While Siena is a great medieval city to sightsee as it was once Florence's rival and has great churches and piazzas, we did none of that today. I have been to Siena once before, though I don't remember it that well beause I was 13 at the time. Today we strictly shopped and dined. So much for sightseeing.
However, we were unable to do either until we found parking. It took us over 45 minutes to find parking but once we did, we realized we had discovered the best parking place in the entire city. We parked at a pay lot for San Franchesco which was dauntingly downhill from the main part of the city. Fortunately, as we started walking up the hills to the market, we discovered a covered escalor. We took it up. Then there was another escalator, and we took that up. And we kept taking escalators up until we were just outside the San Francesco church and it's lovely open piazza! A short jaunty though the closed to cars medieval streets and we were at the market! And in the end, the four hours of parking cost us only 6.40 Euro.
The Wednesday market in Siena is an event not to be missed. Like the market in San Lorenzo in Firenze, there are souvenier shops and leather good shops, but the Siena market also has fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses, and fish, and in terms of souveniers and leather goods, it has a much larger selection. I can't post what I purchased though as they are gifts, but I will say I got a great deal on them! I love open air markets.
After getting my shopping fix at the market, it was lunch time. The restaurant we chose was called Il Biondo, and rememer that name if you ever go to Siena, because it was amazing! Easily the best meal I've had since I've been in Italy on this trip. Everything that was brought to our table was delicious. Now I'm going to make your mouth water and your stomach rumble just a little bit. We had a spaghetti alla vognole (clams), ravioli “il biondo” that was stuffed with a spinach pesto, and lasagne with a meat and red wine sauce and a souffle top! But the best part of the meal by far was the anti pasti! We ordered a prosciutto e melone which had the ripest melon I've ever tasted and the most prefectly salted and sliced prosciutto. Then the real winner of the lunch was the eggplant parmesean that I will dream about for years to come and try to replicate for even longer. The sauteed eggplant was layered with cheeses, alternating between fresh mozzarella and pecorino. The top layer was a marinara sauce covered in a thick layer of pecorino cheese. Oh. My. Goodness. When I figure out how to replicate this dish, I will share it with you all, and you will fall in love just as I have.
Tomorrow I am traveling back home. I have to take the train from Firenze to Roma, then from Roma to Roma Termini, then get on my plane to Montreal where I will have a three hour layover, then head into Newark where I will land at 9pm. Because I've got such a long layover, I've decided to go ahead and check my bag. I am so looking forward to sitting on planes all day! Can you sense the sarcasm?
Until then...
Showing posts with label sightseeing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sightseeing. Show all posts
Monday, September 27, 2010
Day 7 – Firenze on Foot
Florence to us English speakers if Firenze to the Italians, and it still baffles me why we change the names of cities and countries. Would Firenze mean something diferent than Florence if used in the same context? I don't think so.
We arrived in Firenze at about noon knowing that we would have plenty of time to see all the major sights before leaving for our dinner party at 7:00pm. I've been to Firenze two times previously, so I've seen most of the sights, but it's always amazing to see them again, I just can't get over how old and ornate everything is!
The first stop was Piazza Signoria outside of the Uffizi Gallery. I've never actually been inside the Uffizi or the Accademia where the David is housed, in all the times I've been to Firenze. Is that the sign of the bad traveller? Maybe, but I think it's just that I'm not a giant museum person and there are replicas of many of the famous statues in Piazza Signoria anyway, not to mention you can see the collections in countless art history books and in photographs all over the internet. Personally, I enjoy seeing the replicas outside in natural light. My favorite is Michaelangelo's David (of course). But, I especially love that this sculpture is so well thought out that it is meant to be viewed looking up at it intead of looking forward at it. Michaelangelo designed David improportionate so when you look at it head on it looks like David has some really short legs. But, when you are looking up at him, he looks long, tall, and muscular the way he was meant to be viewed. I took a picture of him in his proper viewing state, which I will show you later.
Next we went to the Piazza della Republica while passing the Orsan. Michele church (there are so many of them in Firenze), the site of the original Roman Forum in Firenze. Then we headed up the main street, Via de Calzaiuoli, toward the Duomo. We sidetracked off to eat lunch at a small restaurant off the beaten path called Mangiafuoco Bracerie where I decided to have a very Italian lunch. I had bruccetta alla pomodori and spaghetti alla carbonara. From our table we were able to wath the futbol game on TV, how very Italian.
After lunch we headed to the Duomo. I decided not to climb the 463 stept to the top of the dome since I had already done it twice. I figured the view hadn't changed much in four year's. I did go into the church part of the Duomo and admire the frescoes on the ceiling though, not that I could see them clearly from 463 steps below.
After not climbing the Duomo we ventured through the market in San Lorenzo where street vendors sell souveniers and lots of Italian leather goods. It's your typical European street market with lots of the same stuff from stand to stand. The Italian leather goods did look enticing though...
Before we continued on our historical walk of the city, we explored the train station as I will have to navigate it when I leave from Firenze to Roma to catch my plane back to North America. I learned where to buy my tickets, which is always a good thing to know ahead of time.
Before continuing our historical walk of the city, we stopped for gelato outside of Piazza Santa Croce. I enjoyed half a cup of crema di limone that had candied lemon chunks in it and half a cup of fragole (English translation: strawberry). I sat in the piazza and admired Santa Croce which is painted in the colors as the Duomo (and other churches in Firenze as well).
Then we walked along the Arno River away from the center of the city toward one of the parts of the original wall that was around the city. After we saw the wall, we turned around and walked along the river towards the Ponte Vecchio, the famed bridge that has jewelry stores built on it. I'm not sure if they were always jewelry stores or if they were something else before (I've heard they were meat shops). When walking on the bridge, you can see it literally sparkle and shine from every angle in the light. It is bellissima.
One thing that you have to watch out for in Firenze is the motor bikes and scooters! They will run you over if you get in their way, and they zip along quite fast, though luckily they are not allowed on all the roads Motor scooters even have their own special sized parking spaces, which is good because there is not a lot of available parking in Firenze. Speaking of two wheeled vehicles, there are also a ton of bicycles in Firenze, and they are parked all over the place. I really enjoyed that this small city had such consciencious residents and commuters. I weren't it weren't so scary to ride bikes in Manhattan!
After nearly seven hours of exploring the city (for the third time) it was time to head to the dinner party at Cindy's (link). Of course my blister joined us as well.
Tomorrow we are going to Siena, a smaller Tuscan city, to go to their market which is much better than the market at San Lorezne in Firenze.
Until then...
We arrived in Firenze at about noon knowing that we would have plenty of time to see all the major sights before leaving for our dinner party at 7:00pm. I've been to Firenze two times previously, so I've seen most of the sights, but it's always amazing to see them again, I just can't get over how old and ornate everything is!
The first stop was Piazza Signoria outside of the Uffizi Gallery. I've never actually been inside the Uffizi or the Accademia where the David is housed, in all the times I've been to Firenze. Is that the sign of the bad traveller? Maybe, but I think it's just that I'm not a giant museum person and there are replicas of many of the famous statues in Piazza Signoria anyway, not to mention you can see the collections in countless art history books and in photographs all over the internet. Personally, I enjoy seeing the replicas outside in natural light. My favorite is Michaelangelo's David (of course). But, I especially love that this sculpture is so well thought out that it is meant to be viewed looking up at it intead of looking forward at it. Michaelangelo designed David improportionate so when you look at it head on it looks like David has some really short legs. But, when you are looking up at him, he looks long, tall, and muscular the way he was meant to be viewed. I took a picture of him in his proper viewing state, which I will show you later.
Next we went to the Piazza della Republica while passing the Orsan. Michele church (there are so many of them in Firenze), the site of the original Roman Forum in Firenze. Then we headed up the main street, Via de Calzaiuoli, toward the Duomo. We sidetracked off to eat lunch at a small restaurant off the beaten path called Mangiafuoco Bracerie where I decided to have a very Italian lunch. I had bruccetta alla pomodori and spaghetti alla carbonara. From our table we were able to wath the futbol game on TV, how very Italian.
After lunch we headed to the Duomo. I decided not to climb the 463 stept to the top of the dome since I had already done it twice. I figured the view hadn't changed much in four year's. I did go into the church part of the Duomo and admire the frescoes on the ceiling though, not that I could see them clearly from 463 steps below.
After not climbing the Duomo we ventured through the market in San Lorenzo where street vendors sell souveniers and lots of Italian leather goods. It's your typical European street market with lots of the same stuff from stand to stand. The Italian leather goods did look enticing though...
Before we continued on our historical walk of the city, we explored the train station as I will have to navigate it when I leave from Firenze to Roma to catch my plane back to North America. I learned where to buy my tickets, which is always a good thing to know ahead of time.
Before continuing our historical walk of the city, we stopped for gelato outside of Piazza Santa Croce. I enjoyed half a cup of crema di limone that had candied lemon chunks in it and half a cup of fragole (English translation: strawberry). I sat in the piazza and admired Santa Croce which is painted in the colors as the Duomo (and other churches in Firenze as well).
Then we walked along the Arno River away from the center of the city toward one of the parts of the original wall that was around the city. After we saw the wall, we turned around and walked along the river towards the Ponte Vecchio, the famed bridge that has jewelry stores built on it. I'm not sure if they were always jewelry stores or if they were something else before (I've heard they were meat shops). When walking on the bridge, you can see it literally sparkle and shine from every angle in the light. It is bellissima.
One thing that you have to watch out for in Firenze is the motor bikes and scooters! They will run you over if you get in their way, and they zip along quite fast, though luckily they are not allowed on all the roads Motor scooters even have their own special sized parking spaces, which is good because there is not a lot of available parking in Firenze. Speaking of two wheeled vehicles, there are also a ton of bicycles in Firenze, and they are parked all over the place. I really enjoyed that this small city had such consciencious residents and commuters. I weren't it weren't so scary to ride bikes in Manhattan!
After nearly seven hours of exploring the city (for the third time) it was time to head to the dinner party at Cindy's (link). Of course my blister joined us as well.
Tomorrow we are going to Siena, a smaller Tuscan city, to go to their market which is much better than the market at San Lorezne in Firenze.
Until then...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Day 6 – Coastal Exploration and Mirko
Every time I explore Italy I am introduced to a place I have never been before. Italy is such a huge country, and even though this is my fifth visit here, I still have not seen all of what there is to see in this beautiful country.
When you think of Tuscany, you think of hills covered with vineyards, olive groves, and sunflower fields, correct? Me too, you are not alone. But, today, for the first time I was introduced to a part of Tuscany that I had never seen before, the Marremma region of Tuscany.
We first ventured to a seaside village by name of Talamonte at the very tip of a tiny peninsula where there is a beautiflu cape and harbor to go along with it. Of course there is a very old walled village as wel, where every apartment has a view of the sea. Net, we ventured south to a mountain named Argrentario off the western coast that is conneted to the mainland with three thin strips of land that form lagunas in between them. On the northern coast of the island is Porto San Stefano where we stopped for lunch overlooking the harbor. Then we ventured to the East of the Island and marveled at Porto Ercole which is guarded by two forts on two hills overlooking the harbor. Luckily it is the off season in Marremma which meant less tourists to navigate through and less seagulls to worry about becoming roadkill.
After exploring the coastal marinas at Monte Argentario, we drove uphill to the little midieval mountail villages with spectacular views of the Mediterranean and Isola d'Elba. We drove through Maglinao, Pereta, and Scansano, all beautiful terraced hillside towns with medieval walls and stuctured. Every time I go to Italy (or anywhere in Europe really) I am awed by how old it really is. In the United States of America we don't have structures or towns or cities half as old as the ones in Europe, and seeing them in Europe (and espeicially when I was in Isreal) reminded me of how old “civilized' human life has existed. It's really fascinating.
After returning back to the apartment in Barberino Val d'Elsa we ate dinner at a restaurant where I dined on wild boar and tagliatelle. The wild boar was caught on Sunday morning with the restaurant proprieters shotgun... The pizza chef at the restaurant, Mirko, is moving to New York City in October to move in with a friend of his and look for work. He wants to make arrugula pizza in Brooklyn just for me (or so I'd like to think), and I think I know just the place for him to create his pizza magic.
Tomorrow we are off to Florence.
Until then...
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Old Town Park City and Meet the Owners
Mom and I decided to take the day off from skiing today so that we could meet the owners of the condo we are renting from who were in town for the day. This was Mom's first experience meeting someone she met online (www.vrbo.com), and it was fun to watch her excitement! Mom and E had exchanged e-mails and talked on the phone for close to 8 months before this meeting, so they "knew" each other pretty well (well, at least E knew Mom needed quiet to sleep and Mom knew that E didn't want party animals in her condo). When E and R got here it was like we had all known each other for years! Mom, was her usual chatty self (which you can either love or hate). We talked about how we were enjoying the condo and how cozy it is, their upcoming wedding and E's dress, and even about my blog! We also showed them how Mom had alphabetized their spice rack (yes, she really did). Turns out E and R are reading my blog (Hi!) and are enjoying it, which makes me very happy. Here's a photo of them in the condo before they left.
After E and R left, Mom and I headed into Old Town Park City. We rode the express brown/#8 bus from the condo straight into the town, which is absolutely charming. The main street is dotted with boutiques selling high end clothing, Native American art and jewelry, souvenir shops with post cards and magnets and t-shirts galore, and tons of restaurants ranging from family and budget friendly to expensive date night places.
Mom and I popped into many of the shops where we snagged some postcards to send to friends back home. In one shop we found a great hat for Mom. I really don't like the hat she's been wearing for years (fashion snob?) and she enlisted me to find her a new hat that wasn't itchy and that met my fashion standards. Well, I found her an adorable hand knit wool hat with a fleece lining so she can be warm AND fashionable. She loved it so much she wore it out of the store! Mission accomplished.
We decided to have dinner in town before we headed back to the condo to watch the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. We chose Main Street Pizza and Noodle, a wallet and family friendly "Italian" restaurant. We were seated by a hostess, ordered and paid at a counter (12% tip is included), drinks were self serve, and then the food was brought to us. I'd never been in a restaurant with this setup, but it seemed to work. And I must say, that for a family restaurant, it wasn't noisy at all. After our meal of a 10" pizza and two house salads (maybe even TOO much food for the two of us) we got back on the express bus to get back to the condo.
Taking a day off was very relaxing. It was nice to wear regular shoes and have my hair down! Tomorrow we're going to Deer Valley because Park City will be crowded for the long weekend. Until then...
After E and R left, Mom and I headed into Old Town Park City. We rode the express brown/#8 bus from the condo straight into the town, which is absolutely charming. The main street is dotted with boutiques selling high end clothing, Native American art and jewelry, souvenir shops with post cards and magnets and t-shirts galore, and tons of restaurants ranging from family and budget friendly to expensive date night places.
Mom and I popped into many of the shops where we snagged some postcards to send to friends back home. In one shop we found a great hat for Mom. I really don't like the hat she's been wearing for years (fashion snob?) and she enlisted me to find her a new hat that wasn't itchy and that met my fashion standards. Well, I found her an adorable hand knit wool hat with a fleece lining so she can be warm AND fashionable. She loved it so much she wore it out of the store! Mission accomplished. We decided to have dinner in town before we headed back to the condo to watch the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. We chose Main Street Pizza and Noodle, a wallet and family friendly "Italian" restaurant. We were seated by a hostess, ordered and paid at a counter (12% tip is included), drinks were self serve, and then the food was brought to us. I'd never been in a restaurant with this setup, but it seemed to work. And I must say, that for a family restaurant, it wasn't noisy at all. After our meal of a 10" pizza and two house salads (maybe even TOO much food for the two of us) we got back on the express bus to get back to the condo.
Taking a day off was very relaxing. It was nice to wear regular shoes and have my hair down! Tomorrow we're going to Deer Valley because Park City will be crowded for the long weekend. Until then...
Monday, July 13, 2009
Block Island for 4th of July
New York's Long Island, Connecticut, and the Rhode Island mainland provide easy access to one of the greatest day tripping and long weekend getaways in the Northeast, Block Island, located just 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island. The island is only a short ferry ride away but once you arrive it feels like a different world. The only season to get the full Block Island experience is in the summer, when the beaches are perfect for sunbathing, the roads perfect for biking, the trails perfect for hiking, and the lobster perfect for eating. To experience a perfect day or weekend all you need to do is get off the ferry, everything you need is on the island waiting for you. You can rent bikes and kayaks at one of many sporting goods shops. If you're not the athletic type, you can shop and dine in the little marina village and for exploring hop on a motorized scooter available for rent. You can hang out at the bar on the docks and listen to live music. And if you're staying overnight, don't forget to book a room at one of the island's many pristine B&B's.
I ventured to Block Island from Montauk, NY on the Eastern most tip of Long Island on the 10am Viking Ferry on this year's perfectly sunny 4th of July Saturday. The ferry reservations were booked online making the process at the docks seamless. Viking provided a parking pass and a space in their lot for the day as there is not much parking at the dock. You can bring your bikes onto the ferry for an additional charge, which if you plan on biking is the way to go, however there are numerous places to rent bikes from once on Block Island. The ferry has comfortable seating in the cabin (perfect for napping on the way back) and upper deck outdoor seating as well as benches along the sides of the cabin. The best seating on the boat (for view, not for comfort) is the two small benches at the bow of the boat (that's the front for those of you who are not familiar with nautical terms). Of course this is where I chose to sit as the view is perfect, and the light sea spray is quite refreshing (it's also a great place to get a picture!).
Once you disembark from the ferry via the gangway onto the dock in Block Island, you see boats everywhere. Block Island's marinas are obviously the hippest place to park your boat. Some of the boats are three boats deep and couldn't get out if the docks were set aflame. No one seems to care that they're stacked upon each other, everyone sits on the back of their boats drinking and listening to music just lazing the day away (not a bad way to live life if you ask me). The ferry ride is only an hour long, so once you've got your sea legs, you're back on land. As you leave the boat and dock area, make sure you know how much time you will need to get back to the dock as the last boat out for the day is THE LAST BOAT OUT. If you miss the boat, you will have to stay the night or charter a private boat back to where you came from.
Once out of the marina, you can rent a bike right away or catch a taxi which will take you to your B&B, the village, a small watercraft rental shop, or a motorized scooter rental shop (sometimes these double as bike rental shops also). We opted to rent bikes right away as we were not staying overnight and felt like being active. The bike rentals are for 4 hours or the whole day, which of course is irritating as the next boat doesn't leave for 5 hours! We were able to finagle the summer employee from Europe to give us the 4 hour rate for the 5 hours (shh!). The bikes come with a lock and most come with a basket or rack with bungee chords so you can strap your bag to the bike (make sure you take it with you when you park and lock the bike). Also make sure to inspect your bike before you ride away. The bikes are used frequently so they tend to get dirtier and broken faster (the front break one of our bikes was not attached properly, another had a wobbly basket only held in place by the seat).
Once the bikes were squared away we set off immediately to the North Light House. On the way we passed some kids selling lemonade and baked goods and stopped for a cup (we passed more throughout the day, it's a popular past time for kids on Block Island). On the way to the North Light House you pass the National Wildlife Refuge and Sachem pond which are both great scenic locations. As you approach the North Light House be aware of the LONG WAY DOWN HILL! You have to ride (or walk) your bike back up it! However, it's super fun to ride down and the minimal traffic makes it fun and relatively safe for cyclists to cruise down at full speed. Just try not to get any bugs in your teeth... The North Lighthouse can be accessed only by a rocky beach so we locked the bikes on one of the ever present bike racks and walked down to the light house, which was not yet open for the season (opened the next day) but proved to be a very picturesque sight. Also, do not be deceived by the apparently calm water, there are strong riptides and swimming is strongly discouraged. After picking up some litter on the beach (there are garbage cans right there people!), and getting the sand out of our shoes, we hopped back on the bikes and trekked up the HUGELY HUGE HILL on the way to the Southeast Lighthouse. On the way we stopped for lunch at a beach front joint to refuel, we needed it after that hill!
The Southeast lighthouse is situated on the bluffs at the Southeast (obviously) end of the island and provides a great view. 300 yards from the entrance to the lighthouse is the entrance to steps (152, we counted) with access to the beach at the base of the Mohegan Bluffs (one of my favorite stops of the day and unfortunately not long enough... had to get back in time for the LAST BOAT OUT). The beach can only be accessed by climbing down a steep rocky trail so wear appropriate footwear. Bring a towel for an extended stay and lay out under the bluffs.
After leaving the Southeast Lighthouse we had to move pretty quickly to get back to the marina in time for the LAST BOAT OUT! The loop from the Mohegan Bluffs back to the marina is very hilly but absolutely breathtaking. Dotted throughout the landscape are small sweet water ponds with water lilies in bloom. They're all completely natural formed which makes them that much more awesome. The last stretch back to the marina passes an old cemetery situated on a hill, which I hear is great for gravestone rubbings. Make sure you've picked up a map as the roads on this end can be tricky, but generally just follow the people in front of you and you'll arrive safely back at the marina.
Once we got back to the marina and returned our bikes we decided to stop at the bar on the dock. It was super crowded with people drinking and dancing to the live band. We opted to wait on line for our ferry, but were still within ear shot of the music. Once back on the ferry (we made it!) we went in the cabin found a row of 5 seats, and took a nap. We were exhausted. On a 7x3 mile island we biked about 14 miles (wow!). Once back in Montauk we had plans to see the 4th of July Fireworks at the beach and have dinner at Cyrils. Now if only we had found an outdoor shower...
I ventured to Block Island from Montauk, NY on the Eastern most tip of Long Island on the 10am Viking Ferry on this year's perfectly sunny 4th of July Saturday. The ferry reservations were booked online making the process at the docks seamless. Viking provided a parking pass and a space in their lot for the day as there is not much parking at the dock. You can bring your bikes onto the ferry for an additional charge, which if you plan on biking is the way to go, however there are numerous places to rent bikes from once on Block Island. The ferry has comfortable seating in the cabin (perfect for napping on the way back) and upper deck outdoor seating as well as benches along the sides of the cabin. The best seating on the boat (for view, not for comfort) is the two small benches at the bow of the boat (that's the front for those of you who are not familiar with nautical terms). Of course this is where I chose to sit as the view is perfect, and the light sea spray is quite refreshing (it's also a great place to get a picture!).
Once you disembark from the ferry via the gangway onto the dock in Block Island, you see boats everywhere. Block Island's marinas are obviously the hippest place to park your boat. Some of the boats are three boats deep and couldn't get out if the docks were set aflame. No one seems to care that they're stacked upon each other, everyone sits on the back of their boats drinking and listening to music just lazing the day away (not a bad way to live life if you ask me). The ferry ride is only an hour long, so once you've got your sea legs, you're back on land. As you leave the boat and dock area, make sure you know how much time you will need to get back to the dock as the last boat out for the day is THE LAST BOAT OUT. If you miss the boat, you will have to stay the night or charter a private boat back to where you came from.
Once out of the marina, you can rent a bike right away or catch a taxi which will take you to your B&B, the village, a small watercraft rental shop, or a motorized scooter rental shop (sometimes these double as bike rental shops also). We opted to rent bikes right away as we were not staying overnight and felt like being active. The bike rentals are for 4 hours or the whole day, which of course is irritating as the next boat doesn't leave for 5 hours! We were able to finagle the summer employee from Europe to give us the 4 hour rate for the 5 hours (shh!). The bikes come with a lock and most come with a basket or rack with bungee chords so you can strap your bag to the bike (make sure you take it with you when you park and lock the bike). Also make sure to inspect your bike before you ride away. The bikes are used frequently so they tend to get dirtier and broken faster (the front break one of our bikes was not attached properly, another had a wobbly basket only held in place by the seat).
Once the bikes were squared away we set off immediately to the North Light House. On the way we passed some kids selling lemonade and baked goods and stopped for a cup (we passed more throughout the day, it's a popular past time for kids on Block Island). On the way to the North Light House you pass the National Wildlife Refuge and Sachem pond which are both great scenic locations. As you approach the North Light House be aware of the LONG WAY DOWN HILL! You have to ride (or walk) your bike back up it! However, it's super fun to ride down and the minimal traffic makes it fun and relatively safe for cyclists to cruise down at full speed. Just try not to get any bugs in your teeth... The North Lighthouse can be accessed only by a rocky beach so we locked the bikes on one of the ever present bike racks and walked down to the light house, which was not yet open for the season (opened the next day) but proved to be a very picturesque sight. Also, do not be deceived by the apparently calm water, there are strong riptides and swimming is strongly discouraged. After picking up some litter on the beach (there are garbage cans right there people!), and getting the sand out of our shoes, we hopped back on the bikes and trekked up the HUGELY HUGE HILL on the way to the Southeast Lighthouse. On the way we stopped for lunch at a beach front joint to refuel, we needed it after that hill!
The Southeast lighthouse is situated on the bluffs at the Southeast (obviously) end of the island and provides a great view. 300 yards from the entrance to the lighthouse is the entrance to steps (152, we counted) with access to the beach at the base of the Mohegan Bluffs (one of my favorite stops of the day and unfortunately not long enough... had to get back in time for the LAST BOAT OUT). The beach can only be accessed by climbing down a steep rocky trail so wear appropriate footwear. Bring a towel for an extended stay and lay out under the bluffs.
After leaving the Southeast Lighthouse we had to move pretty quickly to get back to the marina in time for the LAST BOAT OUT! The loop from the Mohegan Bluffs back to the marina is very hilly but absolutely breathtaking. Dotted throughout the landscape are small sweet water ponds with water lilies in bloom. They're all completely natural formed which makes them that much more awesome. The last stretch back to the marina passes an old cemetery situated on a hill, which I hear is great for gravestone rubbings. Make sure you've picked up a map as the roads on this end can be tricky, but generally just follow the people in front of you and you'll arrive safely back at the marina.
Once we got back to the marina and returned our bikes we decided to stop at the bar on the dock. It was super crowded with people drinking and dancing to the live band. We opted to wait on line for our ferry, but were still within ear shot of the music. Once back on the ferry (we made it!) we went in the cabin found a row of 5 seats, and took a nap. We were exhausted. On a 7x3 mile island we biked about 14 miles (wow!). Once back in Montauk we had plans to see the 4th of July Fireworks at the beach and have dinner at Cyrils. Now if only we had found an outdoor shower...
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