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DAY 75 - VITERBO to VETRALLA - 4 July 2026

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Our route today led us through the Etruscan roads. These are narrow roads with cliffs up to 12 metres high, cut into the grey tufa. They were first constructed by the Etruscans, over 2000 years ago - nobody seems to be sure why.   We had a relatively short day today so we made sure to sit at every bench and picnic table. There was a journal at one and we were pleased to that the Brazilians we'd met were still going, two days ahead of us. In the fields were hazelnuts, rockmelons and butternut pumpkins. There were extensive groves of olives. 'Barbara's Bench' provided another stamp for our credentials, and the journal there recorded six pilgrims today ahead of us. We noticed water channels and these led to a spring, where one of us soaked her feet and the other photographed dragonflies. We stopped at the church of Santa Maria di Foro Cassia where Sigeric and no doubt many others stayed. We collected another stamp for our credentials. Just past there a pilgrim from Ro...
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DAY 74 - MONTEFIASCONE to VITERBO - 3 July 2026

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After our buffet breakfast we followed the Via Francigena up and around the side of the hill to  get great views of Lake Bolsena and surrounds.  We took photos with the iconic pilgrim statue. We headed downhill on a track,  stepping carefully around some hedge trimming. We had views back to Montefiascone. Before too long we were walking on the large flat stones of a Roman road.  This Roman road went on for quite some time; cars drove on parts of it and we even saw a brave bike rider tackling it. There were olive trees and luscious looking kiwi fruits growing beside the road. The Roman road gave way to gravel and we passed fields and sheds of hay. There were big vehicles transporting hay, milk and cereal. Eventually we came to the Bagnaccio thermal baths.  These waters have been used since the 3rd century BC for their healing properties. There was a special rate for pilgrims so we had a good soak. We made a detour to Decathlon to replace a shirt, before we rejoin...
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DAY 73 - BOLSENA to MONTEFIASCONE - 2 July 2026

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It thunderstormed from 1am to breakfast time, and the weather app only gave us a small window before it stormed again. We scoffed down our breakfast and headed out into a refreshing breeze that would have taken our hats off, if they weren't tied down. It was uphill - of course - but the surface was good, asphalt or gravel. We set a fast pace, not quite a being-pulled-along-by-a-border-collie pace but faster than a general road walking pace. The track was muddy in places and we saw footprints, surmising there were walkers ahead of us. We did see one behind us too. We forded a couple of streams, walked beside olive groves and vineyards and enjoyed glimpses of the lake below our track. We entered a forest where our friends Russell and Rhonda had told us all the picnic tables in Italy were to be found, and they weren't wrong! Unfortunately we didn't have time to sit at one of them or any of the others we found on the track as we were racing to beat the storm. Further on we came...
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