Monday morning! This blog is almost coming to a beautiful end.
I woke up in Albergo Da Benedetta at less than 100km from Rome. Last night, the couple in the room next to me only arrived around 23h30 with a lot of noise. I put my earplugs in and slept very well. When I woke up, I thought I was getting washed away but it was just somebody flushing the toilet upstairs. Breakfast was again included. I'm getting spoiled. It's always a bit of a disappointment to me when there is no fruit. Italians love a sweet breakfast. After a good meal and packing my bag, I left the key of room 103 on the reception desk. There was nobody around. I crossed the Via Cassia and climbed the hill to get into the center of Vetralla. This sleepy town is small but well preserved. The church faces the city hall on a small square. I had a quick look around before continuing my way. The Via Roma leaded me out of the center. Today was hotter than the previous days. There was not one cloud in the sky and the temperature was way above 30 degrees. Tough for a 24 kilometer stage. To add to the challenge, the first 7 kilometer were all uphill. After a steep climb, I walked through the village of Giardino. A collection of houses with one shop and one church where a mass takes place once a month. Walking along a road through a residential area is not a highlight, but after having crossed the railway tracks, I entered the Montefogliano Park. It's an oak forest and I followed a lovely trail for a couple of kilometers. There were again countless little flies circling me. My insect spray doesn't seem to scare them away. Halfway the forest, there are some houses around a little playground where I had lunch. A man just took off on his royal enfield. At the highest point, there was a sign saying I had left Vetralla. Now the landscape changed and I entered huge hazelnut orchards. This was my first time. Hazelnuts grow on little trees. I wonder of some of these nuts make it to Nutella jars. Somewhere in the middle of the fields, I bumped into the Orlando towers. Historians suggest they are funeral monuments from the Roman period. Now they are abandoned and nature is slowly claiming them back. After briefly coming to the Via Cassia, the path continued on a wide gravel track. Sometimes through more orchards, sometimes through the forest. As from here, it was mostly downhill so I picked up speed. I crossed the railway tracks three times and after the last time I found myself suddenly surrounded by houses. I had reached the outskirts of Capranica. The village has been built on a hilltop. Before walking through the city gate, I stopped at a little shop for a snack and a cool drink. Old men were enjoying the shade while having long conversations. Stepping inside the old town is like stepping back into time. There is one long narrow main street with even narrower streets around it. Somebody was just putting a large wood delivery inside. He wanted to be prepared for winter. A 107 square meter apartment was sold here for 55.000 euro. At the end of the main street, a staircase took me to the valley floor. Just afterwards, I had to climb up the following steep hill. It was getting pretty late, but it wasn't far anymore. The path entered the little hidden valley of the Fosso Mazzano stream. A little river had cut a valley into the landscape. It was still largely untouched by civilization. I didn't even have phone coverage. It was just me with the sound of the water and the songs of the birds. This went on for kilometers. It was getting pretty dark in a meanwhile. Then it is important to be loud, something I'm really good at. Suddenly, a wild boar jumped up and took off. If these don't hear you coming and you scare them, they can attack. After a couple of kilometers, the small path turned into a wider gravel road. The sides of the valley got lower and suddenly, the city of Sutri appeared in front of me. This one has also been built on a hilltop. There is a big archeological park here, but that's for tomorrow. Now, I walked through the Porta Franceta and climbed to hotel Sutrium. When I arrived around 20h, the front door was locked. Just when I wanted to phone the number mentionned on the door, a man showed up. No idea how he spotted me. The friendly guy only spoke Italian. He checked me in quickly so I could crash on the bed. After a good shower, I had an amazing pizza in town and did a little nightwalk with an icecream. What a great life! But now, it is coming to an end very soon. I'm sad and happy at the same time. But it is ok, I'm really looking forward to my arrival and to see all my family and friends again. I enjoyed every minute of this adventure, but it is time to finish it. Tomorrow, I have a big 27 kilometer hike to Campagnano di Roma. As you can hear, I will start to enter the first most northern suburbs of the eternal city. Three more days to 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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