportunity to see Matera's ancient Sassi.

An UNESCO world heritage site Matera is well worth your time to come and explore. Amazing people…read moreand food. Prices here are very reasonable and there are hundreds of hotels and B&B to choose from. I recommend coming on the shoulder months as it was super pleasant to walk around and not be crushed with people. Matera is filled with history and is the 3rd oldest in the world. Amazing tours to be taken. Transportation is available if walking the steps is a bit much for you. If you come to Southern Italy Matera is a must see.

The Comune di Alberobello is an absolutely must when visiting nearby Bari. You should prepare…read moreyourself to be captivated by it's tiny conical, beehive-shaped huts called "trulli". One could easily imagine elves living beneath these whitewashed domes. But these Trulli Huts have been inhabited by locals since the sixteenth century. We clearly decided too late in the morning to see Trulli, but our Viking Rep helped make arrangements with local taxi driver, Cristian Ranieri to take us here. He picked us up at our cruise ship terminal, drove some 65km to see them and then waited over two hours here before driving us back. WOW. We cannot say enough nice things about Christian. The Trulli huts at Alberobello's are considered the most extensive and best preserved and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (see photos). You will be amazed to see how the locals have converted these spaces into cafés, shops and stylish homes. Ohhh, and into tourist shops, too. LOL NOTE: Back in the day, when Alberobello's feudal lords prohibited the construction of permanent dwellings in order to evade the new building tax imposed by the King of Naples. Trulli residents came up with an ingenious solution.... all were built entirely without mortar and can be quickly dismantled. Ha! Very clever.

Beautiful paese! This is my ancestral commune, what is there not to love. There's so much history…read morehere, and so much to see. The trulli are the main event for most visitors, but the food here is also amazing and don't forget to enjoy some local music and other art in the area as well.