I knew it would be a long day, but nonetheless, I was raring to go. I met a friendly couple named Sandy and Wayne from Australia last night as I was leaving the restaurant. As I was having breakfast, they tapped on the window, already leaving for Ivrea.
Such a cute little chicken. There were natural chickens in that yard too.
A pretty fancy vineyard with those columns. It climbed all the way to the top of the mountain.
This is the Cappella di San Rocco.
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The Cappella was built to thank Saint Rocco for protecting them from the plague that had stuck the village then.
Ahhhhh, if only all the signs were as big as this one.
Quite a variety of trails today. I walked under several grape arbors and thanked them for their shade on a hot day.
Another interesting part of the trail.
The pause that refreshes. I finally got my breakfast Coca-Cola Zero.
I cannot fathom walking all the way to Jerusalem. It would be interesting. I loved my trip to Israel with Gail Slater (Hi Gail in heaven), and Robin and Mary Jennings.
I had to go through a cave. Thank goodness it was short.
A view of the Castle.
So many of the churches have been closed. I am always thankful when one is open, and I can say my prayers for all of you. It just seems more memorable in a church.
This was a beautiful altar.
This is a famous cedar tree in terms of its age and size.
Il Castello di Montalto Dora was built in the first half of the 12th century on top of Monte Crovero, reflecting in the waters of Lake Pistono.
The castle is in the background, with Lake Pistano in the foreground. Spectacular view.
This is one view of an estate.
And this is the whole view of the cottage.
I have never seen such purple hydrangeas. They were so purple that they were almost black.
I was exhausted, hot, and dripping with sweat when I passed this gelato bar. I considered it but decided I would instead get to my hotel. I realized I had gotten off the trail when I passed it again. So the Gods have spoken. I ordered my favorite Stracciatella, and it cooled me down! Yum!
Coming into Ivrea, I could see this castle from miles away. It looked like my version of a Disney castle.
I have been fighting this blister for about 4 - 5 days. I drain it, add Neosporin (which I always carry), and it feels better, but then I have to hike on it the next day, and it continues to fill back up. Not like I can take off and let it heal on its own. Just one of those hiking annoyances.
No included dinner tonight, so I found a pizza place. So many pizzas to choose from and so many of the descriptions were a puzzle due to my lack of Italian. This one had yummy cheese, tomatoes, and arugula, a magic ingredient for me. It became even better when I told the manager I wanted some Picante olive oil. Just hot enough to make my lips sing.
My newfound Australian friends showed up as I was finishing my pizza. We are staying at the same place tomorrow night. And I have a half pizza for lunch tomorrow.
So today was totally exhausting. I thought the last 3 miles would never end. There was far more up than down and I huffed and puffed up two mountains. My total distance was almost 20 miles. I walked steadily for eight solid hours. Having said that, I absolutely loved it now that I am cool and clean. LOL. I can't wait until tomorrow to see what the trail brings.
So goodnight to you all, and if this makes no sense - just remember that I write these blogs when I am too tired to remember English or any other language.!
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