We woke today with the sunrise and we were quick to get ready. The bed was hard and neither of us had the best sleep. We were treated to breakfast including gluten free bread and scrambled eggs. Our host made us each a cappuccino.
Julie was given a heart... and for me a...
well look at it... what do you see???
We started out along the main road through town and then veered off onto a forested lane.
After the day of rain the puddles were enormous and we were forced to walk with trepidation.
It opened up after a few kms and was more like a desert... dry and open. It was a very peaceful walk in nature.
A gentleman rode past us on a bicycle and said "Buongiorno" and "Buon Cammino", and I just love to hear those words. We came to a crossroad and a young worker came over to us speaking Italian. He said a gentleman on a bicycle asked him to tell us the correct path to take from there. Then sure enough, as we approached Ponte a Cappiano, our friend on the bike stopped to say hello again and chat with us. He is from Florence. He spoke only Italian but was very friendly and Julie did her best to remember to translate for me. We shared our past Camino experiences and with that he unclipped a souvenir from his belongings and gave it to me. It was a keychain of a tiny leather sandal from Assisi.
He was so kind and we wanted to remember him.
So as he rode off we called out to him and asked him his name. He answered "Mauro" and with that he was gone.
We walked over the ancient bridge and followed a tiny path along the river.
For the entire day we enjoyed blue skies and the bright green grass. The gift from my new friend made my day. I thought about it for quite some time after and decided it was a sign. Perhaps my next Camino will be the Way of St. Francis of Assisi?
It was a long hot stretch to get to Fucecchio and the ascent of stairs was a bit of a challenge. So after a slow climb we went to a cafe for some jet fuel. The place had a beautiful view from the back balcony where we sat and Julie got an Italian history lesson from a local.
We didn't stay long as we were 4 hours in and only half way. On the way out of Fucecchio we saw a fruit stand where I attempted to buy two oranges. The salesman asked if we were walking the Via Francigena and when we replied yes, he gave us four oranges for free! It was such a great day for kindness.
We walked and talked all the way to the next town. I convinced Julie to stop in the shade and take off our boots and socks. Dry feet are happy feet. She agreed but with hesitation. I was in need of a rest but I think it put the brakes on Julie's motivation.
The last 3kms were a straight climb up to our Hotel Miravalle, at the very top of the mountain next to the church in San Minato.
Needless to say, Julie was shooting daggers at me with her eyes with every step up until we got to the top. As soon as we got into our room with a view, Julie collapsed on the bed and was asleep in seconds. She took a nap while I had a glass of wine and puttered around our room. Our room is ok but the bed is very hard and uncomfortable. I am so very tired, I could probably sleep on the tile floor....
I would love to tell you more about our fabulous day but I am falling sleep.
Another big day tomorrow. This time 24kms to Gambassi Terme, along a ridge with very little resources along the way. Rated moderate to difficult due to the isolation and a total of 900m to climb.
Sounds like a big soccer crowd outside my window... I hope they go away soon.
Buona Notte xx
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