Trip to Follonica

Friday 15 August
Our final day woke to thunder and lightning and this was our planned beach day. We heded off anyway just before 9.00 and made our way through heavy showers to the village of Massa Maratima. We entertained a couple of local kaumatua attempting to use the fully automated petrol pumps and drove into the village where we had pastries and coffee while the rain blew through. Some of the thunder had been spectacular to that pont.

As we approached Follonica the sun came out and it warmed from 17 deg to 31! This place was bigger and more crowded than I expected, but after some good spotting we grabbed a park one block from the beach. Most of the beach requires you to pay but we parked very close to the small public beach.

Terry, Leigh and I swam a couple of times in the beautifully refreshing and mild med while Dallas went for a walk. There were a large number of hawkers selling clothes, bags, rugs and sunglasses.

Aqfter drying off in the sun we drove back to Massa Maratima for lunch where we all enjoyed aa glass of the locals' finest with lasagne and tortellini. We then headed off for what should have been a straightforward trip home, but we missed a turn though I did say we should take it. This resulted in Terrenzo navigating us in a zig and zag fashion back to our village in time for the next thunderstorm.

I am about to go up and check emails and update the blog. Tomorrow we cope with the drive to Rome!