Around 22h, everybody went to bed in the pilgrims hostel Centro Cresti in Ponte d'Arbia. I enjoyed the peace and quiet to write for my blog.
When I went to bed an hour later, I felt not at ease. The guy sleeping next to me was clearly very sick. He suffered from a bad cough and fever. In my humble opinion, they should have put him in a seperate room. Other pilgrims were having their doubts as well. Therefor, they let the doors and windows open for ventilation. But that made it very cold and I couldn't find extra blankets. I ended up sleeping in my fleece on a very thin mattress. But no complaints from my side. In the end, I slept very well. When I woke up at 7h, the dorm with 9 beds was almost empty. Only the sick guy was still in bed. He had also sore legs. I felt for him. He really needed extra rest. I couldn't really talk to him, because he only spoke Italian. Before leaving, I dropped 20 euro in the donativo box. In my opinion a fair price for dinner and bed. round 8h, I walked through the front door and I was the last one. The sun was already up in the sky. The temperature would rise above 30 degrees. I don't like walking with an empty stomach so I headed to the village. Bar H is open daily from 5h-23h. I enjoyed coffee and a croissant on the terrace. Then it was time to go. There were only 4km to go until Buonconvento. To avoid the busy Via Cassia, the path climbs up the hills next to it. A good effort to start the day and it came with the reward of stunning views over the rolling hills of Tuscany. Here still farmland as far as the eye can see. In the shade, it was still surprisingly cool. Before I knew, I descended into Buonconvento. Some people call this one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. I would say that is a bit exaggerated. But the historic medieval center is remarkably well preserved. Especially the entrance gate into the city with wooden doors as high as 10-15m is impressive. The central Via Soccini is full of bars and restaurants. I enjoyed a first break with a cold drink. It was busy in the center, because the weekly market was taking place. Before 12h, I hit the road again. The path ran parallel to the main road, first through a residential area, then through an industrial zone. When I stopped 5min to put some extra sunscreen on, I ended up with three more mosquito bites. These bugs can be ferocious. The Via Francigena later crossed the main road and followed a quieter road. When the path turned away from the road and started climbing, things got more interesting. Here I entered the vineyards of the Brunello wines. These wines are considered Italy's best but also most expensive. In a restaurant, you can easily pay 45 euro for a glass. On a summit, I passed the Tricerchi winery complex. People with BMW and porsche were already busy with wine tasting. I didn't go further than the entrance. This was no place for a pilgrim. I just enjoyed the stunning views over the vineyards. Little lakes were spread across the landscape and cypress trees lined the gravel track. The path continued to go up and down with stunning views to the left and the right. A guy with a cigar passed me on a horse. Later, I passed two other wineries: Altesino and Caparzo. The last one offered a pilgrim deal: a glass of wine, a bottle of water and a sandwich for 8 euro. When I arrived, there was no one to be seen. So I crashed on a bench and had my salad with just water. The food gave me energy, the shade cooled me down. I was ready for the 14 last kilometers. And I needed to be ready, because the path kept on climbing all the way to the summit of the Poggio Gambocci at 330m. Sadly, there was no shade. But I felt on top of the world with incredible views all around. Afterwards, the path descended slowly into the village of Torrenieri. First thing I passed there was a soccer field. The village has a main street with a church at the end. Not a place that left a deep impression on me but there was a supermarket. Tomorrow is Sunday and I was heading towards pretty remote terrain. I needed to plan if I didn't want to end up with no food at some point so I did some extra shopping. By the time I took off, it was already 18h30 and there were still 6km to go. While exiting Torrenieri, I passed a little monument of two feet in the air that is dedicated to all the pilgrims. From here, I would follow the quiet SP137 road for about an hour. First uphill towards a viewpoint over San Quirico d'Orcia, my destination of the day. Then downhill towards the highway where I had to go underneath. A guy on a vespa passed me. He turned back to ask me what time it was. When I answered, he continued the way he came from. I wander what he forgot. Meanwhile, the sun was sinking behind the hills painting the sky in beautiful colours. I gathered all my energy for the last part of the day, 3km uphill to the town center. It was getting dark quickly, but there was enough daylight left for me to see where I was going. The evening brought fresh air. Two deer jumped up just in front of me. Always magical. I was happy to go under an archway into the medieval city. The walls around the city still stand. In front of the collegiate church, there is a statue of two men wrestling. The main square was filled with people eating on long tables. Some kind of festival was taking place, but I headed to hotel Garibaldi just outside town. There is a petrol station in front of the hotel which gives it a bit of a truck stop vibe. The girl at reception was friendly, but she didn't want to stamp my pilgrim passport. That is something only the tourist office can do here, so I will have to pass there in the morning. My tired legs were happy to find a bed. I had a good shower and food in my room. After 2 long days comes a shorter stage of 16km tomorrow. It will be nice to take it easier and arrive earlier. I will sleep in a little town with only one restaurant where I had to order already tonight. That will be an off grid experience.
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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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