Several years ago, (while we were still at ‘the old house’) I was watching the television on in the afternoon (this was rare) and saw a programme called ‘Watercolour Challenge’ hosted by Hannah Gordon. It had been filmed at Montecatini in the glorious surroundings of what looked like Roman Baths. So when we first visited Italy and I found it was just ‘up the road’, I made a mental note to add it to the list of sights to visit. Last year we went in search of it, but only found the very picturesque village of Monticatini Alto, with no baths in sight. I knew it had to be there as I’d seen a picture of it in the guide book. We parked in the shadiest spot we could find and armed with a bottle of drink, headed for the nearest information centre. I was so desperate to find ‘my baths’ that I even summoned up my courage and asked the first couple we encountered and ask whether they spoke English (everyone does) and did they know where the Spa was. They looked incredulous at the question and waved in the general direction we were going – thinking me silly for asking! (Monticatini has at least seven spas!!) Luckily we soon found the information centre and a leaflet with a picture of the baths I was looking for. Strangely all the spas are situated in a wooded park area in the centre of the town. Some are ornamental (like the one I was looking for) while others just look like ordinary swimming baths and you can go and swim in them (I think it just costs more than an ordinary swimming pool). Within Five minutes we had located the spa in question, paid our 5 euros and were standing in wonder at the beauty of our surroundings…We spent a very happy and peaceful two hours there drinking in the atmosphere (not the water as it would have been difficult to drink salty water on such a hot day) with hardly anyone else there. We left at 5.00pm as the parking meter needed feeding, just as someone had begun to play on the grand piano…
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