“When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come, I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, cleanses me with its noise, and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke, Poet
The first time we drove north through Tuscany along the coast, we veered inland to see the leaning tower of Pisa. We missed a small and yet remarkable stretch called the Versilia Coast in the northwest corner of the province of Lucca. Versilia is sandwiched between Livorno to the south and Cinque Terra to the north. Truthfully, many months ago, we thought we had seen enough of the Tuscan Coast, but we had not yet discovered the magic of Versilia.
Through our travels, we noticed how we all felt more relaxed by the sea and we kept gravitating toward the coasts wherever we ventured. Perhaps it is because Ron and I both grew up on the coast and the ocean was always a place to take a deep breath and play. We know we are not back here by accident. Many events led us to this place we zipped past on our last jaunt. We have spent the past weeks trolling this coast backed by the Apuan Alps and viridescent pine forests.
The sand is as white and smooth as the Carrara marble visible all over this region. There is an old fishing tradition, mixed with serious surfers and Gucci clad weekenders. There are families, retirees, teenagers, and everything in between, all enjoying the massive variety of activities this mild, sun-drenched coastline has to offer.
We are not sure what we would have thought of this area if we had seen it on our last trip through. We believe we are different then we were 15 countries ago and we are here now at the perfect time to appreciate all this region has in store for us. In the Spring, we were on our way out of Italy. We were ready for a new adventure and we were off and running.
Less than ten days ago, we were tired. We were looking for a place to rest and a place that was easy and accessible and beautiful and most importantly, a place by the sea. We have found that place and we are just at the beginning of a new chapter. Thankfully the Tuscan Coast gave us another chance to make a first impression.
