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?)

Osprey!!

Today, after yesterday's epic journey up and down Herder's Hill, we
took it easy and went to Boat of Garten. The resident birds flew on
Wednesday but I spotted the lone male we'd heard of in chatter here
and there: magnificent!

Timmy concentrated on studying the closer birdlife - especially a fine
coal tit - and mammals, including a red squirrel. That was the second
one of the day for me: Crocs on a spongy forest floor are very quiet
so I got within 1.5 metres of a fine looking one equipped with a bushy
tail and a nut to store, this morning.

It is genuinely cold at night. It will be very cold up top, but we'll
have a go and see how things are when we get there.

Katherine

Bannockburn field itself

Where an estimated 10,000 people died, and you could cross the river
dry-shod upon the bodies.

A Bruce! A Bruce!