Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Magic of the coast

Sorry if this entry is hard to follow as it jumps from one thing to another . It is because I have wrote it in many places and over the quite long time. It is quite unclear even for me, how things actually were, or how I should have categorized anything by themes. But I still believe, it is enjoyable reading material... probably just a little bit more like American movies that jump both in time and space.
Because after Roma I didn´t get any coach places before Genova (or truthfully I even didn´t try much... sent few requests for Pisa and Livornia), it was quite unimportant how fast I move forward or where I will end my day. And Giacomo who accepted to host me in Genova, actually requested me to show up later than the day I wrote in a request, so I had even time to waste. Then again, as I have said, getting rides in Italy isn´t easy, so I still always went forward. But still, it was much more relaxed time there because of slow advancing and of course the sea itself. Yeah, this fact that finally I was on the Mediterranean coast, changed my spirit and feeling a lot: I wouldn´t count brief meeting with the sea in Venice. Now I can camp near the beach and in the morning take a refreshing bathe. Coast was welcoming me much better than rest of the Italia. Even people who gave me ride, raised the standard of how nice the Italians were towards me. BTW, on the west coast Italy, I got my first rides with women... that was surprising, as Italians usually were much more afraid and careful than other people in other countries, yet in other countries it has never happened that any woman would dare to pick me up. Ok, first woman seemed like Gypsy, bit crazy and seemed like he wouldn´t have anything to lose, but already next ride was with two very friendly Roman women going to vacation, who didn´t seem worried at all about any possible danger. They seemed so adventurer types. And finally from Pisa I got some way forward with two extremely beautiful young girls, and even they didn´t worry at all. Maybe all of them saw my traveller´s spirit rather, than thinking that as a man, especially bald man, I might be potential danger. I like people like that... for a better world we must all trust eachother more and have some faith into goodness.
First night I stayed near really beautiful place called Santa Marinella. I placed my tent into high grass on big field in front of some grand villa. Night went peacefully and in the morning I had only ten meters to beach. It is actually undescribable how much I missed sea, especially southern sea where is tropical weather, good vibes and happy music, and beauty all around. Now holding feet in the water is so nice, that I wouldn´t even want to leave. I had walked so much in Italia (especially in Roma), that my feet had blisters, but now in water my feet feel much better.
In beach I made second new hole for my belt. I´m definately losing weight. I rerely feel hunger though. Lots of people I have met on my travel have been so nice that they buy me something to eat – same way these women from second car on the coast, and in one bar where I bought a sandwich and a beer, owner of the place brought me three pies extra for the road. And of course I try to buy myself something more serious to eat once a day. But if I quote one war movie, then reason for the weight loss is „you drink, then you dehydrate, then you drink more and you dehydrate some more“... ok, maybe quote wasn´t absolutely exact as I haven´t watched it for a long time, but idea is same.
There was also one family in the beach. They had little cute daughter to whom I said ciao, causing her to cry from embarrasment. And one more girl, older and very beautiful, but I wonder how would be possible that she would be also the daughter of this woman and man, as girl was quite dark skinned, like it is impossible to tan, but these man and woman were absolutely white. I simply admired her beauty. But yeah, now finally on the beaches I can also get some tan. That is great, as so far I have only got my hands and head brown and also some colour to legs.
For second night I planned to get to Livorno, that was quite a far away. But I still wrote now a sign with only direction, not any place name. And although in Estonia I said to Kudrun, that I will take only two signs with me to this trip... one where´s written south and another one with west, then actually now first sign with direction was to north. And it worked pretty well... especially considering that when Italians see sign with some place where they are not going, they don´t pick you up, even though maybe they go half the way or even further from the place you want to get.
I did get to outskirts of Livorno for that evening. Really beautiful place. Coastal cliffs, beautiful villas and little romantic coastal cityhouses, and there was really magical forest where I stayed a night. First I went to eat some pizza, and as there were some other people in the same table with me, I of course started talking with them. Well, they didn´t speak much English, but somehow we talked. Or well, mostly I talked about my travel. But they seemed really nice and open minded people, and interested to hear my tale. I was even thinking of asking them if I can put my tent in their yard, but finally felt that I would probably ruin perfect conversation. So I went to look for a place for a tent. Actually many kilometers back there I saw some probably pretty good places, but I didn´t want to walk so much. Also down the cliffs on the beach wouldn´t have been such a good idea. Beach is stony and in the morning probably crowded. I decided to go to hills that are really close to the coast. After a little walk I found a way up to the forests on the hills, found fairly flat ground, and put up my tent. I started writing to my notebook and soon heared that there is someone walking around. I turned my lamp to the forest and saw two glowing eyes low to the ground. Black cat, was my first thought, as houses are really nearby. But soon I heared movement all around. Ok... now it was pretty clear that I share my woods with a family of wild boars. In a car to Firenze, these men warned me, that if I will go to hills to camp, then I should be careful to look for any signs for wild boars. I know that wild boars can be dangerous, especially when there is mother with pups... or little biggies... I don´t know how they should be called. I simply didn´t expect that chance for actual encounter would be so high. I guess wild boars are much more numerous there than I believed. Anyway, at first I held my lamp on the forest and even saw few times boars running by my tent, but then I found better idea to kill my light, be silent and let them live in peace. And my respectful behaviour was answered with them. They walked around in an area for a some time, but when I woke up in the night at some time, they had really completely went their own way. Yes I even got sleep when they were still around. But my tent has camouflage and looks kind of like big dense bush probably. By the way, when you go to such trip as I, then what you should take with you: same kind of camouflaged tent, probably also a sleeping mat, as it makes sleeping so much more comfortable, big bottle of water, two if possible (and fill them in every place you can) and buy one small bottle of some isotonic sport drink with that cap that you can easily use without using hands... later you fill also this with water, you definately need needle and a thread, some metal spoon and fork and travel knife, strong sunblock, hat. Everything is pretty much optional. And marker of course if you go by hitchhiking like I.
But anyway, I still have something to write about that same night in this forest. Ok, in Estonian sense, this wasn´t forest... it was small wood, but then again, it was much more. Because yes, also having nice family night with wild animals is quite magical, but real magical thing was something else. When I still burned my lamp looking wild boars, this light called out hundreds of wisps (note... not wasps but wisps, magical fairy creatures of only energy that glows) flying silently and slowly everywhere in this forest. You can probably say that these were fireflies, but I still believe it was fairy forest. What kind of fireflies light up periodically, and what kind of fireflies basically fly hoovering slowly without any sound? At least in Estonia they make noise with their wings like any beetle or flying bug. When I shut my light, they also flew by my tent. I even expected them to fly through the fabric of my tent and prove that these are magical beings, but they didn´t. But still, even if they WERE fireflyies, than this night was so beautiful. Even now, when I´m already in Spain, I still look back to this night and say taht this was best experience in all my Eurotrip. Or maybe magical doesn´t mean that you can fly through materia. Yeah, I still believe that wisps came to guard and see if I respect the life in their wood, and later also guarded my sleep.
In the morning I was very well rest, and going to swimm made me feel even better. Well, it was windy this day and sea had quite strong waves, so I didn´t stay in the water for long. Only people in the water were two surfers, one with wave board and another one with real surfboard... and then me of course. Oh, it would be cool to get surf lessons. On my way there is so nice beaches and in some places there are really good waves, but my money is so low. In that sense I shouldn´t had made that round for Rome. But hey, I don´t regret. Everything is for a reason, and if I wouldn´t had done it I wouldn´t have been also in this magical place. Anyway, on this day I should get to the way, where I should have gone even if not this Roman round. There was only two days to get to Genova. I went through Livorno, that in some way seemed much smaller city than I expected, but then again, walk through that city took some time. Finally some worksmen with small truck took me with them to Pisa. Pisa was really close – only 16 km-s away. I didn´t go inside the city, but maybe I saw the top of the leaning tower from the bridge. I don´t know, and actually I don´t care. I went straight to the other side from south-west to north-west, and pretty quickly two girls picked me up. Just amazing girls in my oppinion. Especially one of them was such a cool and certamente prettiest girl I have seen on this trip. And when I left the car I asked their names, but somehow forgot to say mine first... but I guess this was planned, as then they asked my name and also contact. I hope they really will look up my blog and get also my e-mail from here. But yeah, they also brought me forward just a little way, and to the place that they said to be dangerous. Ok, maybe only on the beach like they said, but I didn´t want to take any chances... I didn´t see any place suitable for tent anyway. But hitchhiking on Via Aurelia didn´t go so well this time. No wonder, as it already got dark. But there Via Aurelia also had metal barriers at the sides and no place to walk. So, finally when I realised the fact that I can´t get any car, my only option was to climb over the barrier and walk about five km-s on a slope filled with all kinds of plantlife, some also with thorns. Not best end for my evening, but another level of shit I could do and tolerate. Actually when I got off the next ramp, and walked some way away from Aurelia, I found another much more hiker friendly road coming from this last place to here too. Well, late wisdom is of course „most useful“. Now I just had to find a place for my tent. As this place was also near the beach, there were lots of camping sites and this time I even considered of going there, but way was too long, and I just happened to find again one vacant lot. Before I got sleep, there was again someone walking by, and this time not wild boars, but most certainly human, but luckily I didn´t have any bad surprises during the night or in the morning. This morning I didn´t have time to walk to the beach, that still was quite a way away. With this day I had to get to Genova, and already last night showed me that getting the ride around here might become a really hard deal. So it was, but I think this is again another theme for new entry.

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