" Who so goes a reading among these stories, let him pass over those that vex him and read those that please him. That none may be missed. Each bears on his brow the epitome of that which it hides within its bosom..."
Boccaccio
It's a pleasant Sunday afternoon and we've decided to hunt down this bridge that I've been reading about... It's called 'Ponte della Maddalena', but it's known affectionately as 'the Devil's bridge'. Evidently, so the legend goes, the builder took too long in building the bridge and wasn't going to be able to finish it by the agreed date and so made a pact with old Nick himself that he would sacrifice the first living thing that crossed it. Obviously the Devil was hoping for a nice young Maiden, but instead the sneaky builder sent over a scraggy little pig!
We drive towards Lucca and then north alongside the Serchio River through an area called the Garfagnana. It's a beautiful, mountainous region and eventually we arrive at the town. The bridge is just to the north of the town and looks pretty spectacular. Most bridges are fairly uninspiring, but this one rises out of the banks like a wave in mid-ripple!
We take a lingering walk over it, admiring the stunning views.Afterwards we head to the town, which has been completely taken over by Azaleas! The 3-day festival is coming to a close and we resist the urge to buy as we have already bought an Azalea in Greve.
However we try some spicy mulled wine and chestnut crepes with ricotta and chocolate... mmm and then check out a 500-year old house which has been especially opened or the festival. A one-time registry for the town and now converted into a library, with some very old furniture and a great sun terrace.
A very pleasant afternoon in a very beautiful setting comes to an end and we wind our way back to Chianti
(Original journal entry 21/4/02)
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