When everything suddenly collapsed, after a message received at three in the morning, I understood that I had to start over with myself. And I chose to do it by cycling through a part of Tuscany that few people know: the province of Grosseto.
Between unexpected encounters and trials to overcome
Before getting on the saddle, I decided to explore the city and walking through Grosseto I arrived at the Archaeological and Art Museum of the Maremma. The delightful black and white kitten purring near the entrance door was an invitation to enter.
Inside the halls, I met the director Luca Giannini who accompanied me to discover the history of the province of Grosseto, condensing all the centuries of history that have shaped these places into one visit, and enticing me even more to explore.
From Grosseto I cycled towards Roselle and then Vetulonia: small villages that were two powerful cities in the time of the Etruscans. Then it was the turn of Castiglione della Pescaia where I faced one of my biggest fears: dining alone.
Before deciding to sit down, I walked past the restaurant at least four times. My feeling of being out of place increased when the waiter took away the empty plate, showing the whole restaurant that yes, that chick was really dining alone.
But then the dishes and their flavors silenced every thought, and at the end of the dinner the guys at the nearby table invited me to toast.
The rhythm of the road
The next day, from Castiglione I left for Lake dell’Accesa, and as soon as I saw its waters I leaned my bike against the pier and dove in without thinking twice.
In the vicinity of Massa Marittima I met Angela Saba, a shepherdess. Watching her work and listening to her talk about her job, I understood that this land lives in the hands of those who preserve it every day. Then Massa Marittima, its Piazza del Duomo, and the Parco delle Biancane which looks like another planet.
Then came tiny, unknown villages like Prata, Tatti, Torniella. Places so small that you see no one around except their few inhabitants. And it is thanks to them, the Canaloni del Farma and the Terme del Petriolo that I understood that traveling slowly means having a traced route, but also learning to slow down and enjoy everything the landscape has to offer you.
The mountain that watches you
But then she arrived: the climb towards Monte Amiata, an ancient extinct volcano. I must admit that when I saw it I doubted myself.
The scorching sun, the road that seemed endless.
“One. Two. One. Two.” I started repeating mentally. And incredibly I reached the top.
Santa Fiora welcomed me with its silent beauty and at Merigar, among the pavilions of the Buddhist center, I watched the sunset sitting on the ground. For the first time since my departure, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.
When everything flips
I started again with a smile on my face.
I knew that the places I would visit next were wonderful and indeed Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana did not disappoint me. It almost felt like I was cycling through a fairy tale.
But right here the worst happened.
In a via cava the unmistakable hiss of a flat tire. I was completely alone, the phone had no signal.
The panic lasted maybe thirty seconds. Then I stopped.
I thought about the summit of Monte Amiata, the dinner alone in Castiglione, all the kilometers covered. I took the tools and changed the tire.
Alone.
The road is shared
In the tiny square of Montemerano two cycle tourists asked me to take a picture of them. Before I realized it, we were cycling together towards the Terme di Saturnia where we jumped in, laughing like crazy, then Capalbio, the Lago di Burano, up to Orbetello where we said goodbye with the promise to keep in touch.
In Talamone, then, I met Paolo the Fisherman. He told me about the sea, how it has changed over the years and how important it is to respect it. Seeing the coast from his boat made me understand how rich and varied this territory is.
The circle closes
Towards the end of the trip, arriving at the Maremma Park, enthusiasm mixed with a strange melancholy. My adventure was ending.
But first there was one last encounter: Stefano Pavin, a buttero (Maremma cowherd) by profession. Seeing him ride, listening to him tell how important it is to carry on this tradition so rooted in the Maremma identity, felt like closing a perfect circle. Luca, Angela, Paolo, Stefano: real people who guard a piece of this land and hand it down with dedication.
In short, the end of a relationship can seem like a major crisis. But then you discover that there are places that change everything and that make you understand that sometimes, to start over, all you need is to start with yourself.
The truth about the journey
This travel diary is a story that combines reality and fantasy. Fantasy because Elin is a character created to promote the province of Grosseto and this new route. Real because the kilometers covered, the places visited, the people met truly exist.
The GranDe Tour of the Maremma is an authentic itinerary that, pedal stroke after pedal stroke, reveals the soul of a territory still little known. A route to discover the true identity of the province of Grosseto and perhaps, along the way, rediscover a little bit of yourself.
