As I mentioned before, Orbetello is an old walled city on a peninsula sticking out from the Maremma in southern Tuscany. Americans do not go there. Some Brits do. Exception - I know one person who has been to Hotel Il Pellicano on the mountain above Porto Ercole. It is a steep cliffside drive.
I learned the word sprezzatura from there.
You can drive out the causeway to the mountainous island Monte Argentario and visit the cool seaside villages of Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole. They are about diving, sailing, and professional fishing. Also, duck and woodcock hunting, judging from some bumper stickers.
Excellent cafe on the waterfront in San Stefano. Good beer. Euroland does not pasteurize beer.
Fun pics, etc. below the fold -
My lunch in San Stefano: Stuffed squash or pumpkin blossoms. At home we fry them, but never stuff them. Hard crunch on the outside, creamy inside.
A piazza in Orbetello, during siesta time (everything in Italy is closed around 2 pm). Sex time, I guess.
One of my favorite meals, a primo: Risotto Frutti di Mare: Mussels, cockles, squid, cuttlefish, shrimp, and with those crazy little rock crayfish (arrigosta) on top which it is impossible to extract any meat from. I think they are just to flavor the broth.
I had another primo as a secondi. because I love mussels
Typical buffet breakfast. Waiter brings you cafe or cappucino. Reminder: Cappuccino is a morning thing.
Something else there, delicious: Gnocchi Frutti di Mare. Since my last visit, Italians have learned to slice their gnocchi into halves or thirds. More flavor that way. We shared some Med broiled fish as a secondo. I forget what fish. Waiter filleted it at the table.
Boats in Santo Stefano. They use Med docking, which means an anchor off the stern:
