Awake early after good night’s sleep in Gypsy
car park. Thankfully nothing nicked. We decide to go to town early, to ensure
getting a space and to go and have our first dip in the Med. As we leave the gypsy
car park the place is buzzing already, but, against all the odds we find a
space in town and have our first swim. Bliss. When we return to the van some 15
minutes later we find a parking ticket attached to the van. This was before 9am
– have they been taking notes from the UK? Ah well, La Dolce Vita. Sigh. Need
some supplies so we head to town for the nearest shop, our broken Italian
results in the purchase of the heaviest most rock like loaf of bread, reputedly
a traditional Pugliese effort, I think it’s more likely to be some alien
meteorite. Breakfast sorted we leave and head towards the Autostrada, Onzo
mountainous hills avoidance technique. 10.00am and 35 degrees. Eek!!
The autostrada proves a good decision, even
though Onzo’s temperature begins to climb within minutes. Perseverance rewards
us and we begin to descend from the Mountains and eventually rejoin the coastal
road. The scenery changes from steep peaks to flatlands and alluvial plains. We
are pootling along with the stark Alpi Apuane on our left and the coast on our
right. We are aiming for Carrara, just inside Tuscany and the export capital of
Marble for old Italy and still thriving today. We arrive and almost instantly
find a shady parking spot, under some trees, it’s free and five minutes walk
from the beach. A Tuscan miracle! The shade proves to be the biggest blessing
of all though, with temperatures hitting the mid thirties by early morning.
Everyone has furnace issues and freezing cold showers are a must. This results
in us wandering around Carrara, which is very hip and cool, mostly looking like
drowned rats. And still sweating. There are people zooming round on bicycles
(millions of ‘em) and playing tennis… how are they not melting?!
I honestly don’t recall ever being so hot. It
is stifling, zero breeze. The town has a distinct Hispanic feel to it which
strikes us as odd considering we are in Italy, (even we can’t take a wrong turn
of such proportions can we?!).
The beach is accessible and empty in
comparison to Portofino i.e spaces bigger than postage stamps upon which to
park yourselves. There is a jetty of rocks where people are basking and diving
in, we investigate these later in the afternoon and the rocks prove to be
discarded slabs of the local marble! Sunbathing on these pure white luxuries of
rocks, with the Med at your feet and the gleaming quarries of the mountains as
a back drop. Life is nice. The sea provides much welcome relief from the
searing heat. The piece de resistance though is the free shower that all beach
goers can use after swimming. It is ice cold and very powerful. This is
especially good as we are low on water and need to conserve. Thus far in Italy
we have noticed that refilling opportunities are few and far between. This then
will be our shower whilst we are here. I wonder what odd looks we will get
tomorrow morning when we get in armed with the shower gel and possibly a
razor!?
A wander around town in the evening sees us
stopping for a drink and getting presented with an enormous plate of free
nibbley things. That’s supper sorted then. And a little further down the road
is Bar Mue (wish I could tell Moo I miss him). Bar Mue is a laid back affair,
raggedy and charming, the sign is made out of old fruit crates (is it in fact
Bar Mule??), the staff are dreadlocked and relaxed and Bob Marley remixes are
accompanying our glass of white Tuscan plonk. Portofino shmino I say. Early
night and massive contentment.