ROAD TRIPPIN RUBY

29 July
Montalcino-Saturinia-Orbello

Up and about – it was cozzie day today. Saturnia hot water pools were awaiting us. There are 2 types, one where you can spend 28 Euro's for a full day or the one the locals use across the road. It's free, with free parking and totally natural.

When you turn the corner, you do not expect a natural waterfall cascading down into perfect rock pools with tiny soft, round lime stone pebbles. There are beautiful Italian women with their petite figures (and their 3 children running around after her)bathing in the pools. It's like the Garden of Eden, by water. You need to be there to grasp the sight.

The water is the perfect temperature. Only thing is you smell like sulphur when you get out.

We had to get going as the beach in Orbello, close to the Monte Argentario island, was calling for us. Along the roads there were billions of sunflowers. All facing and worshipping the sun. I have never seen so many.

But first, a stop at Pitigliano.

This was an old, primarily Jewish settlement which fell to ruin after the Jews left due to the WWII. The city was almost left totally abandoned and became dilapidated. It was given a cash injection in 1995 to recoup. It is not yet a tourist town and is definitely one of the best hill top towns we have visited. An absolute surprise as we almost skipped it.

Lining the coastline of Orbello there were campsites, one after the next. TIP: As we have found some of the sites quite expensive we decided to do some shopping around. I would walk in (without Nick) and ask cost for van and 2 people per night, then say – let me just speak to my husband quickly, then move to the next one. The one site was 42 Euro's, the other 34 Euro's then, the one we stayed at 24 Euro's.

Camping Village Hawaii was cheap but had very basic facilities, it was a 2 star. The whole camp was Italian. It would not surprise me if we were the only foreigners there. An Italian man came by our Ruby. Without saying anything he had an intensive thorough look at her. He looked at the back – walked to the front. Then finally asked something in Italian whilst peering over us. We figured he was asking - “what kind of van is this?” It took a while but he understood that she is a post van and he had a good giggle. We whispered to Ruby to not take any notice. She had no idea what we were talking about anyway.

Bikes came off the back and we cycled a short distance to the beach. By the way, the more expensive sites had access to the beach, ours didn't. Who cares when the beach is only 2.5 km's down the road. We sat on the brown sand with all the other sun lovers. Then took a dip in the Ligurian Sea.

All this activity left us knackered. I'll spell it for you, just in case... B.E.D!