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.

Our Rain Soaked Village. Sunday 20th September, 2009.

The piazza below our shuttered windows came to life before we did this morning. The rain was constant although at times it waned to a light shower before returning back to heavy downpours. The sky was a solemn and steely grey and it rumbled with thunder as AJ slept and JR and I put on a pot of coffee. Our lounge room overlooks terracotta tiled roofs and they became deeper in colour and shone, taking on a reflective surface that would disappear when the rain was over and the sun returned to Tuscany.

Every so often I would wander to our bedroom, open the window and watch the umbrellas passing below. Welcoming smells of pizzas and sauces wafted up from the restaurant lined streets, I was getting hungry. Italian radio played somewhere outside and drifted into our room, James Blunt sang his familiar songs and it was so nice to hear an English song after so long.

I can’t remember if I mentioned that my computer was fixed in Provence by the lovely Frank at Cie and Co in Nyons. My emails have been downloaded but not all of them and it is only now I am realising the implications of the loss of some of my data. I have to find a way to retrieve the email address for our Venice exchange in October; it has been a while since our last contact. I have an empty contact list and only have email addresses from my most recent emails. I am sure we will find a solution; I think JR worries a little more than I, I remain optimistic that it will work out fine using a little nouse.

It was well into siesta time when we left the house, still with the rain falling around us. Dal Buchaniere, the restaurant where JR and I ate last night was still open so the three of us wandered in and before long we were sharing an authentic pizza with a floury crust, topped with a rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and spicy salami, simple and beautiful. I followed with a risotto of gamberi and funghi, mama mia life is good.

I am sure you are all wondering if and when we will make our mark on Casteglioni to ensure the town will never forget us. The incident happened today during lunch. Our pitcher of red wine arrived along with a jug of water. I filled our water glasses while the waiter fluffed around us taking away things from the table that three diners would not need. He went to take AJ’s very fancy, goblet style water glass away. He lifted it, looked inside, shrugged his shoulders, smiled and off he went. We ate our delicious lunch and lingered for ages, chatting about AJ returning home to high school and all about the fun he had with the local kids last night. He went to take a sip of his water and said, “Why have I got a candle in my drink?” I immediately went into fits of laughter as I realised what I had done to him. I had filled the candle holder with water which AJ had been sipping from during the course of our lunch, he only realised there was a tea light in it just before we were ready to leave; gosh it was funny. The staff all laughed along, I suspect the waiter had told the others and they were waiting to see when our faux pas would be noticed. I am so glad we are able to provide entertainment to the locals wherever we go.

We spent the afternoon exploring the Centro Storico area of Castiglione taking advantage of a break in the rain. AJ had been up to the highest part of the village belonging to a castle and a maze of cobbled streets lined with atmospheric restaurants, so he was our guide. Along the way he shared with us the stories of mischief he and the kids got up to on Saturday night, it took me back a few years that’s for sure. We found bushes of wild rosemary and noted where they were for the nights we cook JR’s rosemary potatoes. Coming back down into the main street of the village we all devoured our first Italian gelato, my mint and strachiatello was the perfect combination and the girl behind the counter was a doll. Come to think of it, all of the locals so far have been wonderful, warm and welcoming.

We cooked Claudia’s pasta dish for dinner, crescents of al dente pasta tossed with olive oil, salt, blushing tomatoes that tasted so wonderful and juicy, teardrops of snow white boconccini and olives that AJ depipped that were as black as night.