Campiglia Marittima in May

The forecast on Sunday is pessimistic and strolling around Campiglia Marittima in the morning is chilly, however nice the views are:

We've seen it before, when the weather was better, once in May 2021 and again in late October the same year.

We stop for the second half of Mass in church and then head for the restaurant we've booked, just off the main square of Campiglia. We're cautious about eating out. We love food, but I love cooking and am reluctant to spend for something I could do myself, unless we're far from a kitchen.

Il Goccetto doesn't disappoint.

We have a Tagliere medio. It's generous. Mortadella with chestnuts, nocciole, pistacchio; raw ham; a soppressata from Pisa which is superb, bruschette with liver pate, lard and truffle, aubergines, caciotta and caciotta matura with a celery sauce, sweet and sour veg, plenty of good bread. This is a restaurant which concentrates on taste and substance. We choose two seconds: cinghiale in umido with black olives (a touch of extra dark chocolate is also involved) and Peposo, traditional of Tuscany - slow cooked beef. It's all delicious. The owners are agreeable, happy to chat about food and explain dishes. They offer us two glasses of "Muffato", new to me, it's made from grapes which have been left on the vine until Botrytis cinerea attacks them. This 'mould' produces sweet wines of a clear golden colour which aren't very alcoholic. Interesting to try some. All in all, it's a positive experience, and all for 55 euros. 

When we come out, the wind is still cold, so we take refuge in the car. The sun is coming out so we drive back to Piombino to relax and sunbathe on the terrace.

After a simple dinner of cooked fennel and local cheese we go to Piazza Bovio for the sunset. The wind is strong and cold and a few dark clouds bundle down on the horizon, but it's nice to be out in the evening with the gulls whirling above.