COFFEE IN CAVES

JET LAG HAD GOTTEN the better of me. I was up before 6 am and determined to make the most of my first morning in Matera. The city in Italy’s Basilicata region is almost cleanly split into two, with the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Sassi (cave dwellings) sitting cheek by jowl with the angular facades of the apartment blocks and buildings where their residents were relocated after World War II. I was staying in the new part of the city, with a room overlooking Castello Tramontano. It was still dark when I set off for Piazzetta Pascoli, a short walk from my accommodation, La Suite Matera Hotel & Spa.