Breakfast was at a long table in the hotel’s cave restaurant. After packing up, we took some pictures of our cave home, then began the walk back up to the Piazza di Venedetto and our car. With the directions from the hotel, we hoped it would not be as bad as we imagined from our trip down. We took a winding road that sloped gently upward for about ten minutes. Then we hit the stairs. Thank god for my cane! Carrying our bags made the trip particularly arduous. One foot in front of the other, I keep saying to myself. By the time we reached the top, I was dripping. At the garage, I collapsed in a chair while we waited for our car.

Within two minutes of leaving the stones of Matera, we were in the country! Fields spread out on both side of us as we made our way towards Bari and from there to our route north along the Adriatic to Faenza. We gasped at our first glimpse of the Sea. I had always heard of “the blue Adriatic” and now I knew why. Aqua turning to blue, clear and inviting. Lush green hills curved down to the sea. At the places where two hills met in a rounded V, the blue water filled the space like tea in a verdant tea cup. The expansive blue stayed with us for hours, peeking in and out of hills and villages.

For lunch, we stopped in Vasto and found a small café with outdoor seating. The walls of the courtyard were stark white decorated with tropical trees and flowers. At our shaded table, I enjoyed what I had been craving: linguini and clam sauce! Beautiful little clams in brown and white shells!

About 30 minutes from Faenza, the road veered inland. Vineyards and orchards lined our route, becoming close as we drove the narrow roads to our Agriturismo: Trere, a vineyard of hundreds of acres. In the middle of the vineyard was the villa/farmhouse that would be our home for two days. Along the light salmon stucco façade was the restaurant: heavy wooden tables in various shapes and sizes, red terra cotta floor and beamed roof.

Our room was upstairs: Rebianco, named after one of the wines made by Trere. A king-size bed made up of two twin beds with heavy dark wooden headboards anchored the room. A dresser and armoir with hanging closets on both side and drawers in the middle, matched the bed. Around the mirror in the bathroom were painted white Italian tiles. While Santo napped, I packed my overnight bag from our large bags in the car. Then I changed into a dress and leather sandals for dinner.

The highlight was my raviolini: homemade green pasta filled with ricotta and top with chopped pistacchios. The cheesecake with cooked berries wasn’t bad either! While we ate, the resident peacocks strolled outside and the resident cats wove in and out of our legs, ever hopeful. Our hostess checked on us several times. She someone reminds me of my old friend Virginia, not so much in looks but in her energy, her warmth, her humor, and her boundless hospitality.

After dinner, we made our way to the brown wicker chairs scattered on the grounds and enjoyed the gentle evening breeze. Less than 30 feet way, grapes ripened on the heavily laden vines.