WIESBADEN, Germany — Whether you use it to
explore the nearby cities of Pisa or Florence, as a stopping point on the way
to the islands of Sardinia or Elba, or simply spend time there relaxing on the
American beach in Tirrenia, Camp Darby has a lot to
offer. Situated just down the road from Galileo Gallilei
Airport and Livorno, the U.S. military base features a wide variety of
accommodations including cabins, small apartments and a campground, a tours
office, commissary, post exchange, car rental agency
and more.
A recently
renovated swimming pool, shower facilities and upgraded cabins make Camp Darby
a popular stopping point for people all over Europe.
A few miles
down the road from the military base lies the resort town of Tirrenia and features its own guarded U.S. beach facility
complete with parking, lifeguards, beach chairs and umbrellas, boats for rent,
a Greek snack stand, hot showers and more.
And if you
want to enjoy Italian cuisine while relaxing on the American beach, head left
on the beachfront about 400 meters to La Perla
Restaurant which offers a wide array of Italian dishes served cafeteria style
(bathing suits are acceptable attire) for a decent price. The daily specials at
the large patio cafeteria include everything from fresh fish baked in basil and
a white wine/lemon sauce to homemade lasagna, “fritto
misto” (mixed fried fish including prawns and
octopus) to basic pasta dishes. Washed down with a plateful of vegetables, an
Italian salad and bread, a carafe of chilled local house wine, followed by some
tiramisu and strong cups of espresso and it may be hard to even remember the
soggy skies over Germany.
Inexpensive
flights through Ryanair from Frankfurt-Hahn Airport
to Pisa are one way to get to Camp Darby fast. But if you plan on camping,
remember that one pays extra for more bags with Ryanair
and it may be hard to transport camping gear.
To
find out about the prices for renting cabins, rooms or a camping spot on Camp
Darby visit www.livornomwr.com. Local SatoTravel
offices can also help with planning a trip to Pisa.
Even though
August is the peak tourist season in the towns and cities of Tuscany, one can
still visit the sights comfortably. The locals advise getting into town early
before the heat of the day or wandering through in the evening. This works well
if you have children and want to spend the day at the beach before strolling
through nearby Pisa in the evening. Italians, like most southern Europeans,
tend to come alive after the sun sets, and Pisa is a lively town full of local
students and citizens even after the tourists have faded for the night.
Simply
strolling through Pisa’s many squares such as the Piazza dei
Cavalieri, walking along the Arno River or marveling
at the famed structures on the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) including the Torre Pendente (leaning tower) and Duomo
(cathedral) as lights cast long shadows on the medieval stone houses fills one
with a sense of the wonder at humankind’s accomplishments.
About 80
kilometers north of Camp Darby lies the famed Cinque
Terre region. After climbing the winding coastal roads past La Spezia by car or
traveling by train through a variety of cliff-hugging tunnels, one comes to the
village of Riomaggiore, the first of five towns which
pour precariously down the rocky mountainsides straight into the greenish-blue
waters of the Ligurian Sea. Parking is at a premium
along the coastal roads leading down to Cinque Terre, so arriving early, by bus
or train is recommended.
Besides the
stunning views in each of the five towns — Riomaggiore,
Monterosso, Corniglia, Manarola and Vernazza — the
allure for tourists is the fact that one must navigate between them on foot via
dramatic paths hewn out of the rocky cliffs, by train or boat. Walks range from
about 20 minutes between the first two towns to five hours to make the full
distance. There is a small charge to walk on the cliffside
paths which were originally carved out by local farmers to join the remote
villages.
If you are
on a tight budget and want to forgo a restaurant meal, consider picking up a
couple of pieces of focaccia (cut from large pans of
pizza with everything from potatoes and rosemary on them to eggplant and pesto
sauce) from a local rosticerria and munch on them
while wandering the Cinque Terre walkways.
There are
so many other sights located nearby Camp Darby that
one will most likely only whet the appetite for future visits. Florence, Siena,
the walled city of Lucca and famed painter and sculptor Amedeo
Modigliani’s hometown of Livorno are all within a short distance. And if you have the time head farther east to Vicenza to pick up
tips for exploring the Veneto Region — especially Verona and Venice.
Don’t
forget to stop by your local library before setting out on a trip. A wide range
of travel books and guides are available.