We hoped to start our day with a three-step breakfast: cappuccino at a coffee shop near the Panificio Casa del Pane (we ended up at Caffè Centrale), some salty bread at the panificio, and then some fruit at a mercato. We got two out of three. What we’ve failed to take into consideration is that as we head south, more and more stores are closed on Sunday (not our first time forgetting that days of the week are a thing, even if we’re on vacation). In downtown Matera, at least, you will not find an open grocery store (mercato) to save your life. The panificio and caffè, in the heavy tourist area, wisely chose to stay open on Sunday, to our great relief.
Before heading south to Taranto, the plan was to go hiking in the Parco Regionale della Murgia Materana and see Matera and its Sassi from the other side of the valley. We, however, had to cancel due to the rain. As we got up, the weather was cloudy, and the forecast promised clearer skies and warmer temperatures as the day went on. The weather forecast loves to make fools of us. The temperature stayed cooler, and the rain intensified. Whenever you’re trying to predict future events, remember that weather forecasters have been trying to get it right for a very long time and still can’t tell you reliably how the weather is going to be in a couple of hours. Don’t feel bad if you can’t answer when a project will get done.
The route from Matera to Taranto is nothing special or scenic. It’s also about an hour, so you can endure it easily. Get a good audiobook, and the time will fly. We’ve been enjoying Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (he also wrote The Martian).
Taranto is a coastal city. It lies between the Mar Grande (Big Sea) and Mar Piccolo (Little Sea). Founded by Spartans in the 8th century BC during the Greek colonization period, Taranto was among the most important cities in the Greater Greek Empire. It became a cultural, economic, and military power and, by 500 BC, was among the largest in the world. Today, two bridges link the mainland to the old town, on a small island. The old town feels a little like Naples, but a little cleaner. Walking through it, we saw several empty, boarded buildings. Not surprisingly, that part of Taranto was among the first in Italy to offer homes for 1€. Living there doesn’t seem particularly desirable at the moment. Most hotels and attractions are on the mainland on each side of the island. Still, the island's narrow streets are filled with street art, some of it beautiful.
Walking the island, you’re bound to run into feral cats. Walking across the island and back, about a 40-minute walk total, we saw a couple of cat colonies. We were surprised by how healthy they seemed; either the population is sparse enough that they don't get into fights or transmit diseases to each other, or they are being cared for by the community. In any case, spotting cats is easy.
The city is also home to the Marta Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Taranto. It contains collections of artifacts from prehistory to the Middle Ages. The region's history makes it an ideal archaeological site, and the museum is highly recommended. It’s why we decided to stop in the city, where we’ll be going tomorrow.
Diner is at Al Gatto Rosso. To our surprise, we find restaurants full of people yet marked as closed on Google Maps in the afternoon, at least on Sunday. Al Gatto Rosso was one of those. It was on our list of possible restaurants, the second we visited to see if we could reserve. Seems like Sunday evening is not busy. We were told to show up at 20:00, and it would be “fine”. For a Michelin-recognized restaurant, we didn’t expect that. And indeed, when we showed up at 20:00, we were the first customers. So much so that our waiter went looking for his mask for a good five minutes before we were shown to our table (the only two-person table outside).
The menu at Al Gatto Rosso is simple: a few plates, mostly seafood, with the occasional “meat” option for those who object to fish and seafood. Their “land” option seems like the vegetarian option at many other restaurants: the thing they’ll make well, but only if they have to. We stuck with seafood and had a great meal.
