Slices of Summer

Summer in Tuscany means beach time. While neither of us are really "spend the whole day at the beach" people, we'd never turn down lunch with our toes in the sand. Niccolò was excited to introduce us to another one of his favorite haunts, Il Balugano Bar and Restaurant.

When we arrived, the swing was barely wet, but at high tide it's partially submerged, along with the tables closest to the water. Such a fun idea!

Bar ristorante il Bolgano

Beach swing

As you might expect, the menu leaned heavily toward seafood. We shared a couple of antipasti before ordering our pasta dishes. The boys both chose spaghetti alle vongole, while I couldn't resist the crab special. 

Carpaccio Spada, Finocchio e Arancia

Acciughe Sotto Pesto e Burrata

Gnocchi con Granchio

Spaghetti Alle Vongole

Garage of Dreams

When we're not eating, we make a point of taking advantage of the many local events around town. During our first summer here, we've realized there's always something happening. This evening we joined a walking tour organized by the Massa Marittima tourist office. They offer about a dozen themed tours throughout the year, and this one was called "The Garage of Dreams: Otto's Extraordinary Collection of Historic Cars, from Elegance to Speed." 

We've often peeked through the glass at part of Otto's collection across the street from our favorite bakery, but this time we were actually invited inside.

Dune Buggy

Not sure what this is?

Lots of shiny tractors

Model T

I don't know what car this is either

Otto Semplici operates a traditional, artisan workshop in Massa Marittima, specializing in hand-beaten aluminum coachwork for race-inspired classic cars. A feature in l'Automobile Classica magazine highlighted one of his most celebrated creations: the Fiat 500 Barchetta Semplici, built on a modified Fiat Topolino chassis with a custom aluminum body and a high-performance engine designed for historic racing, including the famous Mille Miglia.

The Mille Miglia is one of Italy's most iconic endurance races. Often called "the most beautiful race in the world," it celebrates automotive history, while winding through some of Italy's most spectacular scenery. 

It was difficult to photograph the entire Barchetta inside the crowded workshop, so I've included a picture from the magazine article, along with one of Otto himself. At 99 years old, we thought Otto looked pretty amazing.

Interior of the Barchetta Semplici

Otto and his Barchetta

It was fun to finally step inside the workshop and admire the cars up close instead of through the window. Even better, we had the chance to meet one of Massa's local legends in person. 

Baseball

But it hasn't all been food and tours, though. We finally made it to a baseball game in Grosseto, thanks to an invitation from Rosie, whom we met during FAI Day in Castiglione della Pescaia. We let her know we were coming--and that we were bringing our American friends Gus and Marie along. She was thrilled. 

We picked them up and drove to Grosseto for the full  Italian baseball experience. It was a lot of fun, but definitely different from attending a game in the United States. Even at minor league games back in the U.S., there are concession stands everywhere and vendors walking the aisles. Baseball simply isn't as popular here, but I was still secretly hoping there might be some iconic Italian baseball snack.

No such luck.

The closest we came was enjoying a cocktail from the bar on the grounds. Still, we weren't disappointed. It was a beautiful summer evening, the company was great, and although Grosseto lost, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Baseball in Grosseto

That's about all for this post--a short one this time.

I'll leave you with this beautiful view of Massa Marittima, taken during one of our walks through Cicalino. 

Massa beyond the olives

Ciao, ciao!