Griffin in Italy Day 2 - June 28, 2026
The final question has been answered: will there be any guys on this trip or will it be all girls? So far it’s three and three with four more participants coming tonight. Nineteen participants in all. And those who are here seem like kids it won’t be impossible to get to know. None appear to be super old and Griffin seems to fit in well age wise. We haven’t had much interaction yet, so we’ll see how tomorrow goes. I told Griffin that the only way to become comfortable meeting other people is, like most things in life, to just do it.
The trip from Rome to Monetecatini was - mostly but not quite - uneventful. Per our agreed-upon plan, the alarm went off at 8 AM, we were checking out at 8:30 and the front desk lady called a taxi. It arrived in a minute and we were unloading at the train station at 8:37. The Rome station had an extensive food court so we had lots of time to feed and wait for our platform to be called. We departed and arrived on time - about an hour and a half for the trip. In Florence, we had to walk four platforms to our Montecatini train. The Florence train was first class. Montecatini was all coach class which, while not luxurious, was serviceable. Griffin got to learn how the other half lives.
What went wrong? Montecatini has two stations. We wanted the Centro station but, not being 100% sure what the announcement said, I pulled us off at the first Montecatini station. I figured, safe rather than sorry and we could still get a cab. But, the first station had no taxis and Uber couldn’t find a driver. So I force-marched the team 15 minutes to the center of town. There we bought cold drinks at a sidewalk cafe and the nice lady there called us a cab. Three cold drinks and a 10-minute drive and we were at the hotel.
Montecatini’s big claim to fame is its health spa springs. People since the 18th century have come to Terme di Montecatini to “take the cure,” partaking of a variety of artesian waters with varying medicinal benefits. Some are so strong that they require a doctor’s prescription, although I smell a marketing gimmick. Who would pay big bucks for a cure whose perscription is “drink all you want.” People come, even today, to spend a week or more. It does seem, however, that the springs business isn’t what it used to be. All but one establishment has closed and it’s up for sale.
This afternoon our tour leaders took us for a stroll through the Terme complex and then downtown, stopping along the way for a local pastry called Cialde, a wafer filled with an almond paste. They also treated us to a gelato or bottle of water that hit the spot on this 97-degree day.
We had hordurves and drinks followed by dinner at the hotel’s outside dining room. Good food that received Griffin’s seal of approval. The poor boy is fresh out of Nutella cookies so I hope he can make it ‘til breakfast.
Lots of activities tomorrow, including an introduction to Medeival warfare techniques (archery, fencing, etc.) and a funicular ride to the Alto section of Montecatini, where we will have dinner.
Here are some snaps Griffin took today. Heavy emphasis on food!
And here are my and Judy’s pix.
