loveners

Hi Fodorites

We'll be driving from Arezzo to Piombino on a Saturday (the Saturday after Festa Della Republica).

It's about 200km and I'm guessing a 5 hour+ drive potentially on a holiday weekend.

Can you please suggest a location for us to stop for lunch (not a long lazy one, alas on route where we can park our car easily?

Grazie mille

Loveners

DickieG

I would be very careful with your route planning and try to avoid crossing over the Monte Amiata area south of Montalcino, the roads wind for ever and the journey can take forever. The main SS223 between Siena and Grosetto is the quickest route but it is usually very busy and can be dangerous. The locals call it Il Brutto.

We have travelled this route 3 times as we usually like to combine a week in the countryside with time on Elba or Sardinian and so take the ferry from Piombino.

The roads and topology generally run north/south and so travel across country can be convoluted. The main issue is how quickly you wish to get to Piombino.

A quick route is directly to Siena with lunch at say Sovicille and then down the quiet SS441 or if you have more time you could take a route future her south via Pienza and over Monte Amiata with lunch at Pienza but this would be a long day with winding roads.

zeppole

Starting in Arezzo, just go north up the A1 and then over to the coast. Use google to map the route. It is the same amount of drive time as "Il Brutto".

Under the best of circumstances, any route you choose requires 3 hours, and on holidays, the local custom is to sleep in. If you are happy to be early risers, you could be in Piombino by noon.

If you'd rather sleep in yourselves, and make a scenic day of it getting to the coast, then you really can't plan in advance where to have lunch. The entire region is packed to the gills with restaurants -- so the thing to do is to get off the road by noon at the latest and look for a place to eat in a small town or near one. Where you will be at noon is totally unpredictable and unknown to us.

If you want a "destination" restaurant with an established track record of memorable food, consult Chowhound. There is a poster who lives in Tuscany you tell what's worthy. However, on a holiday, for a lunch in scenic Tuscany or a town like Pescia (restaurant Cecco), you will need to make a reservation well in advance and then you will need to get up early and leave Arezzo early to allow for the possibility of heavy traffic.

zeppole

sorry for my garbled sentence:

There is a poster on Chowhound who lives in Tuscany who can tell you what's worthy.

DickieG

If zeppole refers to Castiglione Della Pescaia, I would agree it is a lovely little beach/fishing resort. Just a great feel and a good mix of honest fishing with low key beach life. We love the place and there are many good restaurants.

I forgot to post : DO NOT delay lunch until Piombino, it is the worst place in Europe, apart from the oil refinery area south of Catania. Drive through the town as quickly as possible and directly to the ferry terminal, if that is where you a heading. If you are planning to stay there, rearrange your plans, it is that bad.

zeppole

Actually, I was referring to the highly regarded restaurant Cecco in the town of Pescia, above Pistoia, in case loveners decided to try her luck with the autostrade.

Regarding Castiglione della Pescaia, one would have to get up fairly early be guaranteed of reaching the coast by lunchtime and one would definitely need to make a reservation at any of the better seaside restaurants if the weather is nice. One more thing to consider is that traffic will intensify along the coastal roads as the day progresses. so the after-lunch drive to Piombino is likely to be slow going.

Presuming you are going to Elba, you might want to look around the area of Piombino on your return trip despite the above reactions. Populonia and Baratti are significant and dramatic archeological sights, and the historic town center of Piombino itself has unusual architectural features. Admittedly not for the gimme-the-picture-postcard tourist, but an interesting destination for others:

http://www.toscanaviva.com/Piombino/Piombino.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populonia

http://beachcomberpete.com/piombino_italy/

DickieG

Here's my lasting memory Piombino

http://www.mineralien-basel.ch/Beitr...a/piombino.jpg

zeppole

I think anybody who follows your advice about Piombino will have your experience of Piombino and your memories of Piombino. I think most Italian speakers (and loveners as I recall is one) headed to Piombino won't be crushed or even surprised to find themselves, not in a twee picturesque fishing village, but in a mining port. If they are not inclined to flee, they will see something you never saw.

DickieG

Let's be sure about this, a traveller leaves Arezzo and crosses some of the most beautiful countryside in the world and you are advising them to spend time in Piombino.

God help.

I only hope that never bump into the Pope you would probably try to convince him that The Bible was a script for The Cartoon Network.