WPC: Wonder lust – Wander list

Yes, I have my wander lust and list too. These are just some of the spots I have crossed out.

My list is getting additions on an hourly basis, as soon as I see something appealing on blogs or Tweeter or Facebook. Normally I only include a destination if it’s under 3 hours’ drive from our home in south Tuscany. It’s always such a thrill to place a search in Google Maps, link to Home and wait to see how long it takes.

For example, I’ve just added Biancane Geothermal Park, 1h31min. Yeah.

What are some of the places that lurk in there and wait for the right moment?

I might not visit the Michelin-starred “Il Silene” in Seggiano any day soon but I know it takes an hour and a half to reach it. You never know. Trattoria da Maria Moretti in Pereta, on the other hand, takes just 36 minutes. The menu is fixed at 25 EUR but if you believe the word of mouth, it’s very worthwhile. Awaiting hungry visitors to go and try it out.

There are mysterious gardens, such as The Garden of Sounds by Paul Fuchs in Roccastrada (1h07min) or the garden “Viaggio di Ritorno” in Buriano (51min). There is Perugia (2h27min), which I still haven’t seen, and seven towns around it. There is the Lago dell’Accesa lake near Massa Marittima (1h01min) and a waterfall near Terni called Cascata delle Marmore (1h48min). There is Sammezzano Castle (2h36min) with its mind-boggling 365 decaying rooms in Oriental style, but it is not open to general public. There is Villa Lante in Viterbo (1h10min) and the towns of Bagnoregio, Caprarola and Orte in the same direction. There are lots of gelato places in Rome on that list, and if you go to Venice, I’ve got a bookshop just for you.

And this is just a very small portion of it. Even if I turn into a vampire this moment, I doubt I could visit all these places before the end of the world.

Here are images from 20 places that used to be on this list but have now been done, until I return.

Let’s start with Terme Saturnia, a wild spa that is on everybody’s list. A good reason for it too. I was there many times and yet…

…never stopped in Montemerano, just minutes away, by many considered one of pearls of Tuscany. Recently we did stop for a short while and will happily return.

Civitella Marittima proved to be a little door heaven.

My list said: “Vetulonia, tomb Diavolino II.” So we went. I know Etruscans were advanced but this is stretching it. 😀

Pomarance. It was only on my list for its name: it means “oranges” in Slovenian. Not much there but it was worth it for this photo alone if nothing else.

Cala Violina. They say you can hear violins playing as you walk on this sand. Italians are prone to poetic exaggeration.

Castiglione della Pescaia was on the list alright, but nobody told me to climb up here and view it from above. Wicked!

In Castiglioncello we found a hidden passage to a hidden beach that will never make any lists and was amazing despite.

The Abbey of San Galgano has been the biggest surprise so far. It was not on my list, you see. And in a church just above there is a sword in stone which we didn’t see because we didn’t know about it and were too lazy to climb it. No wonder I started listing all the abbeys I could find.

The Abbey of Sant’Antimo was put on my list by fellow blogger Andrew Seal at thechangingpalette.com. One of the perks of blogging.

The Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore proved too big to visit in a hurry. We will have to return and do it properly.

Volterra on the hill was impressive enough to make my top ten towns list.

The ruins of the Monastery of San Bruzio were the nearest, merely 25 minutes away. Lovely and peaceful and green.

Non-Catholic cemetery in Rome deserves repeat visits even if there were no pyramid (meaning, there is).

Sacro Bosco in Bomarzo, called Park of the Monsters, didn’t allow dogs, that’s why I had to rush through it while uncle kept Bestia company.

Some names on the list are not of places, and yet Crodino was fished out in the same way. Also, don’t get me started on my booklist again.

Not on the list: San Martino sul Fiora is a blink-it-and-you’ll-miss-it occasion. I’m glad I kept my eyes open.

Castello dell’Abbadia is part of the Vulci archaeological park. We kept seeing “Vulci” on markers and yet I found this by chance when sheep blocked the road and I had to stop.

It could be argued that lists are overrated. Especially in Italy which is just beautiful wherever you look. What could I write for this area: no man’s land in the middle of nowhere?

It has something for everybody. This one is for those who are partial to yellow. And yet unlistable: every year they grow in a different field.

Photo: © signature mmm

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: Wanderlust