Elba - A Poem for a Vacation

Instead of our usual vacation rundown, we were instead moved to capture our recent stay on Elba in the form of a poem.

Three views of Nisportino Elba and view from Punta dei Mangani towards Portoferrario Elba.

Maritime climate and unease in the air so starts the vacation
Saluted by giant cane grass a change in the landscape
Porto Piombino controlled chaos overstuffed cars and impatient people
Everyone eager for vacation or something else
Escape from boredom relax a new romance a tan
Stories waiting to be written

Strange creatures Toremar Moby Blunavy skim the sea
Bloated vessels sucking in and belching out people and cars
Dry sandwich and Coke on board to forget rocking and swaying
Obscured view through salt-encrusted windows
Islands pass by along with the latest headlines
Anticipating what I’ll encounter



Piombino, waiting to disembark, a view of Rio Marina, Capoliveri, Marciana.

Port of call Rio Marina and like rats
People spill out blinking and adjusting to island life
First stop Conad for provisions with the slogan people over things
Ringing in my head as we lug water and food back
Already-stuffed car
Begrudgingly accepts more

Rhythm of our temporary home in Nisporto
Lazy days of early morning and late evening swimming
In-between time day camping at the campground
Staring at bright blue plastic café furniture courtesy of Nestlé Motta
Sweating without moving and listening to the nearby whack-a-mole arcade game
And its jingle that sounds like the first few notes of Flashdance


A Marciana alley, a Marciana cat, Osteria del Noce, Capoliveri at night, Borgo degli Artisti Capoliveri.

Toothless cigar-chomping man our waiter and constant companion

We occupy his space for a week
He reads the newspaper and we tap on computers
Parade passes people coming and going to the beach
Welcome to Camp Sole e Mare our god-forsaken savoir
Old men play briscola on the table next to us

Try not caring about what people think of me
On the beach with a floppy hat and swimming with shirt and sandals
Jaws drop exiting the water fully dressed
Decidedly not a bella figura and so un-tanned
White hot and sweating on the beach and in bed at night
Still feeling the undulations of the sea


Views of Nisporto beach

Art of vacation not something easily mastered
Art of sauntering on the beach too
To be seen and to see
Wish there were a nearby library retreat
There are no libraries on Elba during the summer
Reading room the beach and sea

Underwater sunlight pierces in slants
Floating on top and Mark six feet below
Warm currents and cold ones
Hug and explore the coast beyond the prying eyes of the beach dwellers
Nisporto to Nisportino and Nisporto to Bagnaia
Swaying Neptune grass and fish our company



Three view of Nisportino and one of Nisporto (where boats anchor).

Shape of Elba a fish swimming west
Veins winding roads never straight
Passing through fields of vermentino
Capoliveri keeping watch over the lower back fin
Hilltop town of Marciana the fisheye
Back to Nisporto the upper back fin

Pietre Rossse trail one morning one snake
Head buried under a rock hoping not to be seen
Reach isolated beach dei Mangani and swim
Dive back into the Mediterranean macchia
Jog to Nisportino and home to Nisporto
Start the workday in plastic blue chairs


Full and empty beaches. Full at Biodola. Empty at Spiaggia dei Mangani.

Warp and woof of life in Elba a study of angles
Where the sun is and will be
Pleasing morning or evening
Swim with the rising and setting sun
Noontide sun beats down bringing joy to others
Ebb and flow of light not water

Biodola beach on the back of the huge island fish
Last day no blue camp furniture
Gentle trip down friend's memory lane
Who for years came here with the family housekeeper
A detail swirling in mind
Like fish nibbling at our feet on the sandy ocean bottom


Napoleon's country house, the Demidoff Gallery, a fish design at Aquasalata similar to the outline of Elba, indications for trails above Nisporto, a dinner at home in Nisporto.

The hills outside of Portoferraio a regal view from
Villa San Martino Napoleon’s country house
Push past plates with his likeness and scarves with three bees
Straight shot up to disappointment
Hulking palatial structure that dominates a later Russian addition
Demidoff surely meant well but where is the history book picture

Real Napoleon residence hides behind
Demure and modest structure one could imagine living in
Napoleon left his imprint and left himself after ten months
Bathroom and marble tub qui odit veritatem odit lucem
"He who hates the light hates the truth"
Did Napoleon ever swim on Elba


View from Punta Mangain toward Portoferraio, looking down on Nisporto, the long winding road to Nisporto.

A Hike to Rifugio Gherardi in Val Taleggio

Overview | Getting There | The Hike | Flora

Upper left: Views of snow-capped mountains surrounding Rifugio Gherardi in the Val Taleggio. Upper right: Hiking tracks for a journey to Rifugio Gherardi. Bottom left: Approaching Passo Baciamorti. Bottom center: View from Pizzo Bacciamorti toward Monte Aralalta. Bottom right: Road leading to and from Rifugio Gherardi with Monte Cancervo in the distance, left.

Overview

Length: 13.4 km (8.3 mi)

Duration: 6 hours total, including 1.5 hours for lunch at Rifugio Gherardi.

Elevation: Minimum altitude 1,290 m (4,232 ft) at Capo Foppa, max altitude 2006 m (6,581 ft) at Pizzo Baciamorti; total gain of 1,024 m (3359 ft).

Location: Italy, Lombardy, Val Taleggio

Getting There

We got a lift with friends, but there are buses that can get you as far as Pizzino. By car, drive up Val Brembana, take a left at San Giovanni Bianco, and follow Strada Provinciale 25 more or less west toward Taleggio. From Taleggio center, head up toward Pizzino until you reach a pull out in the road (here) and there is a sign for Capo Foppa. Stop and put 2 euros in a machine to be able to use the road. Then, continue on via Arighiglio to the end of the road where at Capo Foppa, where you can park.

There are a couple of interesting things to point out along the journey to Taleggio. First, in the cute little center of San Giovanni Bianco, you will be greeted by the statue of Vistallo Zignoni. Who is he you ask?

Vistallo Zignoni was an Italian mercenary who lived between the 15^th and 16^th centuries and is reputed to have brought a piece of the crown of thorns (sacra spina) to San Giovanni Bianco in the Val Brembana. The “holy relic” was booty from a battle Zignoni fought in 1495. Zignoni, who was banned from his homeland of Val Brembana (under the rule of Venice at that time), got the mercenary idea to use the holy thorn as a bargaining chip. (What would Jesus do?) From the doge and senate of Venice, Zignoni was able make a deal and turn over the relic and in return receive a life pension for himself and family members as well as get his ban from his homeland lifted for 100 years. Even more, in the deal, he was able to keep part of the relic and bring it back home where it lives today in the Reliquia Sacra Spina facing the statue in San Giovanni Bianco. And everyone lived happily ever after.

The second interesting thing about getting to this hike is that after leaving San Giovanni Bianco, you take Strada Provinciale 25 to Taleggio. This takes you through the Orrido della Val Taleggio. Orrido as an adjective means “horrid” but also a noun means “ravine” or “gorge”. SP 25 winds its way through a very narrow and gnarled canyon, first on one side of the river Enna, then on the other side, then back again. It’s a fascinating 15 minutes passing through the orrido.

The third interesting thing about this hike is that you are in VAL TALEGGIO, all-caps intentional shouting. Just hearing the word Taleggio evokes the taste sensation of that soft and aromatic cheese that has been around since Roman times. Outside of Italy, Taleggio cheese is - for lack of a better word - more industrial, with an orange-colored rind and a moderate flavor. The Taleggio cheese you buy locally, is less orange looking and more aromatic. So, when passing through Pizzino be sure to pick up some Taleggio cheese. We stopped at Alimentari Pesenti and got a hunk of it as a reward for our hiking efforts.

Left: The statue of Vistallo Zignoni in San Giovanni Bianco in Val Brembana. Center left: The statue of Vistallo Zignoni faces the church that contains the hold relic he won in battle. Center right: A hunk of Taleggio cheese purchased in Val Taleggio. Right: La Madonnina of Pizzo Baciamorti.

The Hike

The goal of the hike is to reach Rifugio Gherardi, but there are a couple of ways to do it. The most obvious and easiest way is to take Sentiero 120, which takes you straight up to Rifugio Gherardi on a paved and then dirt road that’s easy walking. We took this on our way back.

To get to the rifugio, we opted for a longer, scenic route going counterclockwise. We followed Sentiero 153 (Capofoppa to Passo Baciamorti) toward the pass and then we picked up the trail to Pizzo Baciamorti (2006 m). Going down from down from Pizzo Baciamorti, you join up with Sentiero 101_1 for short bit and then switch to Sentiero 120, which takes you to Rifugio Gherardi. Alternatively, from Passo Baciamorti you can also skip Pizzo Baciamorti and follow Sentiero 101_1.

The name of the pass (passo) and peek (pizzo) Baciamorti loosely translates to the suggestive "kiss the dead". We wondered why and went looking for an answer. An Eco di Bergamo article (in Italian) talked about the possible origins of the name. One of the explanations we found the most plausible is that the name derives from a corruption of the original name over the centuries. According to the local historian interviewed in the article, in the 13th century, this location appears on deeds as "masione mora" (dark house) likely referring to the hut that still is found just below the pass (and shown in photo with this post). In maps from the 16th century, the location is referred to as "Masamoro", then two centuries later as "Vasamoro". In a map of the 1800s, the name "Basamorti" is used. It's not a leap to go from that to "Baciamorti".  Some of the other explanations of the name come from the fact that the pass was the boundary between warring clans and they used to exchange the dead from the skirmishes at this point. And everyone lived happily ever after.

Rifugio Gherardi is at 1650 m (5,313 ft) and is named for Angelo Gherardi, an expert ski-climber who died accidentally during a winter ascent to the Corno Stella on December 29, 1974. Rifugio Gherardi opened in 1987.

Back in August 2017, we tried to go up Corno Stella and backed out when the trail got a bit too much for us. That was summer. We can’t imagine what it would be like in winter. For more information on that hike, see our post A Hike to Lago Moro above Foppolo.

Being relatively easy to reach, on the weekends expect to find lots of families with blankets spread out and kids playing on the ample green space around Rifugio Gherardi. It’s part of the experience. Grab a picnic table outside, order your food, and kick back.

Left and center left: Homemade cake and pasta dish at Rifugio Gherardi. Center right: The menu at Rifugio Gherardi including, on this day, pasta, brasato, arrosto and zuppa farro e orzo. Right: View of Rifugio Gherardi.

Left: Hike tracks and position in Val Taleggio. Center left: Hike summary statistics from ViewRanger. Center right: Sign at Passo Baciamorti. Right: Hiking in Val Taleggio - view from Sentiero 153 looking south. 

Flora

For more on flowers found around Bergamo, especially in the Bergamasque Alps, see our Pinterest page: Bergamasque Prealps Flowers and Plants.

Key: [Family] Genus species (if available) {English :: Italian common name}

[Asteraceae] Tephroseris sp. possible T. longifolia - CF {Southern Ragwort :: Senecione a foglie lunghe}

Tephroseris sp. possible T. longifolia

[Brassicaceae] Cardamine heptaphylla – CF {Pinnate Coralroot :: Dentaria pennata}

Cardamine heptaphylla

[Caryophyllaceae] Silene dioica – CF {Red Campion :: Silene dioica}

Silene dioica

[Gentianaceae] Gentiana acaulis – CF {Stemless Gentian :: Gentiana acaule}

Gentiana acaulis

[Gentianaceae] Gentiana verna – CF {Spring Gentian :: Genziana primaverile}

Gentiana verna

[Iridaceae] Crocus verna – CF {Spring Crocus :: Zafferano maggiore}

Crocus verna

[Lilliaceaea] Fritillaria sp. – CF {Fritillaria :: Meleagride}

Fritillaria sp.

[Plantaginaceae] Globularia cordifolia – CF {Matted Globularia :: Vedovella a foglie cordate}

Globularia cordifolia

[Polygalaceae] Polygala chamaebuxus – CF {Shrubby Milkwort :: Poligala falso bosso}

Polygala chamaebuxus

[Primulaceae] Primula glaucescens – CF {? :: Primula glaucescente}

Primula glaucescens

[Ranunculaceae] Helleborus viridis – CF {Green Hellebore :: Ellebore verde}

Helleborus viridis

[Ranunculaceae] Pulsatilla alpina – CF {Alpine Pasqueflower :: Pulsatilla alpina}

Left and center: Pulsatilla alpina. Right: Fritillarria with Pulsatilla alpina.

[Ranunculaceae] Thalictrum aquilegifolium – CF {Columbine Meadow-rue :: Pigamo colombino}

Thalictrum aquilegifolium

[Rosaceae] Potentilla verna – CF {Alpine cinquefoil :: Cinquefoglia di Tabernaemontano}

Potentilla verna