Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Buongiorno!

 

A typical Italian breakfast except for the Coca-Cola Zero.  The little cake was so moist and tasty with a tart blueberry topping.

A last look at my hotel as I head for the trails.

This part of the trail had this type of monkey grass that I would have been proud to have lined my sidewalk. There doesn't seem to be dew, even early in the morning.

I you look closely, you can see the rise of a bridge.  I thought I was going to cross over it but there was a brand-new concrete foot bridge beside it. I ate lunch at a little spot in between the two bridges. Lunch was some left over bruschetta, cheese, and a couple of packets of toast crackers, that were in my breakfast package.

Definite mountains today but, mostly I was in deep forests.

Overlooking a patio of a private home.

Look at this lazy bum.  He is supposed to be mousing.

So, for the good news: I didn't get lost one single time today.  So for the bad news, I followed the wrong Via Francesco.  I followed the markers that I have been following but unbeknownst to me, I was supposed to switch to the Alternate Via Francesco.  Soooooo I ended up in Pieve Santo Stefano, 35 kilometers (22 miles) from where I was supposed to be. OMG 😡😡😡.  Well, I certainly can't walk 22 more miles. So on to plan B with no working phone.  Although it is a little hard to phone a friend in Italy.  I saw this little hotel and decided to go in and ask for help.  Sometimes people who work in hotels speak some English and I was correct.  The owner spoke some English.  He told me the bad news.  I enquired about a taxi and while he was scratching his head, I noted his two companions.  One of them acted like they might be willing to drive me and I quickly said, "I will pay." I knew an official taxi would be really expensive. Plus I felt save with the young man because he was sitting with the owner of the hotel.

Lucca, the driver and his friend, Francesco drove me to Caprese Michelangelo where I am staying tonight.  It was a little of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride as we whipped around the narrow mountain roads with their hair pin turns. They tried in their limited English to communicate and even walked with me from the car to the hotel entrance. Such nice gentlemen. ! This was to have been my shortest day at nine miles.  Instead I clocked in 15.8 miles and 50 Euros less.

Look who joined me at the table while I was working on the blog.

The views from Caprese Michelangelo where Michelangelo, the artist was born.  There is a museum here but I couldn't find it. I had hoped to be here much earlier so I could walk in the history of Michelangelo.  I was too tired to walk around too much.

Look at the beautiful views from the restaurant.

This was my favorite course.  I can't tell you the exact name but it was sort of a vinegar slaw with both toasted walnuts and pine nuts.  It was wonderful.

Next I had a crepe tarfuto (with truffles.)  Yum!  so flavorful --so rich.  I passed on dessert.  I was full.

I found this quote today and very much liked it.
"The pilgrimage is one of the oldest expressions of reliegiousness, known and practised by Christians and believers of other religions.  For the church it is a valid way of human promotion and evangelization, for the strong calling that it exerts even on non practising people." From "Work of the Pilgrimages" 

So, in closing, I hope you dinner is wonderful and you sleep like a baby.