Tuesday, Oct 26 Pietralunga to Gubbio

 

It was a beautiful day, sprinkled a little as I started but never enough for me to drag out my rain gear.

All I could think of when I saw this was, "On Golden Pond."

Today was really up (pant, pant -- gasp, gasp) and down.  I hoofed it all day because I wanted some time in Gubbio.

So many beautiful crosses along the way.

Beautiful from every angle.

The fall colors and falling leaves change more with every day. And today was cold and crisp.

Mountain after mountain.

Every time I thought I was at the top, I rounded a bend and there was more up.  I have said for many years, if you don't know which way to go, take the hard route and nine out of ten times, you will be correct.  That described today perfectly.  Except for it was so well marked, I had no indecision.  

This road was a very steep downhill.  I don't care what anybody says about they prefer up, no way no how, give me down!

This helicopter flew back and forth many times, clearly looking for something.  I had just come down from this area and I didn't see anything as I was hiking.  To the best of my knowledge they never found anything either.  They never landed.

This little dog was fiercely barking at me from a tile roof.  I was pretty sure he wasn't going to jump.

I don't see many tributes to Saint Francis at residences.  When you hike any of the Spanish Caminos, they are everywhere.

This was just before I entered the old town of Gubbio. Not sure what it meant or why but it was fierce looking.

The signpost early on said eight hours to Gubbio and the man who took my suitcase predicted ten.  He clearly didn't know who he was talking to. I made it in six but I only took one ten-minute break to wolf down lunch. Just before my hotel, I sat down and had a diet coke and this rosemary bread. I think it might be called arvoltolo which is a pan-fried bread.  YUM!  Of course, six hours of hoofing and 19.9 miles might make anything taste pretty good. I added a couple of slices of cheese for some protein. And that Coca-Cola Zero was so even better than it usually is.

This is the Palazzo de Consoli which now houses a museum.

I wanted to find this statue and finally I did. From The Way of St. Francis, "During Frances' stay in Gubbio a marauding wolf was terrorizing the countryside, At first it targeted livestock but soon it was hunting humans exclusively.  The town implored Francis to intervene.  Francis approached the wolf's refuge with a small crown=d following from a safe distance. Upon seeing Francis, the wolf lunged with bared teeth but when Francis made the sign of the cross the wolf stopped and listened.  With the crowd watching in amazement, Frances spoke quietly with the wolf, which sat patiently at his feet.  At the end of their talk the animal placed his paw in Francis' hand, as though to confirm an agreement.  Francis and the wolf then walked together into town and the wolf laid at his feet which Francis announced to the village than an agreement had been made: in exchange for daily food provided by its residents, the wolf would no long harm in humans.  Affirming the agreement in presence of the villagers, the wolf once again placed his paw in Francis' hand The townspeople complied, and each day the wolf went from house to house to receive food from the residents.  The wolf lived in peace with the village until his death.  When the wolf passed away, residents buried his body with honor at the small church of St. Francis of the Peace outside the walls. In the renovation of the church in 1872 a wolf's skeleton was found under a slab outside the building It was brought inside the church and placed under the altar in memory of its transformation by the beloved saint."

Chiesa di S Francisco

The main altar

The streets of Gubbio.  

A bridge over a small stream.

My dinner includio was at the beautiful hotel restaurant.  

This ravioli was to die for.  It was stuffed with those fabulous local mushrooms with just a hint of truffles. The sauce, lick the plate good, was made with cream and local saffron.  I didn't know they grew saffron in Umbria.

I also had grilled vegetables.  Thought I needed something lighter and healthier to go with the rich pasta and I chose well.  

The dessert, ah THE DESSERT, was a lavender semifredo, so light that it could have levitated off the plate.  It was cold and refreshing.  The little golden dabs around the plate were a honeyed mixture that was the perfect compliment.  

So another day, another kilometer.  Hope your day is as wonderful as mind!