Destinazione Toscana

Lately I ran into some old friends which I hadn’t seen for over 7 years. This due to my moving to another city.

Strange, how you can come across people at places you expect it the least.

We talked quickly and promised each other to catch up again soon, and went our separate ways.

That meeting now reminds me of that I’ll have to send them an app today, to make our ‘talk-up’ real :-)

But also, since I ran into them, of course other thoughts came up again too.

So I remembered also their love for Italy, and then especially for Tuscany. That brought back memories of me going to that lovely part of Italy.

For several years I’ve been going to Tuscany, as so many ‘non-Italian’ also do ;-)

But my ‘wannago to Italy’ didn’t take me to the usual part of Tuscany, where so many tourist go. No, I then felt for the southern part; the Maremma.

Nowadays I wouldn’t talk of that as being part of Tuscany; to my opinion it is all region of its own. So different from ‘the North’ and of an other beauty.

At that time, Maremma wasn’t that touristic as it has become these days. But it offered me then, all I was looking for at a vacation; bella natura, mare, sole, vino, dolce far niente, and of course, and especially, lovely people.

We (that is, me and my partner then) landed in Castiglione della Pescaia at a campsite called Maremma sans Souci. Back then a lovely small campeggio, right by the sea, at the beach, in a natural pinewood.

As we checked in the receptionist told us that there were a lot of Dutch at the camping this year; counting us with them, they had 8 Dutch guests!  To us, we only thought how cool that was, almost no Dutch around.

We got a super camp space, down in de forests, under the pineta, where we build up our tent.

We became soon familiar with the owner – who could talk a little bit Dutch - and the rest of the staff, for they and we were/are easygoing…

Every morning the chief of staff started his day with a tour among the campsite, on his Vespa, greeting everybody with a loud ‘Buongiornooooo!’

And in the evenings we emptied ‘a few bottles’ of wine together with him. The chief had his girlfriend come over and she (and he) stayed at a caravan on the campsite, near to our place. You can say we became ‘old friends’ over the years we came at Maremma Sans Souci.

As my (ex)partner loved to watch sports, F1, tour de France, the football championship(s) and I didn’t hate it too, we were often invited by the owner and the staff to watch all this, together with them. Great afternoons/evenings that were. It was then, that we learned to drink Grappa, in all of its several tastes ;-)

We surely loved that campsite and its people. 

For many years, on our tours through Italy, we landed there also, for a week, or a couple of days or so. Never had to make a reservation. Always being recognized and given a camp space (although the sign said ‘completo’) and always welcomed with a “Aah, gli Ollandesi !!”

Now, years later, Maremma Sans Souci has grown into a large campsite. Still beautiful, but that special touch of then, for me, is gone.

Certainly I’ve changed, my way of life has changed, so we grew apart, so to speak. Doesn’t matter. The memories are great and I’ll recommend everyone who wants to go to Maremma and is looking for a good campsite, to go there.

For I am sure, they will have a great time and will be well taken of.

I doubt the chief of staff is still driving around on his Vespa, but I still can hear his ‘Buongiornoooo !’

Buon Viaggio !

Ir.

Campeggio Maremma Sans Souci     

Castiglione della Pescaia

www.maremmasanssouci.it

Add:

Tuscany has so much to offer for a great vacation. And for those who love good food, “Tuscany is a good starting point for exploring the best in Italian foord”, as Sara Baker so truly said.

So to complete my ‘Tuscany-tour’ for now, here a 50 good (food) reasons to visit Tuscany.

Enjoy Tuscany, eating like a local! @Tuscanycious, by Flavia Cori, on Tuscanycious.it