4-25-10 Forte Dei Marmi-Massa-Carrara-day 21

day 21- Forte Dei Marmi-Massa-Carrara

fools errand?

I was slow to leave the hotel..it had really good wifi and free... also I would be moving away from the beach back inland..and i kinda liked the beach... I walked along the coastal street for an hour or so.. there was a nice wide sidewalk. It was quite humid though out in the sun... this and the fact that I wanted to not miss my turn off, made me go to a parallel street several blocks inland.. under the trees it was cooler. I walked along a green street with well screened off houses for another hour.. then I found a major street going east away from the water and I took it to wind into Massa. A man on a bicycle came by saying 'bonjourno Piligrina', he said more in italian but I did not understand, he then said in german ' ich wunsche ihnen eine gute reise' (I wish you a good journey) I laughed and thanked him. I've noticed more and more in this part of italy, that if I meet an italian who speaks a few words of another language it is always german not english. Near Massa I guessed my way in through a small village.. then I had to ask. I had only over shot the turn off by a block so it was good guess work... I walked into Massa which was another 3kms.

It was sunday and noon time so the town seemed empty... well there was a brief excitement as streets were closed down and a bicycle race came through, with support vehicles after..then the streets were clear again...I found the grand main square with it's church. I went in to the church partially to cool off and also cuz that's what pilgrims do. I was alone for a while..but then from behind the altar I heard movement and a loud clanging. A slightly off dressed little man emerged also with a pack. I realized he was smoking in church. He decided to settle in the pews across from me..grunting and such as he ate and drank soda and hacking as he continued to smoke his cigarette. I knew it was only a matter of time before he minded my business. Sure enough in italian he needed to know where I was from.. and if I also was a pilgrim. He came over to me and showed me his shirt. With marker he had written piligrino and francigena. I had to laugh inside. He then returned to his things... turned the cigarette out on the floor and was off. Massa also has a castle up in the hill, I decided to forgo it. When I returned outside. It seemed still early and the next town Carrara was five kms away. So I decided to head there. I crossed a narrow bridge and it was clear i'd be going up hill and so it did. I realized I did not have a lot of steam in me. And took breaks. There was light traffic on the road. But this one old man had gotten too close to me. I dont even think he saw me... I was very watchful of cars after that. I swear cars were extra careful by italian standards with me after that, maybe I had that 'deer in the headlights' look. Actually the scenery was nice. Teared gardens to my left and dark pines to my right..

the road was winding...then as it descended it had those crazy sharp zigzags again..meaning a lot of blind turns. But again cars seemed more careful then I would expect and I was safe.. Once in Carrara I felt I could not quite figure out where town center was suppose to be. I saw one church but did not go in because it appeared to have a funeral or some such going on. I stopped at the saddest little cafe-bar yet. I was not sure if it was the old man's gay club around here. But everyone seemed to have seen better days. Usually these places have appetizing little treats in glass cases, but nothing looked safe here. I just had a coke and water and rested my feet. I moved on hoping to find signage and town center.. the same bike race seemed to whip through and was gone again...Carrara had seemed big enough on the map but I soon found out it had no lodging. There as a bed and breakfast but the owner was away and a young italian man outside it, with cell phone could not get in touch with her either... so I decided I had to head towards the ocean again. I had seen a sign cave di marmo and hoped it was not really important.. because I had lost steam to go explore. Later I looked at a booklet at stand and realized it was caves where they excavate marble for carving or architecture. Carrara is a major hub for marble apparently. I imagined villagers since ancient times quarrying the mountains for the rest of italy's needs of marbel.. i might be making this up..but imagin since romans or before they've been carving the hills for 1000's of statues, floors, pillars...etc.....I noticed as I descended into town, marble was generously used even in the sidewalks, here. After having circled town I left again passing the same little cafe-bar..two of the gentlemen had fallen asleep on the chairs outside the shop... I had to smile..i walked past a stadium where cops were beginning to appear. I am guessing there was a soccer match and they were there to control the crowd. I asked a group of them and one spoke english. I had another three kms to go to find the rail line and along it was a hotel.. my feet did not like that answer. ...but off I went.. when I arrived there was a crazy busy multi-block street fair going on, with food vendors and other mobile shops... at other times it might have been fun but I was not in the right frame of mind to deal. the streets were crowded and it was a struggle to get through the crowd or to see the hotel if there was one... finally I had to ask local shop keepers and I did find it. To my dismay it was not that cheap but I took it. I was tired... I had a bit of internet and rest then I went to a restaurant by the train station... by the time I was finished there I was more tired... I slept fairly well even though for some reason I still wake up in the middle of the night. And sometimes I lay there for up to an hour. Not so bad this time.. but I woke up the next day wishing I could sleep in..but this place had a fairly early check out of 10am.

my dad (he was there in the early 70s) just emailed me this info about Carrara: FYI: The Romans quarried there beginning in the 2nd Cenmtury BC and used its stone to build the Parthenon in Rome among other edificies. The cathedral in Siena also is built of Carrara marble.  Michelangelo used the marble for his giant David sculture etc.