To Montecatini Alto

Saturday 28th April

We moved on again this morning, but the short journey wasn't too comfortable for me as I slipped on the campsite shower floor last night and although I didn't fall, I jarred just about everything below the belt!  We travelled through the scenic Tuscan hills on minor roads to Montecatini Terme and arrived at Camping Belsito at 1.15 only to find that the barrier was shut from 1.00 till 3.00! We thought that was only a French thing - still, we carried our chairs and lunch through the pedestrian gate and sat under a tree until Trudie came to let us in.

This is a super site, on a hillside almost as high as Montecatini Alto village, with amazing views.  Because of my current affliction (hurting a lot to sit and walk) we decided to pay the extra and have an en suite pitch!  We have a loo/basin/shower room on our pitch and 2 sinks on the outside of it.  (Photos to follow)

Sunday 29th April

Feeling a lot more comfortable this morning, so we got our picnic together and walked (rather more slowly than normal) up to the village of Montecatini Alto perched on a hilltop.

 

 There is just one main piazza

Built as a theatre, now a restaurant!

 
 and steep cobbled roads up to a church and castle remains one end
 

and the clock tower at the other.  The clock face is interesting, with 6 Roman numerals, but the time was wrong - it was an hour out - we were having our lunch at 1 o'clock!

Most people were coming up there by 'Funicolare' from Montecatini Terme but after exploring Alto, we did the reverse and went down to the spa town. 

View down to Montecatini Terme

There are huge parks with several different thermal baths and treatment centres (all closed Sundays).  We just enjoyed the parks and did some geocaching (brilliant here as all the caches stay dry - not like the soggy, rain-filled ones in England!). 

From the park up to Alto

 When we were walking back to the campsite from the upper Funicular station we passed a monastary that was (aparently unusually) open today.  We went in and saw an exhibition of ceremonial robes and beautiful intricate embroidery.

We couldn't see much of the building itself, but we could go into one of the courtyards.  We sat peacefully for a few minutes, before a group of loud talkers arrived(!) and spoilt the atmosphere.