Stazzema
Among unique mountains

Here I am again, it's still me, the Chough. As it's a beautiful day, come with me to see a mountain I love: Monte Croce. In May its meadows that slip down steeply towards the valley floor are covered in a white, scented blanket: there are hundreds and thousands of daffodils, that wave in the wind. Let's have a day in the countryside! We'll take a blanket and lie on it, breathing in the flowers and letting our gaze: before us stretch peaks and the majestic Pania della Croce, the jewel in the crown.

I've been flying since dawn. Now I'm tired! 

I'll pause here on the branches of those plane trees, in front of the church of Sant’Anna. In the meadow there are little wooden crosses! We mark the spot where the children of Sant’Anna played Ring-a-Ring-Of-Roses on the last day of school before that terrible August 12, 1944, when the Nazis murdered 560 innocent people. Meet Enio, Cesira and Mario: they were there that day and now bear witness to what happened. In the Museum of the Resistance you can hear what happened at that terrible time, and you can also talk about Peace, something that is not difficult in this quiet village.

It's so quiet in these ancient oak forests! While I enjoy the fresh air, my friend the wolf sneaks into the undergrowth.

"I'm looking for some moltkia for my darling," he tells me.

"I saw some close to the badger's den," he replied, whistling. It's known as rock pearl herb and has the prettiest, dangling flowers. You can find it in just two places all over the world and one of those is the Apuan Alps. The wolf prowls and I watch him. He isn't strikingly muscular, but he's nimble and that silvery fur makes him irresistible. Don't tell anyone, but the wolf is back in these woods!

You should see the Apuans in the autumn: the trails are covered in golden leaves that have fallen from the impressive chestnut trees. Every so often, walking beside the centuries-old trunks, you come across the remains of a metato: a small building used to dry chestnuts. There are the Apuane villages: gripping on to the rock or spread out in the sunshine. Here it's a maze of alleyways, arches and steps and... delicious recipes: castagnaccio, a chestnut cake scented with orange and rosemary, or ciacci filled with ricotta, and ballotti, sweet chestnuts boiled with fennel seeds.