Total Distance Walked: 14.7 KM
Breakfast was provided at the hostel, but it was pretty meager…and the coffee was cold (staff prepare everything the night before and apparently the thermos didn’t function well!). With everything packed up I walked up the hill to the town – about 15 minutes away. I had some time before meeting the WCW and I found a lovely bar (that’s what coffee shops are called in Italy) and practiced my very limited Italian…”Vorrei un cappuccino e un cornetto al pistacchio, per favore.” I sat at a table in the piazza with a lovely view of the country-side. A few minutes later, I hear someone shouting “aiuto” (help) and several people went running down the path by the ravine. From what I could gather, a man had fallen and was having difficulty getting up…but he was OK.
After coffee, I wandered some of the streets of the town waiting to meet Kathy, Pat, Dagmar and Robyn to start our hike for the day.
We started our journey down the hill, along a roadway for a short bit, then on to gravel paths that led us through vineyards, olive groves and wineries.
This was a day of getting to know the group a little more and enjoying the beautiful Tuscan landscape. Although it was a shorter distance day, it felt a little long. Several rolling hills through vineyards and farms, but nothing too difficult. We stopped for lunch along side a vineyard and the group shared some cheese, meat and delicious Italian cookies since I hadn’t replenished my lunch supplies. Such a generous group!
I discovered that the tall skinny trees we see are cypress trees, while the ones that look like stalks of broccoli are pruned Monterrey pines.
Soon we could see our destination in the distance.
After checking into the hotel (Hotel La Cisterna) and having a shower, I met Dagmar for a walk around this interesting town, enjoying the views of the surrounding country side and exploring many tunnels and walkways. I was surprised to see Max (from the hostel) and we had a brief chat. Dagmar and I decided to pause for refreshments and enjoyed an aperol spritz on a patio. We met up with the rest of the group for further exploration and later settled on a small local restaurant for dinner…fresh pici (like thick spaghetti) with wild boar sauce accompanied by a tasty Vernazza wine, selected by Robyn. After dinner, it was time for gelato at a shop that claims they have the best gelato in the world. While it was tasty (Raspberry Rosemary and Cremma for me), I am not convinced it is the best. The search will continue throughout my stops in Italy!
Another amazing day on the Via Francigena!
