Monday morning, the start of my last full week on the Via Francigena. I woke up having a whole house to myself. The two other beds in my room I cipressi had stayed empty just like the two other rooms. I slept very well, went downstairs and made myself a coffee. The friendly owner Michela had left me a little breakfast: toast with jam and a croissant. The hostel stands next to the busy Via Cassia. There is just a little sidewalk, cars and trucks pass half a meter from the living room. A poster showed the nationalities of the people who already slept here. There were even pilgrims from Mexico and Uzbekistan. I took my time to pack and left around 9h30.
The village of Gallina feels a bit like a far west town. A hamlet with only a couple of houses that exists because of the Via Cassia running through it. Around the church are a football pitch, a playground and a basketball court. There was nobody to be seen. Exiting the town, I passed a sandwich bar. Perfect to buy a sandwich for lunch. A man came in after me, but he had no patience to wait. He ordered while I still had to pay. He really wanted his campari with beer. The old man paid, drank the glass empty in 30sec and left as he came. Just passed the bar, a gravel road runs up the hill and back to the Via Francigena. I was back on the path when I reached the agriturismo Passalacqua, a 100% organic farm. The views from here over the surrounding rolling farmland were once again stunning. I never get bored with these. The weather was a bit strange. It was sunny and warm, but extremely windy. The path went down again to reach the church of San Pellegrino. Once part of a flourishing abbaye, now left abandoned. Pigeons made it their home. Today was going to be a tough day. Only 16km, but mostly uphill climbing towards the Radicofani fortress at more than 800m. The beginning was not too bad. The undulating path crossed some fields with sheep before hitting the old Via Cassia. This road is almost not used anymore and in a very bad condition. What cars drive on this road then? Well, mostly jeeps and a fluo green fiat 500. Here came the first steep climb of the day. A girl on a bike struggled and almost didn't go faster than me. At the horizon, I could see the tower of Radicofani. Still a long way to go. The landscape changed. The wide valley got narrower. After the climb came a new descent and I ended up walking on a grassy path between the Via Cassia and the Formone river. The water was extremely low. I found the perfect lunch spot and ate my sandwich with the sound of flowing water. When I took off again, I passed a sign saying there were 8km left. I was making good progress. But the toughest part was yet to come. After having crossed the river on large white stones, the path went steeply uphill. I saw a lot of lizzards before, but here I met the biggest one so far. It ran straight towards me to then just disappear in the bushes. After a couple of kilometers, I reached the road. A little grassy path next to it allowed me to follow the road safely further uphill. It was nice to catch my breath from time to time and look behind me. The rolling hills of Tuscany lay deep behind me. In front of me, the tower of Radicofani kept getting closer and bigger. The last 2km, the path leaves the road and goes straight for the village. By now, I was getting pretty tired. Suddenly, a dog came towards me but no person was with him. He was barking. Hard to say if he could bite me. With a lot of gesture, I picked up a rock and without showing any fear, I walked passed him. It was fine. Ten minutes later, an even angrier black dog stormed towards me out of nowhere. The trick with picking up a rock did it again. A bit further, a third dog. Not again! But this little fella looked like he was afraid of me. What a cutie! I reached the first houses of Radicofani. This is the place where fathers wear army shirts and children drive quads. The town sits high above its surroundings on the border between Tuscany and Lazio. It has been a strategic place for centuries. Pretty touristy as well. At the entrance of the village, 7 different car parks are signposted. Tonight, it was quiet. I first walked to my hostel for the night: albergo la torre. It was perfectly situated just at the entrance of the medieval town and with a stunning view over the valley. The owner was very friendly and talkative. Because he only spoke Italian, I didn't understand everything. My room was amazing with a big comfy bed and a small sitting area. I dropped my bag and went straight to the only supermarket in town. Here they charge twice the price, but I was happy they were there. It had been a long day, but I still had some energy spare. I wanted to see the sunset from the highest point. By now, it got pretty chilly so I put my fleece on. The main street Via Roma is constructed at the bottem of the tower and turns while it works its way up. There was not much going on, but it was pretty special to just walk this narrow street lit by lanterns. At the end of the street, it is still 1km uphill to the tower. The sunset over the Tuscan countryside is something I won't forget soon. Sadly, the whole area around the tower was blocked off. You can only visit it during the day if you pay. It was a bit of a disappointment. For a whole day, I had been walking towards this tower. Now, I came as close as 50m. While walking down, it got pretty dark. Time to relax in my comfy room. The wind was still blowing hard. Tomorrow, I work my way down again. After 23km, I should reach the town of Acquapendente. There, I will be in Lazio at only 170km from its capital: the eternal city of Rome!
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AuthorMy name is Dimitri and I'm turning 40 in 2023. Through the years, I have tried to live my dreams. Everything is possible, the sky is the limit as long as you believe in your dreams and work hard to make them happen. Do what you never did before. Go where you have never been before. It will be scary, but it will also be worth it! Archives
July 2024
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