Tuscany 2014 - Day 5

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Today is supposed to be another relaxing day at and in the pool, but at midday clouds gather and it drizzles a little. Half an hour later it's all over again and the sun is burning down.

So, excursion yes/no? Or pool again?

Lisa continues writing in her holiday notebook, Ella does Sudoku, everyone else reads books. When we decide to go on an excursion, Lisa is really grumpy and doesn't want to come. After a long discussion, we all drive to Lari in wonderful weather, through typical Tuscan countryside: hilly, everything green and lots of cypresses, with little houses in between.

In Lari we climb the Castello dei Vicari and admire the small, extremely beautiful town from above. Inside we visit all the rooms and let the audio guide explain everything worth knowing.

The Castello dei Vicari is a medieval castle dating back to the 12th century. In 1617, the hill on which the fortress stands was covered with bricks. In 1709, the dungeons were expanded, torture was also present here and for a long time the castle was used as a district court.

In a small alley we discover a gelateria with the best ice cream we've had in a long time: stracciatella, crema, caffè, cioccolata, menta and a granita coca-cola. Right next door is Martelli , the smallest pasta factory in the world (tour on Friday) and in a small square is the restaurant for our dinner. In between we quickly go home so that the children can jump into the pool.

Antica Osteria al Castello on Piazza Matteotti, directly opposite the war memorial: not cheap, but all the better for it and really recommended. Lisa and Bettina take “Petto d'anatra all'aceto balsamico e mirto con patate al forno”, Christian has a completely vegetarian “Pecorino al forno con miele e pinoli, su letto di radicchio rosso” and I have “Coniglio in crema di erbe aromatiche con ceci al rosmarino”. Benissimo! Lisa and I then swap dishes and so after enjoying the duck, Lisa is just sucking on the rabbit bone when her mum calls. Everything is fine with us! And it's not that late either! Lisa and Ella run their laps on the piazza and we enjoy the vino da casa, which is a good wine from the Lari region.

After coffee and desert we fall into bed shortly before midnight.