Hey, La Maremma! Etruscan explorations, spectacular sentieri i spiagge
Jun 15th, 2017, 11:37 AM
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Hey, La Maremma! Etruscan explorations, spectacular sentieri i spiagge
This area came onto my radar via travel magazines, but it was not the fancy resorts that caught my attention, it was the wild nature—in particular Maremma park (aka Ucellina). It took years to get there, but I always knew the park would be the focus. Here are my planning threads:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rn-maremma.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...th-of-pisa.cfm
Accommodation: http://www.casadellapia.eu/ (excellent!)
When a good fare to Pisa popped up, my first goal was to find a place to start off close to the airport. I am not an advocate of driving after an overnight flight, but DH (the driver) agreed about an hour was reasonable. Unfortunately the expected 4pm arrival time stretched to 8pm after a weather delay, and then an inexplicable miscount of the passengers by Air Dolomiti. Fortunately, Hertz was super efficient, the ominous weather stayed off in the distance, and the drive to Massa Marittima was easy—and even better, our host had made sure we would be fed! (Sadly, the late arrival meant we missed our reservation at La Padellaccia Del Viggia). Pizza (fresh porcini) and beer at I Tre Archi hit the spot, and we enjoyed the silence of the town (you could hear a pin drop—I am in love). The next morning, after coffee and pastries (superlatives fail me) at Le Logge, we explored the town and bought some loquats, birra artiginale, and a nice cheese to enjoy in the evening. We decided to go explore with the car, but first chose Le Logge again for lunch (really fantastic salad—three kinds of greens, peppers, fennel, etc. etc.--highly recommend!). While we sat, a group assembled outside the municipal building, one with an acoustic guitar--apparently for a wedding. Later they emerged and greeted the couple with song and flower petals. I am crying into my salad by this point, and we were moved to see that it was an older gay couple. Of course I know that Italy is not some backwater, but it took us by surprise in such a small town and it was just beautiful to observe.
After lunch, we decided to drive to the San Galgano abbey. It reminded us of a similar, smaller ruin in our home state of South Carolina. We had hoped there would be more walking paths around the site, but it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, and I got a nifty little book on using “herbs of the forest” in the church shop that will make for a fun translation project. (In retrospect, we wished we had gone to Monterotondo Marittimo to see the geological site). After some fruitless driving, we returned to town to explore some more and sort out dinner plans. We liked the looks and menu of Da Tronca, and we enjoyed it, but I ordered terribly. I have had sformato in the past that was light and custardy. The artichoke one I got was more like a heavy southern holiday casserole. Glad I had the tortelli too! My husband had his first cinghiale, which he liked.
On the night before, there had been full bars and live music, but this night everything was quiet, so we just had a drink at I Grassini and called it a night. We hated to leave Massa Marittima, as we could have stayed a week and not exhausted things to do in the region—and the locals were so friendly.
Next up, Orbetello
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rn-maremma.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...th-of-pisa.cfm
Accommodation: http://www.casadellapia.eu/ (excellent!)
When a good fare to Pisa popped up, my first goal was to find a place to start off close to the airport. I am not an advocate of driving after an overnight flight, but DH (the driver) agreed about an hour was reasonable. Unfortunately the expected 4pm arrival time stretched to 8pm after a weather delay, and then an inexplicable miscount of the passengers by Air Dolomiti. Fortunately, Hertz was super efficient, the ominous weather stayed off in the distance, and the drive to Massa Marittima was easy—and even better, our host had made sure we would be fed! (Sadly, the late arrival meant we missed our reservation at La Padellaccia Del Viggia). Pizza (fresh porcini) and beer at I Tre Archi hit the spot, and we enjoyed the silence of the town (you could hear a pin drop—I am in love). The next morning, after coffee and pastries (superlatives fail me) at Le Logge, we explored the town and bought some loquats, birra artiginale, and a nice cheese to enjoy in the evening. We decided to go explore with the car, but first chose Le Logge again for lunch (really fantastic salad—three kinds of greens, peppers, fennel, etc. etc.--highly recommend!). While we sat, a group assembled outside the municipal building, one with an acoustic guitar--apparently for a wedding. Later they emerged and greeted the couple with song and flower petals. I am crying into my salad by this point, and we were moved to see that it was an older gay couple. Of course I know that Italy is not some backwater, but it took us by surprise in such a small town and it was just beautiful to observe.
After lunch, we decided to drive to the San Galgano abbey. It reminded us of a similar, smaller ruin in our home state of South Carolina. We had hoped there would be more walking paths around the site, but it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, and I got a nifty little book on using “herbs of the forest” in the church shop that will make for a fun translation project. (In retrospect, we wished we had gone to Monterotondo Marittimo to see the geological site). After some fruitless driving, we returned to town to explore some more and sort out dinner plans. We liked the looks and menu of Da Tronca, and we enjoyed it, but I ordered terribly. I have had sformato in the past that was light and custardy. The artichoke one I got was more like a heavy southern holiday casserole. Glad I had the tortelli too! My husband had his first cinghiale, which he liked.
On the night before, there had been full bars and live music, but this night everything was quiet, so we just had a drink at I Grassini and called it a night. We hated to leave Massa Marittima, as we could have stayed a week and not exhausted things to do in the region—and the locals were so friendly.
Next up, Orbetello
Jun 15th, 2017, 12:06 PM
#2
so pleased I've found this thread, Yorkshire.
I think I might be to blame for your deciding on Massa Maritima so I'm very glad to see that you enjoyed it.
not to mention - Orbetello!
Keep it coming!
I think I might be to blame for your deciding on Massa Maritima so I'm very glad to see that you enjoyed it.
not to mention - Orbetello!
Keep it coming!
Jun 16th, 2017, 07:29 AM
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On to Orbetello, which would be our base for exploring Maremma park (and is a convenient location for lots of other things)
Accommodation: https://www.vrbo.com/6480689ha?unitId=3795312 (I've outdone myself--these apartments just keep getting better and better!)
We could not check in until 4, so we decided to spend the day at the archaeological site of Populonia and Baratti. http://www.parchivaldicornia.it/it/
This would be our first major Etruscan site and it was fascinating. It's just a stellar park--the location is scenic (overlooking the sea) and the interpretation is very well done. I like how the signs include photos of the artifacts that were removed from the tombs (housed in various museums through the region). We are outdoorsy types, and the weather was so stellar we just could not set foot in any museums on this trip, but it was reassuring to know that even if it had rained all week, there was a wealth of treasures in museums in every place we visited. We spent hours walking among the tombs--a whole day would be needed to see it all, and English tours of the acropolis are limited. The mining history is quite interesting and I highly recommend a stop here. (We felt safe leaving our luggage in the paid parking lot, free with a park ticket.)
The first thing I noticed driving into Orbetello is the smell of flowers--jasmine was in bloom everywhere. Once we got settled into our fabulous apartment, we set out for some groceries and then passiegeta with a mandatory first gelato (fig ricotta at Le Logge, my other favorite was pistachio). The apartment had a view of the lagoon and sunsets were lovely. The only drawback were the pigeons that cooed all night--I was going batty by night three. Even earplugs could not abate the noise.
Dinners: Vecchia Cantina D'Orbetello (great--we ate there twice. pasta with clams, pasta with mixed seafood, and fish baked in potato slices), La Pergola (not our favorite after a mixup in which I was served meat instead of seafood gnocchetti), Da Gennaro (wonderful gnocchetti and friendly service). One of the reasons I chose Orbetello was to eat at I Pescatori, but alas they are closed (perhaps they are seasonal?).
Each day, we packed a lunch and drove to the Maremma park headquarters at Albarese. Due to a GPS snafu, we missed the spot the first day and overshot it quite a bit somehow. Oh well, that stuff happens. The park is set up to limit visitors, which I greatly appreciate, but I had trouble getting a sense of how it works until we got there. We were too late for the bus the first day, so we drove to Marina di Albarese where you enter a gate that photographs your license plate. You pay at a ticket kiosk as you depart. We had lunch on the beach and then walked a nice loop along a ridge overlooking the sea. We marveled at the beach shelters made of driftwood.
The next day, we were able to get an earlier start (not our strong suit). We arrived in time for the bus, but we realized that biking was the way to go. Even if you take the bus, you are still looking at very long trails to reach the most spectacular trails. So, on some ratty cruisers we set off over the hills that separate Albarese from the sea. It was tough, but I made it! Once we reached the beach at Collelungo, we sat for a while then walked back up to do one of the spur trails, to a tower. The views were amazing! On the way back, we spotted a Maremma bull on the path. Now how are we going to get around that? Then there was a puff of dirt and he was gone off the trail. I was worried he had fallen, as the drop off was several feet high, but apparently those things can really move. We retrieved the bikes and then completed our loop through pine woods--this part frankly sucked, as the bike wheels sank into the sand. The paved paths are excellent, offering panoramic views. (An entrepreneur could do very well with e-bikes for the less physically able.)
I thought we might spend two days in the park, but we had to go back once more. On our last day, we rented better bikes and set off for Cala di Forno. Now I don't go to Italy for beaches, but after a long hot hike it is wonderful to cap it off with a dip, especially in such gorgeous natural settings! Every year I take a suit and it's always too cold, so of course this year I don't take one and we find this ideal spot--shallow and warm water.
The next morning after checking out, we purchased bathing suits in town and then drove over to at least take a peek at Monte Argentario. We don't love scenic drives, but if you do, go there! We stopped for lunch in Porto Ercole and then decided to give La Feniglia a try. We parked, rented bikes, and rode through the pine forest and then took a dip.
Again, we hated to leave, especially since we had only barely scratched the surface of what this area offers, but I wanted to spend some time inland. Next stop, Pitigliano.
Accommodation: https://www.vrbo.com/6480689ha?unitId=3795312 (I've outdone myself--these apartments just keep getting better and better!)
We could not check in until 4, so we decided to spend the day at the archaeological site of Populonia and Baratti. http://www.parchivaldicornia.it/it/
This would be our first major Etruscan site and it was fascinating. It's just a stellar park--the location is scenic (overlooking the sea) and the interpretation is very well done. I like how the signs include photos of the artifacts that were removed from the tombs (housed in various museums through the region). We are outdoorsy types, and the weather was so stellar we just could not set foot in any museums on this trip, but it was reassuring to know that even if it had rained all week, there was a wealth of treasures in museums in every place we visited. We spent hours walking among the tombs--a whole day would be needed to see it all, and English tours of the acropolis are limited. The mining history is quite interesting and I highly recommend a stop here. (We felt safe leaving our luggage in the paid parking lot, free with a park ticket.)
The first thing I noticed driving into Orbetello is the smell of flowers--jasmine was in bloom everywhere. Once we got settled into our fabulous apartment, we set out for some groceries and then passiegeta with a mandatory first gelato (fig ricotta at Le Logge, my other favorite was pistachio). The apartment had a view of the lagoon and sunsets were lovely. The only drawback were the pigeons that cooed all night--I was going batty by night three. Even earplugs could not abate the noise.
Dinners: Vecchia Cantina D'Orbetello (great--we ate there twice. pasta with clams, pasta with mixed seafood, and fish baked in potato slices), La Pergola (not our favorite after a mixup in which I was served meat instead of seafood gnocchetti), Da Gennaro (wonderful gnocchetti and friendly service). One of the reasons I chose Orbetello was to eat at I Pescatori, but alas they are closed (perhaps they are seasonal?).
Each day, we packed a lunch and drove to the Maremma park headquarters at Albarese. Due to a GPS snafu, we missed the spot the first day and overshot it quite a bit somehow. Oh well, that stuff happens. The park is set up to limit visitors, which I greatly appreciate, but I had trouble getting a sense of how it works until we got there. We were too late for the bus the first day, so we drove to Marina di Albarese where you enter a gate that photographs your license plate. You pay at a ticket kiosk as you depart. We had lunch on the beach and then walked a nice loop along a ridge overlooking the sea. We marveled at the beach shelters made of driftwood.
The next day, we were able to get an earlier start (not our strong suit). We arrived in time for the bus, but we realized that biking was the way to go. Even if you take the bus, you are still looking at very long trails to reach the most spectacular trails. So, on some ratty cruisers we set off over the hills that separate Albarese from the sea. It was tough, but I made it! Once we reached the beach at Collelungo, we sat for a while then walked back up to do one of the spur trails, to a tower. The views were amazing! On the way back, we spotted a Maremma bull on the path. Now how are we going to get around that? Then there was a puff of dirt and he was gone off the trail. I was worried he had fallen, as the drop off was several feet high, but apparently those things can really move. We retrieved the bikes and then completed our loop through pine woods--this part frankly sucked, as the bike wheels sank into the sand. The paved paths are excellent, offering panoramic views. (An entrepreneur could do very well with e-bikes for the less physically able.)
I thought we might spend two days in the park, but we had to go back once more. On our last day, we rented better bikes and set off for Cala di Forno. Now I don't go to Italy for beaches, but after a long hot hike it is wonderful to cap it off with a dip, especially in such gorgeous natural settings! Every year I take a suit and it's always too cold, so of course this year I don't take one and we find this ideal spot--shallow and warm water.
The next morning after checking out, we purchased bathing suits in town and then drove over to at least take a peek at Monte Argentario. We don't love scenic drives, but if you do, go there! We stopped for lunch in Porto Ercole and then decided to give La Feniglia a try. We parked, rented bikes, and rode through the pine forest and then took a dip.
Again, we hated to leave, especially since we had only barely scratched the surface of what this area offers, but I wanted to spend some time inland. Next stop, Pitigliano.
Jun 17th, 2017, 12:46 PM
#5
One of the reasons I chose Orbetello was to eat at I Pescatori, but alas they are closed (perhaps they are seasonal?).>>
oh on - that's a shame. You'll have to go back.
Glad that otherwise you enjoyed Orbetello. I've no idea why it's not more popular with foreign tourists - I thought it was delightful.
oh on - that's a shame. You'll have to go back.
Glad that otherwise you enjoyed Orbetello. I've no idea why it's not more popular with foreign tourists - I thought it was delightful.
Jun 19th, 2017, 08:36 AM
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The lovely natural beach at La Feniglia had kept us from getting to Pitigliano earlier in the day, so after checking in to another dreamy apartment (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1079787...ano%2C%20Italy), we grabbed some supplies and settled into our roof terrace.
Il Tufo Allegro appealed for dinner (Maybe it was the hair metal playing from the neighboring apartment?) and it did not disappoint--in fact, we ate there both nights. It was inventive (balsamic gelee) while using traditional ingredients (bottarga, smoked eel). Highly recommended, but it looked like you could not get a bad meal in town. Or see a bad view!
The next day, we set out for the Vie Cave, strange pathways carved by the Etruscans. Instead of walking from town (which we could have done, but I was worried about walking back up in the heat), we drove down the hill out of town and parked along a picnic area a helpful shop owner told us about. We were headed toward a fountain, but a dead fox rotting in one cave put us off, so we set off for another path (They all crisscross right below the town), but this one required fording a stream and I was not feeling up for it. It was really hot! So, my reward was an uphill path, but for all my whining I admit these paths were really interesting. We ended up at a road and had the misfortune to see a snake run over right in front of us (mercifully, twice). We then walked to an old roman bridge, enjoying views of Pitigliano all the while. Having exhausting our interest in walking in manmade caverns, we decided to check out the hot springs in Saturnia. All of the photos show the place in its too-good-to-be-true glory, but upon arrival in the crowded parking lot, we knew this would not be our experience. My husband took one look and said "nuh-uh" but he waited while I at least soaked my feet in the healing waters.
Our state of relaxation meant we would not be able to explore the ghetto (closed on Fridays), so we will have to return to Pitigliano, too! The town is full of artists, and we capped off our visit by purchasing some cups from a potter.
Before setting off for Vetulonia, we drive to Sovana to find an archaeological park with many Etruscan necropoli. It was quite impressive, with more carving and statues present than at the other sites. http://www.leviecave.it/index.php?lang=en-GB
Then it was time for our longest drive of the entire 10 day trip, a scenic two hours to Vetulonia. I was excited about this place, a tiny cabin on a hillside--the perfect way to cap off the trip! http://www.baciarino.com/
We walked around tiny Vetulonia and enjoyed the jazz concert that we could hear on our balcony, along with the occasional cries of a donkey. We then walked down for one of the meals of our life--a seafood feast prepared by a former fisherman. Prawn and white fish "carpaccio" (more akin to ceviche) was followed by stuffed squid and a tuna dish, then grilled bream, then pasta with clams. I dream of this meal.
For our last day, we decided to change things up and do a hike to a beach. Some gracious dinner guests recommended the beach next to Cala Violina, so we walked an extra 30-45 minutes along the sea. It was a blissful day--10 days really. All trips have their ups and downs, but this one was just magical.
Unfortunately, dinner was not served on Sunday so we settled for some tortelli and cinghiale at the one restaurant in town. And we began plotting how to get back here to live...
Il Tufo Allegro appealed for dinner (Maybe it was the hair metal playing from the neighboring apartment?) and it did not disappoint--in fact, we ate there both nights. It was inventive (balsamic gelee) while using traditional ingredients (bottarga, smoked eel). Highly recommended, but it looked like you could not get a bad meal in town. Or see a bad view!
The next day, we set out for the Vie Cave, strange pathways carved by the Etruscans. Instead of walking from town (which we could have done, but I was worried about walking back up in the heat), we drove down the hill out of town and parked along a picnic area a helpful shop owner told us about. We were headed toward a fountain, but a dead fox rotting in one cave put us off, so we set off for another path (They all crisscross right below the town), but this one required fording a stream and I was not feeling up for it. It was really hot! So, my reward was an uphill path, but for all my whining I admit these paths were really interesting. We ended up at a road and had the misfortune to see a snake run over right in front of us (mercifully, twice). We then walked to an old roman bridge, enjoying views of Pitigliano all the while. Having exhausting our interest in walking in manmade caverns, we decided to check out the hot springs in Saturnia. All of the photos show the place in its too-good-to-be-true glory, but upon arrival in the crowded parking lot, we knew this would not be our experience. My husband took one look and said "nuh-uh" but he waited while I at least soaked my feet in the healing waters.
Our state of relaxation meant we would not be able to explore the ghetto (closed on Fridays), so we will have to return to Pitigliano, too! The town is full of artists, and we capped off our visit by purchasing some cups from a potter.
Before setting off for Vetulonia, we drive to Sovana to find an archaeological park with many Etruscan necropoli. It was quite impressive, with more carving and statues present than at the other sites. http://www.leviecave.it/index.php?lang=en-GB
Then it was time for our longest drive of the entire 10 day trip, a scenic two hours to Vetulonia. I was excited about this place, a tiny cabin on a hillside--the perfect way to cap off the trip! http://www.baciarino.com/
We walked around tiny Vetulonia and enjoyed the jazz concert that we could hear on our balcony, along with the occasional cries of a donkey. We then walked down for one of the meals of our life--a seafood feast prepared by a former fisherman. Prawn and white fish "carpaccio" (more akin to ceviche) was followed by stuffed squid and a tuna dish, then grilled bream, then pasta with clams. I dream of this meal.
For our last day, we decided to change things up and do a hike to a beach. Some gracious dinner guests recommended the beach next to Cala Violina, so we walked an extra 30-45 minutes along the sea. It was a blissful day--10 days really. All trips have their ups and downs, but this one was just magical.
Unfortunately, dinner was not served on Sunday so we settled for some tortelli and cinghiale at the one restaurant in town. And we began plotting how to get back here to live...
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