A hill to start with steeply up to the little town of Montemarcello. Funny thing here, I called at a cafe with tables set in a garden. Two large advertising boards advertised cold fruit drinks, so I went and asked for one. What a palava, there was a special machine which was supposed to mix the fruit and ice cubes. It didn’t work, the barkeeper prodded and banged it for a full ten minutes, while I tried to persuade him to stop and give me some water instead. So I had coffee and water, a more traditional refreshment with which the bartender was comfortable. I also bought a gorgonzola and basil sandwhich and a vegetable tart to take away, not wanting to stop anywhere for lunch, with all these miles to do.
So down to sea level and about 50km along the seafront, wind a bit against me so not much freewheeling, quite a slog. The sandwich and tart were excellent., the tart seemed to have a case made out of pasta – healthy idea.
It was a grey day, the grey mediterranean rolled in on one my right and the hills disappeared into the clouds on my left. It was hot though. The coastline here is built all the way along with cafes, restaurants, bars. Many closed in October, some thriving with Sunday lunch-goers, some open and empty. In the little towns things livened-up, in-between towns it became scrappy and bleak. There is a cycleway for about 30km, dead straight and flat. Boring after a while. It ends in a holiday town which is quite nice and cheery, Gelato. I rarely really feel like eating ice-cream, but this day the cold sweet cream was just right – melon and chocolate flavours.
Then quite a miserable slog along hot busy roads into Livorno, past the oil refineries and power lines, yuk.
Livorno is nice, not a holiday town, though many ferries leave from here so there are tourists around. I have a flat for the night, with a washing machine, wash all my clothes. Walk 2km to find a restaurant open on Sunday night. It is 9:30 by now.
My last day in Italy this trip, spaghetti vongole, this finally overcomes my obsession with this dish, at it’s best the clams can taste both meaty and fishy, in a good way, and are delicious. But somtimes also it is bland and over-salted. The shells are always beautiful. But now I have eaten enough, time to find another pasta dish to obsess about – (also worried that clams are being over-fished, these ones may well come from off the coast of Cornwall, the Mediterranean having been nearly cleaned-out). White wine – Vermentino, lemony, flinty finish. NOW. I have room for dessert and choose Tiramisu (well I’m in Italy after all) but also on the menu are a selection of liquer rums. For some reason this appeals and I choose one called “Legendario” 7 years old, from Cuba, of course. Delicious, like sucking vodka through a barley-sugar straw.
