Automatic Translation

Friday, September 25, 2015

Day 20: Lucignano d'Arbia - Resta

17 km
 
 
 Sara joined me again for the last leg of my Long Walk
 
 
 
Typical landscape of the Crete Senesi
 
 
Ponte d'Arbia
 
 
Bridge at Ponte d'Arbia damaged by August 24 floods
 
 
Le Crete Senesi - the clay hills of Siena
 
 
The path runs in parallel with the railway line and occasionally crosses over it
 
 
 
 
Piana -where the Villaggio della Birra beer festival was held recently
 
 
September flowers
 
 

Hungry and ready for a rest, not far from Buonconvento we decided to forgo our packed lunches and drop by Mario's restaurant for a dish of pici!
 
 
 
Our timing was just right: as we were coming into Buonconvento I received two phone calls, from Alain (in the blue shirt on the left, from France) and Chantal (in the blue shirt on the right, from Quebec), who were just coming into town with their respective travelling partners and wanted to meet up!
 
 
After lunch, and after checking Guy and Chantal into the pilgrims' hostel run by the parish church in Buonconvento, we all headed towards Resta together.
 
 
I have finally found the way to walk from Buonconvento to Resta without walking along the highway(hardly) - all you have to do is follow the Via Francigena signs!
 
 
 
 
 
A familiar sight, seen with new eyes 
 
 
Sara and Marie-Helene lead the way up the hill
 
 
 
 
 
My goal is in sight!
 
 
We arrive just as the grape harvest is finishing 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Home again! 
 
 
Pilgrims in arrival at Resta
 
 
 
A Resta sunset
 
As a fitting end to a pilgrimage, in the evening I converted to a "hospitaliere", providing dinner and beds for passing pilgrims and travellers, helping them plan the next leg of their walk and even "stamping" their pilgrim passports with my name and address and the date!
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Day 19: Siena - Lucignano d'Arbia

 
17.5 km
 
Leaving Siena through Porta Romana on a foggy morning
 
 
Unfortunately this spread is laid out not for pilgrims, but for a cycling group
 
 
Via di Certosa in the mist
 
 
Certosa - now a hotel
 
On this leg of the trip I met Andrea and Selvaggia, from Versilia, who are walking to Rome on their honeymoon - with two little dogs!
 
 
 
As the curtain of fog is drawn, the beauty of the clay hills south of Siena is revealed 
 
Within a few hours we had left Siena far behind
 
 
 
 
Approaching Cuna! I have always wondered what was within those walls....
 
 
 
And today is the right day to investigate! I was rather disappointed to find that within the walls of the fortress were perfectly ordinary houses. Someone was practicing on a drum kit, and a lady was having an argument with the letter carrier over where to leave the bills.
 
On the way out I photographed the gate of the fortress and the little chapel outside it.
 
A little farther down the road I met a German pilgrim on his very first day walking - he had just set out from Siena. Unfortunately we parted ways when I stopped for lunch in a very scenic spot.
 
 
 
 
 
The Crete Senesi - clay hills of Siena 
 
 
I then continued just a little farther before deciding I had had enough walking for today. It was too far to reach Resta in a single day of walking so I left the Via Francigena at Quinciano, walked down to Lucignano d'Arbia and ended my day's walk in this lovely village.
 
Lucignano d'Arbia - the washing well
 
 
Lucignano d'Arbia - the washing well
 
 
 
Lucignano d'Arbia - the northern gate
 
Lucignano d'Arbia
 
 
 Lucignano d'Arbia - the church 
 
 
 
Lucignano d'Arbia - the southern gate
 

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Day 18: Monteriggioni - Siena

10 km

 
 
 
Monteriggioni - buzzing with tourists in the daytime, empty at dawn!
 
 
 
Sara leaving Monteriggioni
 
 
Monteriggioni in the distance
 
 
Walking with Rudolf, the first pilgrim I met on the Via Francigena way back in Luni!
 
 
Fertile tilled fields
 
Castello della Chiocciola - is there a princess locked up in that tower?
 
 
La Villa: the best-equipped rest stop on the Via Francigena!
 
 
 
There's a first aid kit, a number to call to ask for coffee or sandwiches, fresh water, benches and a table, a stamp for your pilgrim passport.... even a mirror!
 
  
Pilgrims of various nationalities enjoying the rest stop
 
A little farther down the path we missed a turn-off - which must have been unmarked, as everyone seems to miss it unless they are following a GPS track! We ended up on the road, and as I had walked this stretch before and knew it was a dangerous and unpleasant road to walk, I advised everyone to take the bus the rest of the way into the historic centre of Siena rather than walk through the modern outskirts on a busy road with no sidewalks. As it was threatening to rain, they were all happy to take my advice - all except Alain, a lone Frenchman who set off in search of the correct path into Siena on foot. The rest of us made an inglorious entrance into the city of Siena, not through the majestic Porta Camollia but by bus to Piazza del Sale. Sara and I were able to point everyone in the right direction to find their accommodations for the day before it started raining. Then Sara and I took Domenico, Marie-Helene to our favourite lunch spot in Siena before spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing and waiting for the rain to pass. 
 
 
In Siena at last!
 
 
 
 
Happy after lunch and a flask of Chianti