Day 18- Talamone Rest day

(originally posted on facebook on June 28th, 2013)

Day 18- Talamone Rest day

After a somewhat shaky start last night where we questioned coming here, Talamone has bloomed for us. The music did finally quiet down, and this morning we slept in a bit and then took a walk over to the quaint seaside hamlet, not more than about 6 blocks square.

View of the swim beach from the old tower in town.

Quaint, yes, but not without it's history. In fact there's been a settlement here since Etruscans, who first gave it its name; the Greeks knew it as Telamon. Lord Nelson stopped here (it's a well protected and large marina) on his way to invade Alexandria, where he lost his arm but found fame as a commander. There's a 14th century church and a fortress from the 13th century, it's even mentioned in Dante's Purgatorio!

Looking back from the "beach" to the tower.

Walking into town by the water, we passed by a curious looking building next to the cemetery. Turned out to be a chapel called the Mausoleum Vivarelli, built in 1905 by a local architect named Lorenzo Grosseto Porciatti in a Byzantine influenced Stile Liberty. The stained glass windows and much of the interior were destroyed more recently by accidental detonation of dynamite they had stored there for enlarging the cemetery. Oops!

Mausoleum Vivarelli, built in 1905.

We went through the town in about 5 minutes, saw the church and the tower, both closed for the day, and found the rocky swimming beach where Italians all rent beach chairs and go in a protected pool. Being (fool?) hardy Americans, we pushed on around a slightly precarious bend and got to a very pleasant little inlet that we had all to ourselves. Swam in the beautiful clear water and sunned on a big sofa made of drying seaweed, then walked back to take a nap without worrying about missing some important cultural site.

We just had to wade across a little inlet to have this cove all to ourselves. Water was perfect!

Now we're enjoying the breeze in our cabin, and the music is again blaring as a well directed group of campers dances next to the pool. Ahhhh Italia!!