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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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Nothing tops a comfortable room after a long day of hiking. That is what hotel Il Garibaldi in San Quirico d'Orcia offered me. I slept like a rock. Although there were some strange things. I found a full bottle of red wine hidden in the wardrobe. The towel looked like a white tablecloth. There was no lightbulb in my bedside table lamp. But nothing that kept me awake. Today was a short day of 16km. When I came down at reception around 9h30, everything the girl last night said appeared to be not true. The hotel could stamp my passport. I didn't have to pay a tourist tax. And on top of that, the bar was closed on Sunday. I looked really disappointed and it worked. The lady opened the bar just for me and offered me a coffee with a croissant. Happy as a child, I headed into the center of San Quirico d'Orcia. Walking through the entrance gate of this walled village is like stepping back into time. I scored a second stamp in the tourist office. I think they got bit annoyed that pilgrims kept asking, so there was a big sign: stamp on the left, put stamp yourself. The village consists of a main street with a church at each end and one in the middle. The middle one was too small for the Sunday mass which had just began. Impressive how many people showed up. Just behind main street, there is a public parc named Horti Leonini gardens. It is full of pruned hedges and fascinating statues. In a meanwhile, more and more people came to the village. Some already started wine tasting. Even here in the bars, they sell some glasses of wine for 30-40 euro. For me, it was time to go. I crossed the residential area around the town and quickly came to gravel. The first 5km were pretty straight forward. Climb a hill for 2,5km and walk 2,5km back down. The gravel road was pretty busy with cars which made a lot of dust. It was hot today, the forecast said 33 degrees. When I reached the summit, I was already sweating hard. But the views over the rolling Tuscan hills never get boring. In the descent, a sign warned for a 15% gradient. That is tough on the legs. Just after the top, I passed the picturesque hamlet of Vignoni alto. There was nice music playing in the church and a lady tried to sell all kinds of handmade things. To leave the village, you have to walk through an archway where you get an iconic view. Before I knew, I arrived in Bagno Vignoni. There are hot springs in this little town and on a Sunday, this attracts a lot of people. Around the center, there were big car parks and they were pretty full. Very special here is the central square. It consists of a pool of hot water. This is the only aquatic piazza in Italy. I was already looking for my swimming gear, but sadly, this is strictly forbidden here. So I went for lunch on a cosy terrace next to the pool. I tried a lot: waving my hand, blinking my eye, almost screaming, but after 20min, nobody had even taken my order. It was so busy. I left and had a take away sandwich on a bench. The water from the central piazza flows into the Orcia river passing the Mulini Natural park. There you can dip your feet in the hot water for free. Perfect for a pilgrim who didn't have time and budget for the big thermal pools. Time to move on, I still had 10km left. But where to go? Signs were nowhere to be seen and my guidebook was unclear. Luckily, my gps helped me out. When I arrived at the wooden bridge over the river, it was blocked off for maintenance. Don't tell anyone, but I went over it anyway saving me a 30min detour. Quickly, the path started climbing again. A young couple was enjoying the pool next to their holiday villa. They looked at me like I was crazy, walking in this heat. Don't worry, I like this. A farmer was plowing his field. When I reached a farm, I thought it couldn't go any higher, but yes it could. The Via Francigena climbed to the highest point. It felt like I could see the whole of Tuscany. Deep below searching its way through the valley was the busy road Via Casia. Afterwards, it went downhill again on a wide gravel road. Here I picked up speed. But not too fast, I wanted to enjoy and look around. Some people live here completely off grid along a gravel road far away from the next house and with stunning views. Some of these houses are clearly converted into holiday homes. They call them agriturismo, but they are in fact luxury villas with swimming pool. People come from everywhere in Europe. I saw cars with Norwegian plates. I took a last break at the bridge over the Torrente Onzola. The river had dried up. Now I had to climb another hill for stunning views to then get back down again. Tuscany is always up and down. I passed a man who let his dog run while he followed in his car. The Via Francigena continues here to Radicofani, but I had cut this long stage in two. I had contacted agriturismo Passalacqua for a bed, but they were full due to a wedding. So I had to descend further to the main road and the hamlet of Gallina. There I found Ostello La Vecchia Posta. The friendly owner Michela attended a concert and was not there. She gave me a code to get in. In this village, there was nothing open on Sunday. One restaurant did take away if you order before 5pm which I did. So at 19h, I went to pick up my zuppa di legumi and bocconcini di pollo. The food was brilliant. The hostel even better. It feels like grandmothers house with a wood stove and old furniture. Upstairs are three rooms, but I'm the only guest tonight. I only paid 21 euro to stay here. The son Matteo passed quickly to pick up the money. Before sleep, I made myself tea and crashed with a book on the comfy couch. Heaven! I will sleep well here. Tomorrow, I climb to Radicofani which sits at 793m. Only 16km, but all uphill. This will be my last full day in Tuscany. Tomorrow evening, I will be at less than 200km from Rome! 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. Nights are much cooler now, but the heat is still stuck inside. My hostel room got again very warm last night, so I slept again with the window open. I didn't even notice it getting light and woke up from my alarm at 7h. Today, I had to leave the beautiful city of Siena. After a good breakfast in my room, I took off. There was already a new name on the reservation board. Tonight, Konrad Roepke would sleep in room 2A. Often, it is hard to find the right way out off a city. In Siena, it is really easy. You follow the Via Roma to the impressive Porta Romana. And there was my friend Rob with his motorcycle to wave me goodbye. What an amazing guy! He was heading back north, I continued south. Straight after the gate, the path took a left turn and continued on an undulating concrete road through the Tuscan hills. The road got wider, the cars more numerous, the medieval charm of Siena faded. But in return, I got the beautiful views. No more forest today, I was surrounded by farmland. Looking back over my shoulder, I could still see the towers of Siena. A German couple had parked their van along the road to enjoy this view with breakfast. After 5km, I reached the historic Via Cassia which I had to cross. In the days to come, I will cross this road more often. It connects Florence with Rome. Later, the path turned to gravel and after a steep descent, I continued on a bike trail. I stopped when I passed a car demolition site. All these cars piled up, each with its on own story, if only they could speak. I also passed some workmen who were having a nap in the shade of their truck. Never skip siesta. Before I knew, I walked through the industrial zone of Isola d'Arbia. The village is just behind. I found it a weird place. It is dominated by a massive tower intended for freeze-drying tomatoes, but the project was never completed. There are also pillars of a viaduct without a viaduct and there is a memorial for a church which is no longer there. I took my lunch break in a little parc under a tree. There was a bar open just around the corner. If only I had known. The route climbed up a hill through farmland. From the top, I could see all the way back to Siena. Pretty amazing! Later, I crossed Ponte a Tressa. It's a hamlet with new houses of brick and concrete. The last 13km of the day had no more services at all. With a little detour, it was possible to walk through Monteroni d'Arbia. This is the largest town of the area. Not really a must visit, but there was a supermarket where I could score a cold drink. The temperature was around 30 degrees and with mostly no shade, that is pretty warm. In the sky, there were white clouds in all kind of shapes. I saw a whale and a crocodile. A real cat came up to me for a cuddle when I left town. Pretty quick, I was back on the farm roads. No flat walking here, it continued going up and down. Traktors are even equipped with tracks here because of the steep hills. As far as my eyes could see, I saw farmland. The only shade came from the cypress trees along the path. The little hamlet of Quinciano lays on top of a hill and especially farmers live here. The last 5km of the day were different. Then the path ran flat next to the railroad tracks. The sun was already pretty low. Nightfall comes surprisingly soon in september. Suddenly, there were lots of sunflower fields. A deer jumped out of nowhere on the path and disappeared as fast as it came. Birds were singing their last song of the day. And then finally around 19h, I reached Ponte d'Arbia after 26km. Since 2016, there is a new pedestrian bridge which takes pilgrims over the Arbia river. On the other side was Centro Cresti, one of the five donativo hostels on the Via Francigena. It exists since 1983, is run by volunteers and you pay whatever you want to pay. I was surprised to be welcomed in Dutch by Herman. Yes, one of the volunteers is Belgian. Tonight, I would not be alone. There were 10 pilgrims staying, especially Italians. Around 20h, we had dinner together. Herman does this job with his heart. He does his best to treat every pilgrim good and honest. He has a fascinating system to stop the discussion around people snoring. On his phone, he has a decibel meter. If someone goes louder than 60 decibel, he takes the person out of the dorm and puts him/her seperate. It's a fair system. The dorm is full tonight. I'm no longer used to that. But I'm tired, so I will sleep well. Tomorrow, another 26km to San Quirico d'Orcia. Curious to discover if there is more farmland coming Yesterday was my second last rest day in the beautiful city of Siena. And I could definitely use some rest after an intense week of hiking. I woke up around 5am feeling a bit unwell. It was hot in the room and my stomach was turning. I opened the window for some fresh air. To my surprise, street sweepers were already busy with cleaning. With only 15 degrees, it felt cold outside. I fell back asleep and only woke up just before 10h30. The nauseous feeling was gone and I was ready for a new day. My hostel room was extremely well equipped with a fridge, a sink, a desk and a drying rack. What a luxury to be able to do your laundry in the hostel. On top of that, there was a supermarket Pam Local at only 250m where I could get food. My legs were very grateful not having to walk far this morning. I took the time to book all my accommodation until Rome. It started to sink in that my final destination is getting closer, really exciting. My fundraising for Make a Wish is still ungoing. I can't say enough how grateful I am for all your support. At the moment, we have raised 1.473 euro which is just incredible. It will allow the organisation to do something magical for children with a life threatening illness. My dream was to raise 1 euro per kilometer I would walk and that already happened. Waw! That said, the fundraising will keep running until my arrival, so 13 more days. If you would still like to help, you can. Maybe we can reach the incredible amount of 1.500 euro. That would be amazing. For more details, check the link https://www.inactievoormakeawish.be/fund.../dimitri-lanssens Every euro makes a difference. In the name of myself, Make a Wish and the children: thank you! I'm not the kind of person to lay in bed for a whole day. Siena is too stunning to not have a walk around. Without a doubt, it is one of Italy's best preserved medieval cities. In 1966, it became one of the first European cities to ban cars in its main square. Siena is a labyrinth of narrow streets. It's great to just get lost. Around every corner, there is another cool shop, café or beautiful building. If you don't have too much time, go for the two main attractions. First Piazza del Campo. You could easily spend an afternoon looking around on this majestic square. It is dominated by Torre del Mangia, with 102m Italy's highest secular tower. You can climb its 400 steps, but I decided that would be too much for a rest day. Twice a year, a famous horse race is held here with 60.000 spectators gathering on the square. After a bit of searching, I found the little tourist office where I got a new stamp in my pilgrims passport. Then it was time for the Duomo de Siena. Visiting this cathedral is more complicated than taking an airplane. First you have to find the ticket office. The counter at the back? No. Probably at the front. No, it is on the side. You have to stand in line outside. There is security at the door and only one person per group or family is allowed inside to buy tickets. I paid 8 euro. Then you head back to the front of the cathedral. First you pass security. Don't even consider taking a backpack or not covering your shoulders. Then you go through metal detection and then you scan your ticket. Congratulations, you made it! Once inside, behave! Security is everywhere. Is it worth it? Yes, the duomo is incredible. Even most of the floor is covered in stunning artwork. The 26 pillars with horizontal white and dark marble stripes make it really special. And then there is a huge dome covered in golden stars. There is music playing which creates a nice atmosphere. I almost spent an hour inside. In a meanwhile, it started raining outside but I was dry. When I came outside, the sun came through. I wandered around the streets for another hour ending at a viewpoint over the city next to the church of San Domenico. My friend Rob was still in town, so we met later in the evening for some ice cream on the piazza del campo. Always great to catch up with a friend, especially after having spent so much time alone over the last weeks. Darkness came quick and the moon came up above the city. The cooler temperatures lured me back to my comfy hostel. I would sleep well again. Today it is the first day of school for a lot of Belgian children after 2 months of summer holiday. I hope they will all have a great day. For me it is the start of my last two weeks before reaching Rome. Around 9h, I will leave Siena through the Porta Romana and walk almost 26km to Ponte d'Arbia. It is going to be sunny, I can't wait to get started. Yesterday was an exciting day with lots of plans. It started in the abbadia d'isola. The night had been pretty chilly in the abbaye. I wasn't used to that anymore. Luckily, extra blankets were provided. No alarm clock this morning. The girl from Venezuela woke me up by knocking on the door and saying everything was ready for breakfast. Her correct name was Sarai Perez. She did an extremely good job in taking care of the tired pilgrims. Breakfast in monastries are basic and I like that. You get coffee or tea and bread with jam. Outside, it started raining. I decided to take it easy and waited until it cleared. Around 10h, I closed the door of the hostel, did a quick tour a the romanesque church and hit the road. It was only 4 km to the medieval village of Monteriggione. As soon as I left the abbaye, I could see it in the distance. Stunning! It is a fortress on a hilltop. The roughly circular walls are interrupted by 14 towers. Halfway to the village, I passed a sign saying I was only 300km from Rome. When I approached Monteriggione, the path disappeared into the forest. After crossing a road, there was a very steep climb to one of the only two entrance gates into the fort. Until then, it had been really quiet. The car parks are on the other side. Stepping inside is stepping into another world. Suddenly, I was surrounded by tourists but I was also inside a medieval fortress. It is like stepping back in time. Monteriggione is small. I honestly think the car parks around are bigger than the village. You can do three things here: visit the shops, enjoy a terrace on the central Piazza Romana or pay to walk on the fortified walls for a panoramic view. I did all three and I loved it. Pilgrims even get a discount on the entrance fee to the walls. Fascinatingly enough, around 50 people still live in Monteriggione. It's a must visit when you are in Tuscany. From the walls, I could see the Senese mountains. That's a serie of low mountains I had to cross to reach my destination of the day: Siena. I started for the 20km around 13h by walking through the Porta Roma of the fortress. A young man was handing out flyers to make publicity for a restaurant. The weather was nice, some clouds, some sun and around 25 degrees. When I walked away from Monteriggione, I took the time to look over my shoulder for stunning views over the fortress. What a place! A French couple had driven up the gravel road for a nice lunch with a view away from the crowds. Pretty quickly, I was all alone again in the Tuscan woods. The wide path had lots of loose rocks which made walking harder. To add to the challenge, horseflies were trying to bite me constantly. But that didn't break my good spirit. I love walking here. One moment, you are in the woods, the other moment there are nice views over the rolling hills. From time to time, you pass a remote farm or even a castle. In a meanwhile, darker clouds came in. But if you see dark clouds and blue sky, always focus on the blue sky. After 7km, I reached the big pilgrims rest area of La Villa. I just wanted to stamp my passport when without a warning a downpour started. It came down with buckets. I tried to stay dry under a little roof. When it calmed down a bit, I moved to a shed and had lunch. But I couldn't wait forever. There were 13km left and it was already 17h. When it calmed down a bit more, I put my rain gear on and continued. Always see positive things. Thanks to the rain, the horseflies stayed away. After a while came the famous sign: end path in safety. That means there was again a while where I had to walk on the road. Always dangerous! I'm looking forward to the moment where I will get off one of these roads saying: waw, nobody was speeding and nobody was phoning. It might never happen. Luckily, there was not too much traffic and it stopped raining. Back on the gravel, I passed a pyramidal obelisk. It stands at the entrance of an underground canal. Before, this land was a swamp. It was drained to turn parts of it into farmland. A bit further, a sign said I arrived in Siena. But where was the city? The path entered a forest where the trails were partly flooded and the horseflies more ferocious than before. Just when I saw the end, I made a wrong step and ended ankle deep in sticky mud. Boehoe! It was already 19h and I took a final break at a cemetary. The sunset coloured the sky. I climbed a hill through vineyards and saw the highway in the valley below. But Siena was nowhere to be seen and it was getting dark. I had to descend to the highway, take a tunnel underneath and tackle another big climb. You have to deserve Siena. The evening brought fresh temperatures and mist started to form above the fields. When I reached the top of the last hill, I finally got my eyes on the city. I made it - or almost. Now I followed the Via Cavour into town, a busy road with shops and apartments. It got to 20h30 when I saw the Porta Camollia. The road now goes around the impressive entrance gate, but you can still walk through. Inside the city walls, everything is impressive and majestic. Five story high buildings line narrow streets with cosy lights in the Via Camollia. And then I walked onto the piazza del campo. Like everybody else walking on that square for the first time, I could just say waw. With its unique shell shape and beautiful buildings around, it is without a doubt one of the most stunning squares in Europe. From here, I headed to my hostel. It was a self check in. I received a code and the key was on the door of my room. The hostel was perfect for my rest day today with a kitchen and a washing machine. But my day wasn't finished. My good friend Rob was in town, so we headed to a pub for beers and food. It was great to catch up. I'm really grateful he came to see me. From the terrace of the pub, we could see the piazza del campo but we went inside after a while because it got chilly. I was only in bed by 2am, what a day to remember. Today is my 7th and second last rest day. I will take the time to relax my legs and enjoy Siena before starting the last 2 weeks of my adventure. Rome, here I come! My bed in B&B Dona Nobile stood under a low roof and that's pretty cosy. There was even a little window in the roof. Sadly no stars, but the relaxing sound of falling rain before I fell asleep. Every time I got up, I had to be careful not to hit my head. It went well every time until I forgot once. Auwtsch! I slept very well and got up around 7h30. After a good breakfast that I had bought the day before in the supermarket, it was time to hit the road. What a shock when I came outside. Thick dark clouds in the sky, the streets were wet from the overnight rain and it was only 18 degrees. To start my day, I had to walk through the medieval streets of San Gimignano one more time. I marvelled again at the huge towers that seem to be everywhere. Hundreds of tourists were already walking towards the center. The central square was filled with a big market. Even early in the morning, people were already standing in line to buy icream from the best gelateria in the world. Without a warning, it started raining. Most tourists don't know the concept of a rain jacket. They use umbrellas. Not the small ones, no, massive ones. It just doesn't work in these narrow streets. I almost lost an eye while navigating my way through all these huge umbrellas. With everybody walking into town, I was the only one exiting it via the Porta San Giovanni. Five minutes later, I was alone again. The contrast couldn't have been bigger. In a meanwhile, it had stopped raining. I followed a road, but there was a sidewalk, halleluja! Looking back, there were stunning views over San Gimignano. I made a quick stop at the peaceful monastry Monteoliveto with free toilet. Later the Via Francigena left the road and took a path which lead me deep into Val d'Elsa. As far as the eye could see, there were forests, olive orchards and vineyards. No flat walking though. Every descent towards a little creek was followed by another climb towards a hilltop. Tuscany is beautiful even under a cloudy sky. Now and then I passed a house, but most of the time I felt far away from civilization. I took a first break under a tree and enjoyed the views and the bird songs. After crossing the Torrente Foci, I had to make a choice. I could continue through the rolling hills or walk through the medieval town of Colle di Val d'Elsa. I took the last option. This is also the recommended route in most guidebooks. Just when I had decided, it started raining but this time, it was pooring down. Time to get my rain jacket out. That was a while ago. From 42 to 18 degrees in 5 days. I was happy the heat was gone, but heavy rain brings its own problems. The dusty path became very slippery. On top of that, my shoes are no longer completely waterproof after 6 weeks of hiking. I was sliding over the path getting soaking wet for 10mins when I came across an abandoned shed. I decided to have an early dry lunch. There was even an old chair I could use. After 30min, my stomach was full and the rain had stopped. I continued climbing to come to a concrete road which led to the suburbs of Colle di Val d'Elsa. At first, I was a bit disappointed, but once I had crossed the suburbs and approached the majestic entrance gate, that quickly changed. This medieval town at the top of a hill attracts less tourists than the famous villages, but it's definitely worth a visit. It's internationally recognized for its fine crystal glassware. The statue of a boy blowing bubbles is really cute. And they have a museum on Pinocchio. Once at the end of the hilltop village, there is a path that takes you down to the lower modern part. There is also a lift, but today it was out of service. To get out of town, I had to walk 2km along a busy road lined with garages and big shops. I crossed the river Elsa on a pedestrian bridge. There ended my urban experience and I returned to quiet gravel roads. I passed through hamlets like Scarna and Strove. They are often not more than a couple of houses hidden in the Tuscan hills. The last part of my day went through a forest and then downhill through an olive orchard. At the horizon, I got a first glimpse of the fortified village Monteriggione. That's for tomorrow. I would end my day 3km before in Abbadia d'Isola. This place has 10 inhabitants and consists of an abbaye, a bar and a couple of houses. I had booked myself a bed in the abbaye. When I arrived, there was nobody at reception. So I phoned. The man on the phone was like mama mia, you are late. I thought but didn't say: " papa mia, it is only 19h". Luckily, Sara was in the building. She is from Venezuela, lives here and runs the hostel. She was the first to have a detailled look at my pilgrims passport. I would soon find out why. Everybody who walked longer than 30 days doesn't pay here. So a free night for me. I was again the only pilgrim tonight so I had the whole dorm to myself. Sara spoke Spanish so I could talk a bit with her. I wondered how she ended up here. She was a successful nurse in Venezuela, but she had to flee the country after problems with the authorities. She didn't want to go into details and almost started crying. Venezuela is a dictatorship. Sara is now a political refugee in Italy and her future is uncertain. She would love to go back home, but it's impossible. Heartbreaking! Sara said I could use the food in the kitchen, so I made myself pasta. The shower was cold, but there are worse things in this world. Before going to bed, I wandered around the monastry. Pilgrims have been spending the night here for more than thousand years. I had been lucky today and didn't get wet that much. Hopefully the same tomorrow. Then I will discover the medieval Monteriggione before continuing to Siena. That makes another 23km and brings me at less than 300km from Rome. In Siena, I will meet up with a good friend and enjoy my 7th rest day. Happy days ahead! No idea how long DJ Theo continued with his set. Needless to say he didn't keep me awake. When I woke up around 6h, it was 29 degrees in my room. Luckily, there was airco. I turned it on and slept for 2 more hours. Today, my stage was only 13km so I could take my time. Was it raining like the forecast had predicted? I opened the window and saw only blue sky. The bad weather hadn't made it to Tuscany yet. First challenge of the day was to find breakfast. I found a little grocery shop open just around the corner. I was looking around when the owner started rushing me. Coffee, coffee, he said. I was like take it easy man, I'm fine without coffee. But he meant I had to hurry because he wanted to go drink a coffee on the Piazza Roma. How bizarre was that? I took what I needed. When I paid, a Dutch family with 2 children came in. Ai ai ai my coffee, said the man. I thought I was in some kind of hidden camera. Are you pilgrim, he asked. When I said yes, he gave me some bread for free. It was so hard, knock it on somebody's head and the person is dead. Euh, thank you I suppose. After breakfast and packing my backpack, I went to the central Piazza Roma. Street wipers were cleaning up the mess from yesterday and old men were discussing the spectacular weekend. In a meanwhile, clouds had come in and the wind was blowing like crazy. When I saw the croissants in café central, I couldn't resist and took one for the road with an espresso. Then it was really time to go. Via the piazza castello, I walked out of Gambassi Terme and down the hill. First dangerously along a road, then along a quiet gravel track. Tuscany is stunning with its rolling hills. The landscape was more green than yesterday with lots of vineyards. Flies have been annoying in the last two days, but they don't bite and today they struggled in the strong winds. After the descent came a new climb. I took a break halfway and looking back, I could still see the village of Gambassi Terme on top of a hill. Wineries along the path try to lure people in. Free toilet if you buy expensive wine. I let this offer for what it was. After 7km, I came back on a road in the village of Pancole. The people living here have stunning views. In the village, there is a sanctuary after virgin mary would have appeared here to a deaf mute girl. Fascinating is also a cave under the church where you can see life-sized characters of the nativity. I had lunch under the porch of the church. The wind was blowing so hard that I had to keep an eye on all my gear if I didn't want to see it blown away in the Tuscan hills. What did I eat? Tuna salad, my favourite. Back underway and a climb on the road followed. At the top, I could see my destination for the first time: San Gimignano, a jewel of medieval architecture with 15 towers. At a certain moment, there were 72 towers, just unbelievable. But first, I had to finish my walk. The path climbed even steeper to the monastry of Bose. The little roman church was an oasis of peace and quiet. Monks still live here, but they were nowhere to be seen. The last stretch to San Gimignano is along a busy road used by tourists to get to the village. Big signs with flashlights indicate walkers on the road. Some people are carefull, but some drive like crazy. There is no sidewalk, so you have to walk on the road against traffic at any time ready to jump in the ditch if a driver is again not paying attention or doing crazy stuff. One driver made me jump to the side when he overtook in a blind bend. I was happy to reach the roundabout at the bottom of the village alive. The climb into San Gimignano can be done on a sidewalk. Just when I entered the medieval center via the Porta San Matteo, it started dripping. I went straight to my B&B and arrived at 17h. The friendly owner gave me a tour, my room was really nice under the roof. I didn't stay long, because I wanted to have a look in this unique village. I collected a stamp in the tourist office and bought a 5 euro ticket to visit the Duomo. The rain had cleared but it was only 18 degrees. I hadn't felt that for a long time. The duomo is stunning, a festival of black and white marble with stunning frescoes on all walls. I sat down and gave my eyes the time to take it all in. Behind the duomo is a parc that can be easily missed. It is a must, because you get amazing views over the towers and the surrounding hills. The village is a tourist place with lots of people and even more souvenir shops. There was one place I really wanted to go even if I had to wait in the line: gelateria dondoli. They are world famous and would have the best icecream you can buy on this planet. I have to say, it is good. Evening fell, tourists went home and birds starting circling the towers. What a magical place. I stopped at the supermarket and went back to my room for a quiet evening. It started raining outside. Two more days to Siena! Tomorrow, I will walk 23km and sleep in an abbaye. Hopefully without too much rain. The hostel in San Miniato was one of the hottest places where I already spent the night. I suppose the flat roof was to blame. After 30min in bed, I decided to sleep with the window open. Rather a mosquito bite than melting alive. Around 1am, someone starting singing outside, but he only kept me awake for 30sec. This morning, I woke up with fresh air and a view over some trees. A good start of the day. In the end, one other person slept in the hostel but he was in another dorm. Not a pilgrim, but somebody who had worked late in a restaurant. He was a snoozer. His alarm kept going off. I never met him, he was still in bed when I left. I couldn't walk away without a short morning visit to San Miniato. The tourists hadn't yet arrived, so it was really quiet. I had the church all for myself. The view over the valley was amazing, but you could see that the weather was changing. Some high clouds had arrived. A cat on the stairs of the Duomo waived me goodbye and off I went. The first part went along a road. Not my favourite, but this was not too bad. There were outstanding views over the surroundings hills and valleys and there was almost no traffic on this sunday morning. After only 2km, I arrived in Calenzano which was not more than some scattered farmhouses. Here I already passed the last bar of the day, but it was too early for a break. The roads were in very bad condition. It inspired somebody to write on the street: san miniato = strade di merda. Not an issue if you walk. I made good progress while the sun came through and the temperature easily got up to 35 degrees. The path comes along the big swimming pool of San Miniato. Very tempting, but I was on a mission, walking 24km to Gambassi Terme. At a rest area, the Via Francigena left the concrete for a 4 wheel drive path. I sat down for a while and 2 German ladies passed. They had started their 4 day walk to Siena today and were a bit struggling with the hills and the heat. The dirt road Via Elsa took me deeper into the Tuscan hills. These are the rolling hills I associate with Tuscany. Very nice on photos, but very tough, because you keep going up and down all the time. First there was still some shade from trees, but pretty soon all that was left was dry farmland and some cypress trees. After a bit more than 10km, I reached the road again at Coiano. A little hamlet with no services but one big sign: water 100m. In this unforgiving landscape, you don't want to end up without water. So like a river in Africa attracts all the animals, a water fountain on the via francigena attracts all the pilgrims. I found the German ladies again and an Italian man walking with a little horse. I enjoyed the company and took a long lunch break. Afterwards, I continued on the dirt road for the nicest part of the day. The path stayed on top of the hills with stunning views over the surrounding farmland. Incredible how dry and dead everything is. Everything needs rain here. I wouldn't want to be a farmer out here. But I have to say, their big Tuscan houses on top of little hills are stunning. Some of these are clearly also holiday homes. The weather had changed completely and it got completely overcast. Perfect for walking and rain was not forecasted before late at night. Along the path, I bumped into the Slovakian girls from yesterday. They had a story to tell. Yesterday, they took a wrong turn and ended up in another city away from the Francigena. They had to pay 70 euro for a taxi to their hostel. It sounds incredible, but it is so easy to get lost here. However, never continue when you don't see any signs for a while. They learned the hard way, but they kept their positive spirit. Later, I took a break in front of a huge abandoned house. It was getting late and I still had to cover some distance. A little sign under a tree mentions 1506. That's when 150 Swiss soldiers first walked to Rome. It was the start of a long tradition of Swiss guards being responsible for the security in Vatican city. Just before reaching the road again, there was a sign saying big bench uphill. Late or not late, I wanted to check it out. Life is more exciting if you leave the path from time to time. It was a steep 5min climb and then I reached the top of a hill with stunning 360 degrees views. On that hill, they had installed a massive bench, you needed to climb on some rocks to get onto it. Sitting there was just magical. The rolling hills of Tuscany were all around me. And to the right on top of another hill, Gambassi Terme, that's where I needed to get. Not an easy job, because after 20km up and down, there was still a 5km climb. It is clear that some pilgrims struggle on this stretch. For the first time, there were first aid boxes along the path. Stickers also indicated taxi's you could call if your feet couldn't carry you anymore. Not for me, I climbed my way up through the vineyards while it was getting dark. The last part is along a concrete road. Luckily, I could walk behind a guardrail, because some drivers were speeding like crazy. The climb felt like it would never end. I went through Borgoforte before finally reaching a pilgrims hostel in a church and the sign for Gambassi Terme. I had booked an albergo in town, but the owner had said he could only check me in around 22h. So I first went for pasta in town. There was a big event going on in the village. In the afternoon, there had been some sort of a parade. Confetti was everywhere. Now everybody was enjoying beers and snacks in the central square. But the best was yet to come. At 22h, DJ Theo entered the stage. It was so loud and my albergo was on that square. Only at 22h30, owner Stefano showed up to check me in. The friendly man gave me a room at the back of the building, but I could still hear every song. Not a problem for me, that is why I have my earplugs. But first a shower. Here it got a bit bizarre. The shower was just next to the toilet, no curtain or what so ever. So you shower and you flood the toilet. You go back to your room. Later, you go back for the toilet and you have to swim towards it. It made me laugh. Gambassi Terme is located on a hilltop with some nice views and has a thermal complex. Most historic buildings were destroyed during medieval wars. Tomorrow, it is going to be rainy and I will walk the shortest stage of my whole walk. Only 13km to San Gimignano, an old village full of treasures. But now first sleep while DJ Theo is playing zombie nation. When I woke up this morning, I realised I was less than 400km away from Rome. How amazing is that! Then it was time to turn the airco back on. The sun was already on the building and my room was slowly turning into an oven. The Cavalieri del Tau hotel in Altopascio deserves recommendation. All you need for a good night of sleep. There was even a bible in case you forgot to bring a book. The insulation was the only problem. You can literally hear everything that is happening in the building. Luckily, it remained pretty quiet on this early saterday morning. At check-out, I bumped into the friendly receptionist. She even took the time to explain me where to go. So this time, I didn't get lost at the start. It was pretty easy as well. Just follow the main road out of town on a pink sidewalk. After about 1km, the path changed into gravel and disappeared into the forest. The weather forecast promised lower temperatures, but not yet for today. It would again go up to 36 degrees. But the trees gave shade, I hear you think. Yes and no. It was not a thick shady forest, so the sun got through. But it was nice after the roadside walk from yesterday. Birds were chirping and insects were buzzing. I also started singing the famous song singing in the rain. You never know it helps. After a while, I ended up on a gravel road with rounded cobblestones. This road has been here for hundreds of years. Even the milestones still stand. Pretty epic feeling thinking about all the people who walked this road. It brought me to the village of Galleno after 7km. Not much more than one straight main street, but there were two bars and they were open. Which one to choose? Well, the second bar is always better. I made a good choice and enjoyed a cold fanta and a sandwich with tomatoes and mozarella. From here, there were still 20km to walk. The heat would make this a long day. The next stretch went through the Cerbaie plateau. That is a low hill plateau of 120 square kilometers filled with scrubby pine trees. The Via Francigena follows dirt road 201. Easy you would think until dirt roads start going in all directions. I took a wrong turn and had to go back. It made me lose 30min. But then I met 2 fascinating ladies from Slovakia. They were hiking the stretch Lucca - Siena. In my defense, they also had already taken a wrong turn. Surprisingly, one girl was hiking on plastic slippers. Did her hiking shoes get lost? No she preferred the slippers. We hiked together for a while and had great fun. I didn't even notice the path had been going uphill, but suddenly there was a big downhill to reach Ponte a Cappiano. As the name says, this town is all about a bridge. It is a nice covered bridge that spans the Usciana canal. The water was deep green. There is a nice square next to it with several bars, but nothing was open. So I joined a local reading his newspaper on a bench. Not too long, because I wanted to arrive before dark. The path continued on a dyke. No concrete here, but a grassy dusty path. In a meanwhile, my legs were covered in dust and my lips were dry. Not only my lips, the whole landscape surrounding me was dry. The first canal still had water, but the next one looked like it hadn't seen water in a long time. The bridges looked sad. They probably felt useless. The dyke took me into Fucecchio. This nice little town atop a hill has a church at its highest point. My water bag ran out, so I really had to top up. I didn't expect a problem, but everything in this town was closed. I didn't find any bar open nor a shop or a water fountain. Did I end up in a ghost town? The streets were full with parked cars, but the people were nowhere to been seen. As a present from the pilgrim gods, I bumped into a cigarette vending machine which also had water, soft drinks and snacks. Lifesaver! I enjoyed my snack on the terrace of a closed bar. By now, I was getting tired. Doing 30km in 36 degrees with a 12kg backpack isn't nothing. Leaving Fucecchio, I took a bridge over the Arno river. This is Tuscany's most important river. Then another dyke road took me along San Pierino to San Miniato Basso. From here, I could already see my destination for the night: San Miniato, a famous fortified village atop a hill. The tower Federico II can be seen from kilometers away. There is a new walkway that takes you up the hill. It's popular with runners. Someone was also paragliding above the hill. In a meanwhile, it was 20h and the moon welcomed me. The path drops you at the parking just below the center from where you can take a lift into town. San Miniato is small, but attracts lots of tourists. The terraces were full. I went straight to my hostel in the middle of town, but it was already closed. I phoned, no answer. I was just considering my options when a friendly lady called me back in English. The hostel was almost fully booked tonight but nobody had shown up. Honestly, I can't blame them on this terrain with the heat. So I would be the only one again. She explained me where I could find the key. I chose a bed in dorm Nicolas. It was very hot inside, but they had fans. Crazy Dimi still had some energy left for a walk around town. The small medieval streets of San Miniato give you the feeling to go back in time. I even climbed up to the viewing platform at the bottom of the tower. From here, you have stunning 360 degrees views. That's the reason the village came to life. It was a lookout over two important routes which meet here: the via francigena and the road Pisa-Florence. I found a little shop open which sold me a Tuscan specialty with bread and vegetables. After a good shower, that was my evening meal. Tomorrow, another 24 beautiful kilometers to Gambassi Terme. Thunderstorms are only forcasted for the evening so I should be fine. Looking forward to it, but first my body needs some sleep. |
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! 
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