Sara guides us through her 48 hour adventure from Norfolk to Stanstead to Grottole in Basilicata. Part property insight, part adventure ..all peppered with full accounts of food consumed...Sara takes us on her packed trip to view House of the Green Perspective.

Sara had an early morning flight from Stanstead to Bari booked...plans started to unravel, when her car got a puncture and in the wee small hours before her departure, she was struggling on her drive to change the tyre! Arriving at Stanstead by the skin of her teeth, ragged, exhausted and without her mobile, Sara's account of the 48 hours spent in Basilicata demonstrates her love of food, her pioneering spirit and her sense of adventure....we cant wait for the next installment!

Having arrived in Basilicata in June 2009 without the 10% deposit funds, I missed the boat on staking my claim on a medieval house. Once the authenticity of the Sustainable Tourism project became clear, I was stunned into action. In September I sent the deposit via an F.X. account, and decided to go and look at The House of the Green Perspective, towards the end of October.

8pm
Huge dining room at Ritrovo. Only others are four men together. I  tuck into carpaccio and balsamic, orecchiette con funghi (very good),and white fish. Although 15 euros for bottle of average Sardinian plonk is tropo caro, yes? Nice waiter put on Sting to cheer me up.
Early night.
 

8am Saturday
Wake to thick fog and driving rain. Crawl along to Grottole for meeting. The team are staying in Irsina, way higher up in the mountains. Wait 30mins and decide to drive to Irsina to find them. We have crossed paths somewhere because of the fog, but I get reacquainted with the not insignificant charms of Irsina, the Bar Ducale and its caffe, and the local artisan baker shop for lemon biscuits and a bottle of local wine to take home. Driving back to Miglionico, I am accompanied by eagles and what might possibly be Condors, as the road winds along past the huge lake. It’s an incredibly beautiful area, and nature reserve I believe. Back to  Ritrovo to dry out and read up on Carlo Levi, lionised in these parts for immortalising the area in his book Christ Stopped at Eboli, which I read many years ago, and also his paintings, on view in Matera,which I had not seen. (memo for next visit)
 

8pm
Dinner. Good modern jazz tonight. There is a message from the team to ring them. I explain about the phone, and we re-schedule meeting for tomorrow in Irsina. Hurrah.
Dinner tonight surpassed all expectations. Vegetables in the lightest tempura.  A Matera regional speciality of small, dried beans (which Michael brought to the table to show me ) sawn-off macaronis, and a type of mushy pea sauce. Sounds pretty ordinary but was lifted to another level by this culinary skill. Lamb, veg and potatoes, cooked in a twist of a paper, was an aromatic treat. After a caffe, I retired to watch the wonder that is Italian television.
 

Sunday 8am
Cappucino and yoghurt for breakfast. Bid farewell to Ritrovo and drive to Irsina. To my mind, there is nothing quite like turning the corner of the mountain road and seeing Irsina, for the first time. It has a fairy-tale quality. The rain has stopped at last, and the meeting takes place as planned over caffe in the Bar Ducale. An intense Q and A session ensues, after which I am much relieved and reassured. Leave for the airport. Must crash the language barrier soon. Only 6 weeks ‘till the house deeds handover. Exciting times indeed.