I have adopted a beach.

One of the lingering problems with choosing another landlocked city to settle in is of course the lack of water... And I do love the sea. So what to do? Fortunately there is a good bus service which takes one from Siena to the Tuscan coast in an hour and a half. 

Yesterday was billed as – probably- the last summer day, supposed to produce 30C, so I decided to squeeze the last out of the Tuscan summer and took that early morning bus from Siena once more down to the coast with the final destination Castiglione della Pescaia.

I got off at the Marina di Grosseto because my plan was to walk on the beach from there. The beach was deserted there, the only sign of life was provided by a handsome life guard, lingering amongst the folded up umbrellas,  who was aghast at the fact that I was intending to walk all the way - a distance of 12 k. This was supposed to take 2hours and 21 minutes according to Google.    

  

Rather than the 30 C I had hoped for, my walk began with grey skies and cool sea breezes along the totally deserted stretch of sandy beach.  When I had reached about half way the temperature had already risen and I stripped off and swam in the glorious, salty water with its gentle, regular waves rolling in.

                                                 I also had to venture into that enchanted pine forest – the pineta, which stretches all the way, parallel to the sandy beach, making up the nature reserve Diaccia Botrona between the start and the end of my walk. 

These pines form fantastical, rhythmic shapes, brought into existence  by the same winds that roll those waves onto the sands- an exquisite harmonious environment that made me want to paint. 

I was curious to read that Italo Calvino, the great writer, whose delightful Barone rampante I am attempting to read at the moment, lived in the pineta by Castiglione della Pescaia at the end of his life, and and that he died in Siena. Now noone lives here anymore. 

The nature reserve protects this stretch of land from the perils of any encroaching developments, leaving it a sacred territory for lone walkers like me who will run into an occasional fisherman, or some drift wood shelters built by  like-minded wanderers. 

The approach to Castiglione di Pescaia was  announced by an increase of both sunshine and sunseekers until the beach umbrellas of my favourite family run seafood restaurant made a welcome appearance- it had taken me about three hours.

                                  I have adopted this beach as my refuge from my landlocked city...