Resta-Chiusure-San Giovanni d'Asso-Resta ring hike (32 km)

The next leg of Provincial Path no. 2 would have taken me to Montalcino. But I realised it would be more logical to do that as the first leg of my next section, leading on to the monastery of Sant'Antimo, Val d'Orcia and on towards Monte Amiata, on which I plan to take all my overnight gear and stay out on the trail for several days rather than coming back home each night. And so I spent the day hiking to Buonconvento and from there to Chiusure, with the intention of taking a shortcut on path no. 515 - which may or may not actually exist, in view of the previous day's experience - back onto the gravel road that leads to Pieve a Salti, and from there to cut across to Resta without going all the way into Buonconvento. This sounded like a fine plan, and a ring of reasonable length, but I missed the turnoff to trail no. 515 (if it did actually exist) and ended up in San Giovanni d'Asso. And so the hike ended up being a little longer than planned!

It started out on a positive note, heading into Buonconvento in the opposite direction to the pilgrims walking the Via Francigena towards Rome - I crossed paths with ten of them in my brief 2 kilometres on the Via Francigena! The last one I passed was a Dutchman breakfasting in his underwear in a tent next to the trail, just outside Buonconvento. "Hey, you're going the wrong way!" he hailed me. "Rome is that direction!" When I told him I'd already been there (true) and was on my way back (not really true) he figured I must be an expert on hiking trails in Italy and asked me which ones I recommended. I only know the Via Francigena, I told him, but I've heard of some others - and listed several of the trails I would like to walk in the future. He wrote some of them down on a notepad, and I asked him to write down the address of his blog, where he said I could find detailed information on long-distance hiking trails all over Europe. Apparently he is a sort of Dutch hiking guru, and wherever he goes he takes his tent with him, plus sleeping pad, sleeping bag, campstove and fuel, pots and pans and something to cook in them - a total of about 25 kilos, he told me, which meant he could only walk about half as far per day as "the people who stay in some kind of hotel", as he described them somewhat scornfully. 

After my encounter with the Dutch walking guru I continued on into Buonconvento, where I had a couple of errands to do before continuing towards Chiusure. I ran across a friend in town who claims to be an expert on all the trails in the area, and seeing that I was walking through town with sticks, he asked where I was headed, and confirmed that it was a beautiful trail when I told him. The route exits Buonconvento along the road to the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, leaving the paved road and taking the gravel road marked Armena, then leaving that and taking a dirt track running past several farmhouses and through a patch of scrub to a spot with the most marvellous view over the eroded clay hills to the Abbey and the village of Chiusure. 

Having been to both of these places many times before, I didn't walk out onto the ridge that led to them but turned the opposite way, towards San Giovanni d'Asso. I missed my planned shortcut somewhere along here, and ended up in the town itself - where there were no buses for the next two hours. 

I sat down to have my lunch on a park bench and decide what to do next. Plan B was to get onto the gravel road leading to Buonconvento, which, though unpaved, is actually a provincial highway, and stop the first friendly-looking farmer that came by in a car and ask for a ride back into Buonconvento, from which it would be only 4 more kilometres to Resta. Well, a grand total of four cars passed by in the whole afternoon, and none of them stopped - perhaps they thought I was just a friendly walker waving hello! But in a way I was glad, as it was a very enjoyable walk, with fantastic views over the countryside I will be crossing when I pick up the trail again in June.

Next stops: Montalcino, Monte Amiata and Radicofani (from right to left, in this picture) 

The sun was quite hot, however, and there was no shade at all on the gravel road, so I was quite relieved to note the presence of some landmarks indicating I was in familiar territory. 

By the time I got to Pieve a Salti, I felt I might as well just go and lie down here: 

However the presence of tourists getting in and out of cars at the agriturismo made me feel I ought to hold my head high and proceed on with the air of a serious and accomplished walker (which is what people in cars assume you are, when you walk with sticks). I managed to do so until I came to the turn-off to Podere Salicotto, the agriturismo run by my friends Silvia and Paolo. I sat in the kitchen cooling off and chatting with Silvia for about an hour, after which I was able to summon up the energy for the final forty-minute walk down into the valley and up the hill over the other side to Resta. 

And this is where I leave off my adventures on the Provincial Paths of the Province of Siena for the time being, due to personal commitments in Liguria - pleasant ones, such as hosting guests and a birthday party on the beach!

I hope to be back on the trail in June!!!

Siena provincial trail no. 2, day 4: Vescovado di Murlo - Bibbiano (21 km) (including a few detours!)

Picking up where I left off the previous day, I walked along the road from Vescovado to Murlo, a tiny village dating back to Etruscan days. But the Etruscan museum wasn't open (yet?) and neither were the coffee bars; in fact, there was no-one about except the cat you can see in the picture below, and even it was not looking very lively. So I proceeded down the hill to the former mine of Miniere di Murlo and onto the trail that follows the bed of a former railway for transporting the coal extracted from the mine. Being a railway bed, the trail is perfectly flat; a new bridge has been built to cross over the Crevole stream at the point where a stone railway bridge once stood. 

Murlo and its only inhabitant 

Leaving Murlo through the town gate

Miniere di Murlo

Il Ponte Nero

Torrente Crevole

The trail passes through outcrops of jasper, which is crumbling away to form shards that pave the path with gravel. 

Coming out at the other end of the trail, by La Befa, I abandoned trail no. 2, which proceeds on to Montalcino, and turned toward Buonconvento on trail no. 5. After only a few steps in this direction I was intrigued by a sign marking the turn-off to Montepertuso: 

"The bells of Montepertuso, from the mysterious hilltop, calling those who have lost their way back to the right path". 

This was no doubt the function of the church perched atop the hill, which would have been a landmark for travellers between Murlo, Montalcino and Buonconvento in the valley below; and it is the function of this place today, now that it is home to the "Comunità Mondo Nuovo", a place where people who have lost their way in life can go for help. When I arrived, two men were retrieving honey from a beehive, while a group of Austrian hikers admired the view from the churchyard.

Beehives with a view

I got talking to one of the men living in the community - the youngest member, and the newest, he informed me. Only 20 years old, he said he had left the big city and come there of his own will in order to change the direction his life was taking. Judging from our chat, I would say he has the all the intelligence and willpower he will need to do it. I wished him the best of luck, bought a jar of honey to take home, and set off back down the hill onto the road toward Buonconvento.

A sweet souvenir of my visit!

Prickly pear flower

Wild rose - and the bee that stung me (or one of its companions)

Thistle 

The road between Murlo and Bibbiano

Coming closer to Bibbiano - but alas! The pub is closed

Buonconvento comes into view

From here I was once again on a familiar road - the route from La Befa past Le Carcerelle to Bibbiano. Home to our local pub! But unfortunately it happened to be the pub's weekly day of rest. A man who was doing some cleaning in the kitchen gave me some ice water - though on a hot afternoon it was torture to see the beer taps, turned off! 

After Bibbiano I ventured to take a shortcut, marked as path number 515, which would have brought me out at the gas station just below Resta, my final destination for the day. But I forgot one detail - in between Bibbiano and Resta there is a river! The trail fords the river, but in spring time the water was too high and fast to risk. So I had to trudge up the hill - hot and weary by now - where I looked for trail number 5, which would at least take me to Buonconvento without having to walk along the road. Found the trail marker, but when I followed it... the trail quickly petered off into a field of tall grass. As I was studying the map looking for an alternate route, a car pulled up, and the driver informed me that the trail had been ploughed under and offered me a lift into town, where I was able to catch the bus on the fly, ending up at the gas station I would have been able to walk to if the water in the river had been lower. And from there up the hill to Resta - quite weary after the day's total of 21 kilometres! 

Siena provincial trail no. 2, Day 3: Cuna - Vescovado di Murlo (14 km)

Today's walk was not as scenic as the first two stages - though that may have been partly due to the weather being rather grey and dull. The temperature was perfect for walking, however, and after yesterday I definitely didn't need more sun!

Under the Tuscan clouds

Had a little trouble picking up the right road leaving the Grancia in Cuna. Never ask passers-by for directions when walking - they don't know the trails. Not even dog-walkers! This lady sent me down a road that turned out to have a large gate right across it. And a large dog behind the gate! Finally I actually had to look at one of the hiking maps I have been collecting over the years, and then the route was clear to me. I climbed up the hill toward Le Caggiole somewhat hesitantly as the directions I have been following, from the mountain biking website, said there would be "sheepdogs to welcome you to the farm". But though there were several dogs, as well as sheep, the dogs didn't seem to be engaged in guarding the sheep, and were all friendly; one of the farmhands was out and about and walked with me on the stretch leading past the house, so the dogs were no trouble at all. What was a bother though was the tall grass on the way down the other side of the hill - got my feet and the lower half of my trousers quite wet! Surely it wouldn't be too much trouble for the people at the farm to cut the grass occasionally along this stretch of the path?

Fortunately the overgrown dirt track soon joined a gravel road leading to the village of Radi, where I had been hoping to get a cappuccino and a croissant - but no luck, the only bar in town seems to be closed on Mondays. If it ever actually opens! There was nobody around at all in Radi, and so I continued on toward Murlo, signposted as another 6 km. There was very little traffic on the gravel road, though whenever a car did pass, it raised quite a cloud of dust. There were no other walkers about, though I several cyclists passed me, including some with large saddle packs suggesting serious intentions. 

Shortly after leaving Radi I stopped for a break in a field with a view back toward the church I had just passed coming out of the village.

The road was lined with trees, but in the occasional breaks between trees the views were amazing, under a dramatic sky.

Can you see Siena on the horizon?

And as I began to tire, I slowed down and took some time to capture the wildflowers growing along the route on film. 

I arrived in Vescovado di Murlo at 11 am and, as the clouds were beginning to look more and more threatening, I decided to take the 11:50 bus back to Siena rather than proceeding on to the hamlet of Murlo and having lunch there. I took a stroll around the village of Vescovado, where I discovered it was market day - perfect! One stall sold pecorino cheese, and another apples. My favourite hiking snack! So I sat on the round bench you can see in the picture below and had my mid-morning energy pick-up right in the middle of the market square before picking up a bus ticket and heading for the bus stop on the main road. Shortly after I got to the stop it started raining - and then pouring! Luckily the bus driver was already starting his engines across the road, and let me get on early! 

Vescovado di Murlo on market day

Siena provincial trail no. 2, Day 2: Taverne d'Arbia - Cuna (12 km)

This morning I caught the bus back to Taverne d'Arbia, where I left off walking yesterday, and after a quick stop for cappuccino continued across the bridge over the Arbia river, through the town of the same name, and up the hill to the turn-off for what turned out to be a very scenic dirt track through the clay hills to Isola d'Arbia. Siena is visible all the time to the north, framed by ever-changing varieties of wild flowers and trees. At this time of year the countryside is beautifully green, there are no annoying insects, and the temperature is perfect despite the lack of shade!

We are definitely in the Crete now - the entire landscape is moulded out of clay!

Biancane, a characteristic formation of the Crete Senesi

Someone has been here before me

Heading due west

The view back over an irrigation pond towards Siena

After passing through the town of Isola d'Arbia, crossing the highway and the railroad tracks, the trail becomes the Via Francigena for the rest of the way to Cuna.

Follow the white arrow to Rome - or the yellow arrow to Santiago!

The massive brick construction of the Grancia di Cuna, a fortified granary that belonged to the Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala. The grain stored here was ground in the mill in Monteroni and made into the bread the institution distributed to the poor, pilgrims and the sick. Some of the grain was also sold to fund the institution's operations.

The construction is undergoing renovation work at present, and much of it is under scaffolding, so it cannot be explored. The prettiest part, for the time being, is the gate I go through as I leave. 

And here is the reason for the existence of this very impressive construction - wheat! 

Still green in May, and liberally sprinkled with poppies.

At Cuna I leave the path and walk down the hill to the highway to catch the bus back to Siena once again. But as it is Sunday buses are rare, and I have an hour to wait, so rather than sit by the highway I walk into the town of Monteroni to get something to drink before catching the bus back, feeling satisfied with my half-day walk and somewhat sunburned! 

Monteroni d'Arbia