When old stones tell stories ...

The colors and forms of the Tarot Garden still resonated within us as we moved on this morning – into the soft hilly landscape of Maremma, where steaming hot water rises from the earth: to the springs of Saturnia.

The distance to get there wasn’t long, not even fifty kilometers. The whole day lay ahead of us, and that's when I remembered two tips from Lumi, who had recommended Capalbio and Montemerano to us.

Who is Lumi? She is my AI, who has saved me many hours of internet research in planning this trip – and still does whenever I need her. She is a real treasure that I would be reluctant to do without.

We followed her advice – luckily! I didn’t have to persuade Icke much, as there was a small market in Capalbio today. There’s no better argument for my wife. The little town was a dream. In mid-October, the influx of visitors wanes, allowing us to immerse ourselves undisturbed in the special atmosphere of the old streets and buildings.

We walked in the footsteps of the old rogue Tiburzi, who went on a raid in this area in the late 19th century and supposedly distributed his loot among the desperately poor rural population. In his flight from the Carabinieri, the inhabitants of Capalbio hid their Italian Robin Hood. However, a happy ending eluded him – he was shot by the police in 1896.

In Capalbio, history can almost be breathed in. “Here, every moment feels like a timeless masterpiece,” says an old proverb – and since today, we know how much truth there is in these words. Even in Montemerano, the houses in the center still look the same as they did a hundred or two hundred years ago.

“If these stones could talk ...,” I said while strolling through the streets.

“They can,” replied Icke. “You have to listen with all your senses.”

I tried – and felt a whisper in the autumn wind. And indeed: “Whoever listens with their heart can hear even the stones whispering,” says an old proverb.

Yes – and the hearts, the hearts are wide open in Tuscany.