We left early again, sharing the sunrise with some South Koreans who had found a great vantage point. Leaving the road, we climbed steeply and met Patrizio from Rome when it levelled out. We walked with Patrizio, swapping stories until the next pilgrim rest area, a welcome sight with water fountain, table and even coffee by donation.
We walked through undulating countryside then along a ridge. The next water fountain wasn't working but we were carrying extra water anyway. Another walker joined from a different direction and we saw him throughout the day.
On an uphill stretch of road we saw a big white dog stretched out. We were wary because they are usually guarding livestock but this one let us pass. Shortly after we came across three more, who bounded out from the vegetation. They barked but again settled when we spoke to them.
The road took us down to a river and we joined a track to walk alongside it. The water level was low. We had eaten muesli bars on the trail but when we found a picnic table in the shade we ate our nuts and apricots.
Soon after we found an agriturismo, where we were expecting a water fountain. We had another sit down in the shade and drank lots of water. Patrizio caught up to us here and headed out before us.
It was a long slow climb up to our destination, Radicofani. We passed another large white dog, too hot to even bark. Fortunately there was another water fountain for us to drench our hats and buffs in and to top up the water. We passed some horses standing out in the sun, and later sheep with bells and even cows.
We made it into Radicofani before the worst of the heat and had lunch before checking into our accommodation. After a rest, we walked up on the road to the Fortress - the direct path was closed for work - then enjoyed dinner in a lively restaurant.
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| Leaving Bagno Vignoni this morning |
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| The Val d'Orcia was very dry, but the scenery in the pre-dawn light was still spectacular |
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| A group of South Koreans had set up their cameras to capture the sunrise in the Val d'Orcia |
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| Sunrise on the Via Francigena |
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| Early morning on the Via Francigena, as we skirted Castiglione d'Orcia |
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| The path plateaued out after a bit of a climb |
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| We walked for a while with Patrizio, who is on his way from Siena to Rome |
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| The Via Francigena in the Val d'Orcia - dry landscape with wide vistas |
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| The Via Francigena towards Radicofani |
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| Walking through the Val d'Orcia on the Via Francigena |
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| A bit of downhill on a mostly uphill day |
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| Our guidebook described these dry creek beds as seasonal water crossings |
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| Views from the Via Francigena |
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| A flat section of path by the river and the road |
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| A trickle of water in a wide river (did we mention it was dry) |
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| A welcome rest break on the way |
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| Patrizio found us at the agriturismo rest stop. He asked if we could make him look like a superhero for the blog (disclaimer: AI was used in one of the above pictures). |
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| After the rest, a bit of a climb up to Radicofani |
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| Radicofani |
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| A scenic walk back to Radicofani from the hilltop fortress |
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| Bits and pieces |
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| Today's fun with shadows |
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| Birds |
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| Other animals (not to scale) |
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| Day 69 - Map |
Day: 69
Distance: 29.02 km
Walking time: 6 hrs 07 mins
Elevation gain: 874 metres
Cumulative distance: 1422.33 km
Today’s birds: Little Egret, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Magpie
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteI really love my superman outfit!! 🤣🤣🤣
ReplyDeleteIt was great to meet you Patrizio! We hope we catch up with you again.
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