Walking in circles 1

2020: Not a good year for travelling. 

2020: A great year for walking! 

Getting out in the fresh air again, walking a little further every day to get back into shape, after the lockdown and months of physiotherapy exercises to make up for straining a tendon in my foot last year. 

The perfect short Long Walk to start with: Il Grande Anello di Siena. A route that draws a circle around the city of Siena, with a 70 km circumference. My thanks to Enea Desi who published the itinerary, complete with GPS tracks, directions for walking and mountain-biking, and maps, on his website (in Italian), handily divided into 8 segments so you can walk one in half a day, two or even three in a day, depending on your fitness and the time you have available. He also lists accommodations, but as I have a place to stay in Siena, I will be busing out to my starting point every morning and back into town (hopefully!) in the evening. 

I started out this afternoon at his recommended starting point, Taverne d'Arbia. From the bus stop just outside the town, I crossed the bridge over the Arbia, then followed a dirt road along the river bank back in the direction of Siena before heating west and up into the crete - the clay hills of Siena. This 7.5 km segment is extremely scenic, with views of the city of Siena in the distance on one side, and hills covered with fields of golden wheat and bright green alfalfa on the other, dotted with cypress trees. In the distance is Montalcino, and behind it Monte Amiata. You can even see as far as Radicofani, four days' walk to the south, on the road to Rome!

  

Siena, without the tourists

Back on the road again

Shortly after this clump of cypress trees the gravel road led down into the valley, coming out at Isola d'Arbia and the bus stop back into Siena. The whole excursion took only two hours! Tomorrow I will attempt a longer stretch, from Isola d'Arbia to San Rocco a Pilli.

Taverne d'Arbia - Isola d'Arbia 7.5 km