Last push to Strove

Tuesday, 10 April

Crossing the Borro Imbotroni

Via Francigena: Gambassi Terme to San Gimignano

Distance 14.6k

So after yesterday, and thanks to small windows and solid shutters, we slept for 11 hours. On opening them, the room was flooded with sunlight, and we leapt into our clothes and strode out.

We happened on an old man, who had lived here in his youth, and had built parts of the Via Francigena reconstruction around the millenium. He led us to the railings which like many hill towns bordered one side of the main piazza, and traced with a finger the route of the path, as if tracing it on a well-preserved fresco, complete with cypress, red roofs, and strange perspectival anomalies. We were delighted to see we could actually see San Gimignano, our destination for the day, about 13.5km away.

We stopped off at the local baker, and ate bread dripping with oil on the grass by the church, where I was loth to learn we will miss a concert next Saturday di branle mediaevale e rinascimentale in the local Romanesque 11th c. Chiesa, with an "apericena" at the local hostelry afterwards. Literally you could not find an evening I would like more. But we will be far away and transportless.

The walk itself was idyllic. Down through meadows, with lizards skittering by the sides of the track, and spring flowers. Then up and over to the next valley, whence at all points we had terrific views to San Gimignano (see photo). All this with sun and cool for perfect walking weather.

San Gimignano itself I love for its beautiful pair of main piazze, but it is so crowded and touristy it is hard to love too much. So a quick ice-cream at the authentic World Champion gelateria (where I had one icecream made with fresh mint, and another mixing rosemary and raspberry with divine results), and we were off through, making our way in the early evening warmth to Il Camping di boschetto di Piemma, where we have an ugly mobile home, nestled in the trees behind which hide that famous San Gimignano skyline (see photo, and squint a bit).

Via Francigena: Castelfiorentino to Gambassi Terme

Distance: c. 9k

Slightly unearthly feel to today. Mainly down to a 4.30 am start, well worth it as we found ourselves in the train station at Pisa by 10.30 Italian time. Pleasantly clunky trains took us eventually to Castelfiorentino, changing at Pisa Centrale and Empoli, the latter eventually providing a cheap and homely family restaurant open even on Easter lunchtime, which while in England seems to send every extended family running to the nearest pub, here everything but everything shuts, and behind the shutters you can hear the clink of cutlery and noisy family interaction.

So we found ourselves en route at 2.30pm, and a relief. Up hill all the way to Gambassi, and Timmy fading at the end - tomorrow's 13k should be fine, but we ramp up pretty quickly to 25k and not so sure that's going to work!

Very, very green - feels like sizeable rain recently. Alpine

Hotel = L'Albergo-Osteria da Pinchorbia modest mais convenable - good food, including carciofi fritti which immediately made it into Timmy's Imaginary Restaurant, which only serves the best dishes in the world. This brings the artichokes on a par with garlic bread!

Very much looking forward to tomorrow's more leisurely pace, and a breath around Gambassi with no packs!

Alto Vignoni - views from four sides of our tower.

Wild camping, part 2

We ate our lunch in the Gap and continued upward, avoiding Riders of
Rohan along the way, and paused to look back from whence we came:

Wild camping: the tale, part 1

On Monday we stowed our gear in our backpacks -Tim carrying his own
sleeping bag, wet weather gear, and cup by himself for the first time
- and set off on the Great Wild Camping Adventure. We reckoned that
heading off towards Beinn Macdhui might not be optimal, so went
towards Braeriach instead. (Hmmmm. In retrospect; but who can say?)