A city away from the tourist crowds

Today at noon, we reluctantly departed from Vada.

Angelika and Martin headed north – their next destination is Lake Maggiore before finally going home.

We are drawn further south. Actually, we wanted to go all the way to Capalbio today, where Niki de Saint Phalle created her famous Tarot Garden with 22 giant fantasy figures. But that would have been almost 200 kilometers – and during the drive, we realized it was too far for us. So we spontaneously stopped in Grosseto.

The city, with a population of 81,000, is about 20 kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea and is pleasantly calm in mid-October – far from the tourist crowds.

For example: In a chic bistro in the city center, we paid just over four euros for a cappuccino, an espresso, and a pastry.

However, finding a suitable parking and overnight spot cost us some nerves. Through our app Park4night, we chose a large public car park right in front of the monumental city wall – but it was completely filled with cars.

While searching for a gap, we had to navigate around deep potholes, some nearly half a meter deep and two meters wide. Getting past them was difficult because the road was too narrow. But with a lot of patience – and a bit of luck – we ultimately found a spot.

Relieved, we made our way to the old town.

From the cathedral and Piazza Dante, one can wonderfully stroll through the narrow streets of the lively city center – past colorful shops, picturesque corners, small cafés, and ice cream parlors.

If the Tarot Garden didn't close on October 15, we would have definitely stayed another two or three days.

Yet, even though Grosseto only gave us a short stopover – the south continues to call. Perhaps the magic of Capalbio is just around the next bend …