A Visit to Monte Argentario. Friday 25th September 2009.

We drove about an hour south to visit the island of Monte Argentario surrounded by sparkling turquoise water. We began at Porto S. Stefano. The port area is filled with fishing boats and is fronted by stalls selling the bounty of the sea. They have stripped canvas awnings pulled down protecting the fresh fish from the sun’s rays. We walked along the palm tree lined Lungomare dei Navigatori sided by a rock wall where a local man was diving for sea urchins, he happily showed us his prized catch before placing it safely inside the mesh bag he carried.

Picnic time had arrived yet again. Today we found the most amazing little cove at Il Pozzarello. The water was clearer than clear and small fish swam happily about, in and out of the rocks. We sat on a rickety old wooden pier with our legs dangling above the sea. We made up our focaccias with fresh fillings any Italian would be proud of and enjoyed life’s simple pleasures yet again. Two elderly swimmers passed by, emerged from the water and we exchanged pleasantries. They were holidaying from Florence. Two of their family dogs looked at us longingly awaiting some of our picnic. We fed the sea birds that visited too, laughing at their antics and the bossy one who stood on the shore keeping them in order. I loved our little clear watered cove and wish I could return here every day to drink it in over and over again. I looked back longingly as we walked to the car on the road above it to try and secure how beautiful it is in my memory forever.

The next stop was Porto Ecole, a charming little seaside village with great gelato! Yes, we sat by the water enjoying our daily treat, it was just what I needed to keep me going, it was hot in the sun today. We watched the fishermen mending their nets by their old fishing boats, just as they would have years ago, their life seems simple and unhurried, I’m sure ours does to them as well. We walked along the sea wall towards its end facing the Spanish fort, Forte Filippo overlooking the village. Fishermen and women sat with lines dangling in the turquoise water, it was transparent and deep with glorious colour. AJ and I were hit by the lazy stick and kept stopping, JR however was keen to keep on the hoof so we dragged ourselves along.

The drive up to La Rocca fortress is a beautiful one, just after the turn off to La Rocca is a road with a gorgeous view of the coast from high up, the view was of paradise, dotted with boats bobbing in the bluey green expanse of water. La Rocca fortress itself is high above the town. From there we walked along a cliff-top track lined with strange cacti and wild fig trees with fruit awaiting ripening. The track led us between the fortress wall and the cliff face leading us into the old town of Porto Ercole. The streets were rough to walk with their ancient and uneven cobbles, big and small. AJ and I descended back to the port for a coffee and coke by the water while JR took some snaps.

We all enjoyed driving up to Forte Filippo, another Spanish fortress overlooking the port but from the other side. Up here we were able to walk along the outer wall in between the old moat and the outer wall giving us amazing views of Orbetello and a strip of protected land covered in pine forests and a sanctuary for bird life, called Tombolo di Feniglia. There was an old cannon at a defence post that AJ paused to look at. I could not help reminiscing about years past when he would have played imaginary games at places like this, those days are long gone.

The sun was slipping away behind the mountain tops. We drove a twisty road to Il Telegrafo, the highest point of Monte Argentario. There was no one else up there, and from the car park we slipped through a small gap in the trees. There was a rock sitting on top of the universe as if just put there for us to sit. Below us were forests of trees covering distant hills and then the water which called the red ball of the sun closer and closer until it drank it deep within. The sky turned a pale pink and we felt bathed in its colour as we sat on our rock on top of the universe.