Costa degli Etruschi May 2021 - Rosignano and the White Beaches

The next day, since our host had suggested going to the harbour in Marina di Cecina to buy fish from the local fishermen who come in from about 8 o'clock we do just that. Except that it's 9 o'clock and a pure fluke that we arrive just as a fisherman does. I buy four small-medium fish, one of which is still flapping around, and two large cuttlefish.

Once they are in the fridge we go to the corner shop in Mazzanta and get bread and focaccia, which are good and the local schiacciata, which we don't like,  probably because we bought the hard crunchy version which is a little teeth shattering!

Then we go for a walk along the beach in the direction of Cecina in the Tomboli pinewood area. It's pleasant and easy to walk on the sand.

After lunch we drive just five or ten minutes to the car park for the Spiagge bianche, or White beaches, of Rosignano. A controversial destination indeed. The beaches are a Caribbean white and the water an almost fluorescent turquoise such that when filming a popular detective series "Rocco Schiavone". they filled in for a Caribbean island. But they are not due to nature but to the outlet of a factory producing sodium bicarbonate a kilometre behind the beach.

It's a cloudy day and so the Caribbean effect is somewhat mitigated by the grey sky and considering the factory behind the effect is more postindustrial Armageddon, although it depends which direction you look in. Keeping the factory out of sight it's rather pleasant.... 

I reserve judgement until returning on a sunny day. We walk as far as Rosignano seafront where we deal with the last of the scones just before it starts to drizzle. This part of Rosignano is vaguely depressing. It stops raining and we stroll back along the beach to the car park where we find the owners of the car parked next to us, a rental car, distraught because a window has been smashed and clothes and a rucksack with important documents stolen.

Fortunately our car is ok, but I feel really sorry for them. This time it didn't happen to us but it could easily have done so. The two couples are Indian and only one of them speaks a little English so we call the police for them and wait until they arrive. The policeman is helpful and understanding of their problems, only one has a driving license, that license was stolen and they have to return to Florence. A depressing end to a pleasant afternoon for them.

Back at the flat I attempt to detach the bags of cuttlefish ink from the cuttlefish to make a risotto with some of the few asparagus I collected back at home and fail miserably. The cuttlefish end up cooked in tomatoes and olives with plenty of bread, a valid alternative.

After supper it's just five minutes to the beach for a cloudy but worthwhile sunset.