Tuscan Towns. Tuesday 22nd September, 2009.

As promised our car was at the ESSO station this morning and before long we were sorted with wheels to begin discovering the beautiful Maremma region. We were happy to hopefully have all of the settling in administration completed at long last.

There is no parking inside the city walls of Castiglione della Pescaia so we parked a little way outside and walked a few minutes to our apartment, passing the pasticceria who sells the delightful bombacremas we enjoyed the other day. We took three home for morning tea, AJ was so happy. JR popped on a pot of coffee and we settled in for a treat.

I bought a fresh supply of bread and focaccia at the store almost below our bedroom windows, packed a picnic and before long we were off in our little silver Fiat Punto to get acquainted with the Metalliferous Hills area of The Maremma in beautiful Tuscany. The south of Tuscany is a little different to the Chianti region where we had stayed years before. Down here it is a little more wild and unkept, tousled and straggly looking. The Metalliferous Hills are a happy mix of grape vines, some still yet to be harvested, and olive trees which appear darker than those in Provence.

We drove completely around the village of Scarlino, perched high on a hill commanding the greatest of views to beyond and back. Not far from here was Gavorrano, anchored with old, old stone to the sides of Mount Calvo, also with vast views from the hills to the sea. We went deep into the Centro Storico area, enjoying our voyeuristic ways, looking in on small village life for a while. Cats meowed at our passing, posing for photos as if trained. Locals appearing in their windows always greeted us with a cheery greeting and smile, as we did to them.

It was time to look for a picnic spot en route to our next stop at Massa-Marittima snuggled inside the hills and forests that abound. We will forever be thankful for our wonderful picnic spots in Australia, there is a real lack in Europe. There was nothing suitable between towns so we parked the car just outside the city walls of Massa-Marittima where we had spotted a grassy ledge where we could sit with a panoramic view of the world below, it looked like paradise. We traipsed over, loaded up with picnic supplies and to our dismay there was dog poop absolutely everywhere. It must be a popular spot for walkies!

Never to be defeated we took the steps leading to the heights of the old town. I rounded the corner up the top to such a breathtaking sight, Massa-Marittima was jaw-droppingly gorgeous and it reminded me of Siena, my favourite Tuscan town in so many ways – the steep steps leading to the Cattedrale de S. Cerbone where AJ and I got scolded for taking photos. We decided to keep the rather vocal lady on her toes and had her following us around making sure we were behaving which of course we were.

Back to the picnic... on arriving in Piazza Garibaldi with picnic supplies in hand, there was only one choice of where to eat, right here we decided. We climbed the 20 or so stone steps in front of the Cattedrale and there we ate. I made up crusty Italian rolls and foccacias filled with prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella and slices of ripe tomato; it was so simple and so good. The new butter I bought was snowy white, it is called Burro Dolcepanna, and I will have to learn more about why it is so very white, I am thinking it may be a baking butter??? I am sure we were no end of amusement for the diners at the restaurants and cafes on the far side of the piazza, meanwhile we were laughing at ourselves and how funny we must have looked as we sat high and mighty overlooking all.

Beside the 12th century stone Cattedrale was the Museo Archeologico and its facade became my most special part of the village. Its frontage was inlayed with beautiful tile like plaques, there were many of them, all different. I found out they were family plaques belonging to families that lived in the judicial palace long ago.

We had a gloriously creamy gelato at Bar Centrale, AJ’s was enormous and was filled with the smoothest chocolate and stracciatella gelato flavours. I am back on the fragola trail now that I have become acquinted again with my old favourite flavour. I feel so lucky to be enjoying the simple things in life, it is wonderful and so enriching for our little family.

JR took off for some photo time while AJ and I wandered up via Moncini, and out beyond the city walls passing Torre del Candeliere. Piazza Matteotti, although a bit derelict looking, gave the best views of Massa-Marittima and her collection of terracotta roofs, light and dark in colour. The day was hazy which gave its own special kind of mystique.

Our next destination was Roccastrada where we trekked the narrow streets enjoying a sticky nose at whatever we discovered. Ornella called to check that all was alright with the car and internet, I assured her it was and she said she had felt terrible about the trouble; it is all behind us now and not a worry. We whiled away the remains of the day in Roccastrada, watching the sun turn fiery red as it hung low and weary in the Tuscan sky.

Village voices drifted up to our apartment tonight carried on the night time breeze. Smooth jazz played at the bar around the corner, from the Guru bar where we drank the other night. Castiglione has a great feel to it, it has life and soul and we just love it here.