Saturday 21st September 2024

Sometimes, even when on holiday, you have to plan.

Two or three days back, we tried to visit the nearby county town of Grossetto, only to find that there was no parking, no signs to garages.

So we turned round and did something else.

So, this morning. Up early, have coffee and breakfast and be on the road before nine, and have the address of the large free car park built, as it turned out, in the moat of the city fortifications, built by the Medicis back in the day.

It feels like a summer's day, though in truth it is the equinox and winter is coming.

But for today, it'll be 25 degrees, no wind and summer for us Brits.

Its only a twenty minute blast over the farmland to the autostrada, then eight miles to the turnoff for the centre.

Following the directions from the phone, we ended up on the edge of the fortifications, down a slope and there were like hundreds of free parking spaces.

I pick a space, we park and then walk along the moat and through a caponier into the city, up steep slope, through narrow streets to the main square where the cathedral's bells were ringing for mass at ten.

I look in, lots of singing and chanting, so we found a coffee shop and had a cappuccino and a pistachio filled croissant, though the cream did look like an olive trying to escape. But was good.

Then to the cathedral, just as mass had finished. Lights were being switched off, mics being turned off and moved. The columns and arches were quite Moorish, at least to my eyes, and we know how reliable they are.

There are narrow streets filled with shops, but we want for nothing, really, so after an hour we find ourselves back at the car, so drive back to the apartment for a sit down in the cool inside.

I had spotted lots of butterflies, and so at half twelve, I go out hunting, and was rewarded with three life ticks: Southern White Admiral, Great Banded Grayling and a Two Tailed Pascha feasting on a rotten quince, coming back again and again.

Back inside before I boil over in the heat, and I make spaghetti a limon for lunch, which was followed by second plate of Tuscan sausage butties, which were amazing, needless to say.

Through the afternoon we listened to music and I kept an eye on the football, with Norwich romping away with a win, 4-1, against Watford.

The afternoon passed into evening, we drank some wine, while Emy had friends outside and their laughter filled the air, as the stars came out.