It was around 5 o'clock when I suddenly woke up. It was so warm in my room in guesthouse La Bertina in Montefiascone. But there is an easy solution to that: opening the window. It was still dark outside and cool air blew inside. I fell asleep again and only woke up around 8h. Time to start my last 6 walking days to Rome. My tibia felt better after some rest and I was full of energy.
But first, time for breakfast, the most important meal of the day. And this morning, it was again prepared for me by the lady of the house. It was busy in the breakfast room, because the guesthouse was fully booked last night. The home made jams and cakes were popular. I had bread, croissant, yoghurt and cereals. That would keep me going for a while. I checked out around 10h. The cleaning lady from Romania waved me goodbye. The neighbour was blowing dust from his driveway with a leaf blower. Passing cars just blew it back, so he would be busy for a while. I walked back to the center of Montefiascone. It was busy, cars kept coming from all directions in the narrow streets. The tourist office was open on the piazza Vittore Emanuele. The lady was happy to stamp my passport with the 100km to Rome stamp. When you leave the square, you also walk underneath the words '100km alla tomba di Pietro'. Very nice, but it is fake news. From here, pilgrims still have to walk 130km. I climbed up to the highest point and was as impressed as yesterday by the stunning views. The Bolsena lake with its 2 islands can be seen almost completely from here. A couple of old men had a chat on a bench, two Asian tourists couldn't stop taking pictures. A nice statue of two walking pilgrims showed me the way down. The first 6km of the day were all downhill, all the way to the valley floor behind Montefiascone. First by following a hollow gravel road under some trees, then back on an asphalt road. It was incredible how steeply the path descended and how fast the cathedral sat high above me again when I looked back. Around me, fields with olive trees and something I didn't expect: kiwis. Kiwi fruit grows on vines a bit like grapes. Later, the Via Francigena followed a dirt path that kept working its way downhill. There were lots of round flat stones left on the path. That's because I was walking on the old Via Cassia. Incredible to realise that Roman soldiers once walked here. The grooves in the stones are actually from centuries of passing wagon wheels. When I came along the railway tracks, I suddenly saw smoke. And often when there is smoke, there is fire. Before I knew, I stood next to a wild fire which was burning everything on its path. The speed with which it was spreading, was just incredible. The path ran just next to it, but the heat made it almost impossible to pass. Just when I was ready to call the fire department, some locals arrived. It was a scary experience I will not quickly forget. Imagine being surrounded by such a fire. Italy desperately needs some rain. I continued and quickly came to a picturesque railroad bridge. There I sat down in the shade for a while. Another pilgrim passed so I wasn't the only one walking today. When I wanted to take my backpack again, a little lizard had jumped into it. He ran off quickly. Then it was time to climb. There was one hill in the middle of the valley between Montefiascone and Viterbo. It only took me 20 min on a wide gravel road to reach the summit. They have installed a picnic table at the top where I could catch my breath. From here, I could still see Montefiascone behind me. In front of me, Viterbo appeared sitting at the foot of the Cimini Mountains. After a short descent, a long walk on a wide gravel road through farmland started. There was no shade and it got really hot. Locals clearly use this path for running and cycling. One farmer was ploughing his land. A couple of kilometers before Viterbo, my guidebook mentionned something really cool: the Bagnaccio hot springs. A couple of thermal pools in the middle of the fields where pilgrims could relax for free. I had been looking forward to it, but when I arrived, it was closed and it hadn't been open for a while. The site looked completely abandoned. No healing waters for my dusty body. I found some shade behind a tree and had a late lunch. When I continued, I passed the Viterbo airport and quickly reached the first buildings. The entry into the city is not very nice. You have to walk through a big commercial and industrial zone. Sad to see that there is so much littering. Somebody had even dumped lots of furniture in the ditch. In a tunnel, some graffiti said: Benvenuti a Viterbo. This is a big city. How do I know? There is a decathlon and a McDonalds. Traffic was at a standstill to leave the city. I walked around a big roundabout and then I could see the Porta Fiorentina in front of me. Another 18km done. I walked through the entrance gate and found my albergo Centrale 300m further. This hotel exists almost 100 years and I think some furniture is still from the beginning. It had all had its best time, but there was still everything I needed. A walk around the city will be for tomorrow. This place had the last self service laundry before Rome, so I took the chance to wash all my clothes. After a stop in the supermarket, I enjoyed a quiet evening. My tibia did great today, but I could feel it a bit this evening. For the rest, I'm perfectly fine. What a time to be alive. Only 5 more walking 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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