Between luxury hotel and wild boar attack

We visited the nearby nature reserve again today – but more on that later…

After our trip to Santo Porto Stefano yesterday, Icke was quite exhausted. The ride on the scooter had been tiring and nerve-wracking. She wanted to take the dogs for a short walk. I, on the other hand, had to seize the opportunity: we were supposed to return the scooter this morning, and I really wanted to see the Bastione di Santa Barbara fortress and the luxury hotel La Rocca – both destinations would have been nearly impossible to reach on foot.

The path up to the fortress was steep. It's privately owned, but apparently it's still possible to access the walls and enjoy the magnificent view of Porto Ercole and its harbor. Unfortunately, the site is currently being restored, so I only managed a snapshot through the barrier of the interior of the over 300-year-old fort.

On my way back, I encountered five elderly ladies sitting on a bench, reminiscing about the day. I asked them for directions to the Hotel La Rocca – none of them said a word, until they suddenly burst into loud laughter and pointed to a house less than fifty meters away. I shrugged, a little embarrassed.

I had imagined the luxury hotel differently – with a large garden, a grand entrance, or a doorman. But there was no sign of any of that. So I decided to at least have a coffee. Inside, everything was modernly furnished. A friendly woman greeted me and seemed genuinely pleased, even though I had only stopped by for a coffee.

She led me to the first floor, where long glass tables were already set for dinner. A waiter immediately took charge, and I chose a seat on the terrace. The view was breathtaking. Soon, a Caffè Americano was in front of me, accompanied by four tiny but delicious pastries. After each sip, I let one melt slowly on my tongue.

I wasn't surprised that I paid six euros for the coffee. It was interesting to experience this atmosphere – and yet I was glad when I arrived back at our campsite.

Icke and the dogs were still on their way. That surprised me, since we had set off together. Then my phone rang.

"Willi! Please come quickly – wild boars! Lots of wild boars!"

Icke had lost her way. She'd gotten disoriented while fleeing from the animals. Luckily, thanks to 'Where is?', I was able to locate her quickly – two kilometers away. Too far to reach her on foot. So I grabbed one of the rental bikes that were lying around and sped off.

And sure enough, a whole herd of wild boars came towards me on the path – at least a dozen animals. I stopped and let them pass. Shortly afterwards, I found Icke with the dogs. She fell into my arms, relieved.

“My savior!” she cried.

Today Icke wanted to go back to the nature reserve – this time with personal protection. That task is now mine. Emmi will be my service dog – I'm sure that together we'll be a nightmare for the wild boars here…