DAY 63 - GAMBASSI TERME to SAN GIMIGNANO - 22 June 2026

-


At the Bar Centrale we had a 6am breakfast, meeting three French pilgrims who were also starting early. It was downhill at first, the sun lighting up the flowers and fields. We had long views back to Gambassi Terme and across the Tuscan countryside, with vineyards, olive trees and Italian cypresses.

We had a rest and drink stop at Pancole before exploring the life-size Nativity scene underneath the Santuario di Maria Santissima Madre della Divina Provvidenza. 

After another climb on a gravel road, we rejoined the main road and headed up to San Gimignano, enjoying the views on the way. 

Luckily we were able to check into our accommodation early. We had a pasta lunch, followed by award-winning gelato at the Gelateria Dondoli (raspberry and rosemary, blueberry and melon flavours). We resupplied at a supermarket before heading back to our accommodation for a long nap.

Leaving Gambassi Terme this morning
Very soon into the countryside
We had a very short walk today,  but it was wonderful scenery all the way
Vineyard in the morning light
The Via Francigena on from Gambassi Terme 
A winery on the way (we stopped for a stamp, but not for a tasting)
The Via Francigena between Gambassi Terme and Pancole 
Highlights of Pancole
The famous nativity scene at Pancole
Via Francigena on from Pancole 
Views of San Gimignano from the approach on the Via Francigena 
Gelateria Dondoli. There wasn't much of a queue when we got there, but it was quite long shortly after.
Some highlights of San Gimignano 
Some more highlights of San Gimignano 
Wild boar and elephants in San Gimignano 
Bits and pieces 
Birds
Other animals, including our first badger sighting this trip
Day 63 - Map

Day:                               63
Distance:                      14.57 km
Walking time:               3 hrs 04 mins
Elevation gain:             405 metres
Cumulative distance:  1278.97 km

Comments

  1. Anonymous22 June 2026 at 22:06

    Today’s birds: Western House Martin, Italian Sparrow, Hooded Crow, White Wagtail

    Well done on seeing a badger. I’ve only seen dead ones on the roadside. Was the spotty pig a wild boar?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Barkers23 June 2026 at 05:33

    No, just a little pig roaming around between the horses!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous23 June 2026 at 21:12

    Wonderful photos of a stunning day of walking. You definitely deserved those gelati. Russell

    ReplyDelete
  4. Barkers24 June 2026 at 05:32

    We took advantage when the queue wasn't so big...it definitely got bigger!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PREPARING FOR ANOTHER LONG WALK

-
Image
We're excited to be getting ready for another adventure! This time we are heading to Italy. The plan is to walk from the East Coast to the West Coast,  starting from Marina di Ravenna on the Adriatic Sea on Tuesday 21 April, arriving at Ostia on the Tyrrhenian Sea on Sunday 12 July.  Using walking paths and small roads, we aim to cover about 25 km most days,  with plenty of rest days in interesting places in between. We've pre-booked bed and breakfasts and small hotels in the places we pass through.  We're planning to write a blog post about our experiences every day. Follow along to share in wonderful vistas, fabulous food and the joys of long distance walking! Coming soon: Reading, Preparation 
Read more

TRAINING

-
Image
Approaching Lennox Head Last Saturday we completed our final training walk, from Ballina to Lennox Head. When we are travelling, our phones are very important. We use the Samsung Health app to record the day's walking statistics, take photos with the camera app, then compile the blog on our phones in the evening. Shouldering our full packs, we started out from Lighthouse Beach in Ballina. The fine drizzle gave us the opportunity to test out our hands-free umbrella holding system. We found something that worked for Kath, but Russell's is still a work in progress. We followed the sealed path along the coast, admiring fine views before heading into the coastal scrub. The path was busy and we shared it with cyclists, joggers, fellow walkers and a couple of groups in training for long distance walking - one even planning on walking the Via Francigena like us! The new facilities at Sharpes Beach - toilet, water, benches - were being well patronised. Someone had even built rock cairns...
Read more

DAY 1 - MARINA DI RAVENNA to RAVENNA - 21 April 2026

-
Image
Ceremonial selfie to mark the start of the walk - Marina di Ravenna After a wonderful week with family and friends we were very excited to begin our walk today!  We flagged down the 5:30 am bus to get to Marina di Ravenna, our starting point,  in time for sunrise over the Adriatic. We walked along the breakwater, marvelling over the fishing huts jutting out into the sea.  One of them provided a temporary shelter as we scrambled into wet weather gear when the weather changed.  Luckily the rain and wind did not last for long.  The wet boardwalk and early morning light made for good photography as we followed a coastal bike path. Many of the beach shack restaurants,  closed at the moment,  looked as if they could be washed away in a good storm!  Leaving the coast, our path took us through fields of crops and workers planting trees before heading back into Ravenna for breakfast and a rest at our hotel. Ravenna is known for its wonderful mosaics. We ha...
Read more