 |
| Nice open trails like this, a rare flat section |
A very hilly day
Today was a 1964ft elevation gain over about 11 miles. We walked a couple of miles then reached D’Orcia where there was a church and shops. We got a stamp in our passport book and had a coffee here. Then, we walked to Bagno Vignoni where we had lunch. We picked a place called Madonna Osteria which played hard rock music. From here, we were shuttled 1km because of a dangerous section. We climbed continuously but it was pretty and I got to chat with a wonderfully cheery spirit named Mary. At the end of the hike we were taken to our hotel. Only 4 of us are staying at the agroturismo tonight, the rest are staying in a castle!
From our guides: Well-marked footpaths will take us into magical land of the Val d’Orcia and the perfectly preserved village of San Quirico d’Orcia where the ancient Etruscans once resided. Bagno Vignoni is the next village on the route, a favourite resting place where Romans would luxuriate in the hot waters of the thermal baths. Next, we continue our way to Castiglione, located on a hill at the foot of Mount Amiata. Overlooking Castiglione is the watch tower of Rocca di Tentennano. A beautiful walk down into the valley leads us to the Ospitale delle Briccole, where there once stood an ancient pilgrim’s hospital. We end our day’s journey in a lovely Agriturismo.
 |
| Start of day |
 |
| Things we see along the way |
 |
| The town we walked through |
 |
| Well marked trails |
 |
| We had a down hill after this |
 |
| The views! |
 |
| Me on the trail, listening to music to help the hills |
 |
| The views! |
 |
| This is where we had lunch |
 |
| Pici con ragú della Madonna |
 |
| Stuffed pasta filled with cheese walnuts and pears |
 |
| Ok boss |
Where we stayed
AGRITURISMO POGGIO PORSENNA
Where we walked
Proceno
Tonight we stayed in a little town on Proceno. Four of us stayed in an Agriturismo, the other 16 stayed in the castle in Proceno. It’s roughly 0.6mi apart. We are the only ones at this place, there’s no host, no other guests. Initially a bit creeped out being so isolated, I ended up sleeping deeply in the absolute silence! After getting settled, we went for a swim and did laundry in the little laundry room here. Then Tom and I walked into town.
 |
| We were in an apartment style room |
This is what it looked like to walk to town. We expected shops and a grocery store. But it was Monday and the couple of shops we saw were closed. According to our guides, the owners of the grocery store are on vacation and their daughter opens it only in the morning – if she feels like it.
 |
| Two cats face off |
 |
| Cat disguised as a car tire |
 |
| This cat is quickly scurrying away |
 |
| We went inside the church here |
 |
| And walked the entire town |
 |
| And saw views like this |
 |
| And saw more cats |
 |
| Dinner was here |
 |
| The appetizer was adorable and delicious |
 |
| Who let the cat in? |
 |
| Semolina and Cheese Dumplings on Spinach |
|
| The main course, clockwise from bottom: quiche, wild boar stew, cabbage salad, turkey with a sauce
|
 |
| Dessert was a crumble with a lot of raisins and smaller dried fruit like raisins |
 |
| The cat stayed at our table after some food dropped |
 |
Eventually, the cat warmed up to Sue who may or
may not have fed her turkey at the table. |
