Travelling around Tuscany

Hi Alex,

How’s it going with you? Hope all is well.

I’ve been busy enjoying the sights, the smells and the flavours of Italy. There’s so much to see. But today was such an extraordinary day that I thought I just must sit down and tell you of the wonderful things I’ve seen and done.

We’ve been on a simply marvelous outing. As you know, I’m put up at the Villa Pandolfini, a gracious old home at Lastra a Signa in Tuscany. I’ve made it my base, and have been joining various sightseeing tours. Well, today, we decided to go on a round trip to Pisa and various other places, all fairly close by.

We set off at 8 am in the morning, and traveled the 80 km to Pisa to see the famous leaning tower. But there’s so much more to Pisa than the tower. Did you know that Pisa is about 3,000 years old? It started as a seaside settlement, and gradually acquired fame, not only for its monuments of historical importance but also for an excellent university, which was established in 1314. We walked through the main thoroughfare, the winding Via Santa Maria, and believe me, it was like taking a step back into the 16th century! The city is packed with cultural wonders, including magnificent museums. But we’d come specially to see the leaning tower, and so, to the tower we went.

The leaning tower is actually the bell tower of the Duomo, or cathedral in Pisa. It is one of a group of four buildings made of gleaming marble. The cathedral is simply awesome, and the Camposanto or Holy Field is considered one of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries. The fourth building in the group is the Baptistry or Battistero, a circular structure, said to be the largest of its kind in Italy.

But the most famous is the leaning tower. Bet you didn’t know that it took 200 years to build. There were long interruptions, of course, but it was begun in 1173. And it wasn’t originally intended to lean, as I’d always thought. The guide told us that it was planned as a normal, vertical tower, but it started tilting because of the sandy soil. Efforts were made to correct the problem by adding columns and pillars and such, but without total success. All that could be done was to limit the tilt. Steps are being taken now to safeguard this building, considered one of the world’s wonders. But it isn’t only because of its slant that this bell tower is famous. It has beauty and splendor enough on other counts to make it unforgettable. Truly a Must See!

And did you know that the leaning tower is not the only building that leans in Pisa? The other structures in the group aren’t totally upright either. The soil was unsupportive, so to speak!

After we had our fill of the architectural marvels in the Field of Miracles, as the area is called, we had to take our leave of Pisa. For me, it was a reluctant leave-taking. I want to see a lot more of this wonderful city, and plan to come back. But meanwhile, on we went to look at the Bocca d’Arno.

The Bocca d’Arno is the biggest river in Tuscany and enters the Tyrrhenian Sea at Pisa. The river is known for flooding, but today, it was very well-behaved indeed. Our guide pointed out the hanging fishing nets on the river, very typical of this part of Italy, he said. They’re square-shaped, and large, and are locally called "retoni." The whole area was very picturesque. It reminded me of paintings by Nino Costa, Gariele d’Annunzio and Giuseppe Viviani. Wish you could’ve seen it!

We soaked up the atmosphere as much as we could, and then set off again. This time, our destination was the San Rossore Regional Park, about 20 km away, lying to the north of the mouth of the Bocca d’Arno. A spectacular place. It was established in 1979 and sprawls over some 24,000 hectares. What is amazing is that in the heart of a totally urbanized area, you can find a rare, unspoilt beach, verdant forests teaming with wildlife and one of Italy’s most famous hippodromes.

We spotted a whole host of animals-- wild boar, porcupines and deer, and, among the avian life forms, buzzards, woodpeckers, herons, curlews and stilt-birds. There’s a marshy area which is home to many migratory birds. A wonderful sight. During the nesting season it is closed to visitors.

There are many ways to see this huge park – on foot, along well-marked trails, on bicycles, a special train or even on horseback or horse-drawn carriages. This last has to be reserved. You can enter some areas freely, in others, entry is restricted and still others are out of bounds. There are qualified guides to show you the sights, and it’s well worth a visit. The place is breathtakingly beautiful.

By the time we completed the San Rossore tour, it was one o’clock, and we were ready to sit down and stretch out our legs. So, the marina di vecchiano, a beautiful beach, was the next stop on our itinerary. We settled down on the soft sand and ate a sandwich lunch. I thought of you as I munched, and remembered our many visits to other beaches. After lunch, some of us snoozed, but I joined the more energetic of our group in a refreshing swim. It washed away all tiredness, and left us rarin’ to go.

On we went, to Viareggio, to look at the port and the boats. It was early evening when we arrived – 6 o’clock or so. Viareggio, which started life as a little fishing village around the 12th century, is now an internationally renowned seaside resort as well as an important port, with a dockyard which produces many of the world’s premier yachts. Our guide told us that Vareggio takes its name from Via Regia, meaning the Royal Way, along which the people of Lucca built a fortress. It lies at the heart of Tuscany and is densely populated. It is well connected by road to other important tourist centers, and there is a variety of accommodation available throughout the year. I wish I had come in February-March – Carnival time, when there’s an impressive parade of floats, which I’d have loved to see.

We strolled around the city and the port area, taking in the sights, for about an hour and a half, and then made our way to the Restaurant Buonamico for dinner.

This seafood restaurant of long standing has changed hands many times in the last few years, I’m told, each owner trying to revive the great reputation that it once enjoyed. The present one seems to me to have succeeded quiet well.

The restaurant has some tables set out on the pavement in typical Continental style, but we chose to dine inside. There are two rooms, one slightly more secluded than the other, very cozy, with a fireplace, and the other, which we opted for, a large one, with a capacity to seat some 30 people. Furnished in dark rustic wood and lit by pretty lamps, the room had an intimate atmosphere. The tables were small, with striped linen and set with crockery from Trattoria.

The place is so quaint, it doesn’t even have a printed menu, believe it or not! The owner, who was present, recited it for us, and told us it hadn’t changed much from its earliest days. How’s that for tradition?

We were offered quite a good choice in both the first and second courses and the wine list was satisfyingly long and reasonably priced. After we ordered, the waitress brought us baskets of warm bread and focaccia.

We started with Mixed Hors d'oeuvres of the Sea, a selection of four items, including one with chickpeas and smoked tuna and another of mussels. They tasted real good. Our guide told us the flavors were truly authentic.

Next came a macaroni dish, a house-specialty. It comes with a red gravy of mixed fish and crustaceans. A spicy dish with a zing to it. The only fault I had to find was that it was a little too oily for my taste.

The Carbonara of the Sea, a dish of spaghetti and white sauce and seafood, and Fried Mixed Seafood are two other spicy options.

There’s an excellent dish of fish baked in wine and covered in fried onions. I can almost see you wrinkling up your nose in distaste, but take my word for it, the onions don’t clash with the taste of fish. The dish is really good and the portions more than generous!

The meal was accompanied by some excellent wine, served in conventional wine glasses, and we had an ice-cream with lemon syrup for dessert. Yumm!!

We left the restaurant a sated lot, and returned to the welcoming calm of Villa Pandolfini at around 10 pm.

A thoroughly satisfying day, but a tiring one. It’s time I put my pen away and went to bed.

Till next time,

Ciao,
Philip ( aka Fillipo)