Day 5: Head Wind Day: Matera – Gravina – Palazzo San Gervasio 51 miles (189 total)

Ominous Warning from Italian Air Force

Headwinds

We managed to start early, by 8 am, but by 10am, winds were gusting in the 25 mph range. We ended up on some inferior roads and were saved from a mud bog experience by a bike tourist from Nottingham, UK. He was roughly following Euro Velo Route 5 and had slogged through a mud section 5 miles ahead of us. We routed around it, adding more miles. We arrived in Plato San Gervasio exhausted.

Hilltop Towns

As we ride further from the coast, most towns are situated on hills, making the final miles difficult. Palazzo San Gervasio was no exception. A good average speed with loaded touring bikes is 10-12 mph, but we struggled to make 7 mph into the wind on the flats. I was at 3-4 mph on the climbs not hilltop cities.

Web description: Palazzo San Gervasio: (Pop. 5,000) is a small agricultural town and commune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. While the regional Lucanian dialect is still spoken amongst the older inhabitants, it has largely been replaced because the younger generations have been taught the standard Italian in school. The town was allegedly founded in the early Middle Ages, after the nearby town of Banzi was destroyed by a Saracen attack.

 Reflecting this area's agricultural focus, large farm tractors often drive through town. Carmello, our lodging host, recommended food at her bar, opening at 6 pm. We walked 15 minutes to her bar and found it closed. The next morning she said that it was closed due to a national holiday. We pieced together a meal starting with a beer, then food at a bakery (bread, ham, cheese, and focaccia). Then we stumbled upon a place selling pizza slices, some we bought that too. Enough for dinner and breakfast. Most lodgings offer breakfast, but this one did not. Palazzo San Gervasio was small and not oriented to tourists.

Bike Storage. Carmello, our host, seemed to own the entire building as property in Southern Italy is practically give away if the owner will maintain it and pay taxes.

Roadside Art

Dog of the Day. A well-trained and friendly Shepard.

A "White Road". Informal Italian designation for rural farm-to-market access roads. Popular with gravel bikers, the surfaces are often poor in spots but few vehicles.

Euro Velo Route 5 Sign. EuroVelo 5, also known as Via Romea or Francigena. 

Euro Velo 5 in Southern Italy. Approximates our route, but involves far more dirt and gravel lanes than we wanted, so most of our route was near but no on this route.

Spacious Triple Room. Top floor, 3 flights up with balcony. 

B & B Platinum S. G.

Via Roma,3/5, 85026 Palazzo San Gervasio, Italy

Main Street

Balcony View to the left. Note the burned field in the upper left. Seems they burn everything in the Fall, probably to reduce disease and weed carryover to the next season.

Balcony view to the right. Evidence of the difficult climb to the town.

Carmello stopped by to see us off and collect keys. Won the way down, John discovered a missing fender, and rode back, thinking it was left at the B & B. It wasn't and must have dropped on the rough roads.

I googled him but there were too many to tie this one to this town. Perhaps later.

Primary Palazzo Church