So today Dennis headed for the train and I headed for the trail. Although my definite preference is to have Dennis with me there is something meditative about hiking alone.
Today was all about uphill and more uphill and even more uphill (pant,pant! Gasp Gasp!) I am not sure if Dennis was lucky to have escaped so much uphill or not. On the one hand, he didn't have thee struggle but on the other hand, he missed the most beautiful day of the hike.
There were beautiful vineyards as far as the eye could see. And many villas aka mansions with elaborate gates. Magnifico!
The vines were heavy with fruit and I snuck a couple of grapes...so sweet!
I had a bit of an incident today. Anyone who really knows me knows that I am nutty afraid of spiders. It is the only time I truly play the woman card with Dennis. So I think I have a floater and as I peer over my sunglasses, cross-eyed and upward, when I realized there was a spider on the underside of my big brimmed Aussie hat. I would like to tell you that it was the size of a tarantula but only in my fearful imagination. It was probably quite small. I yanked that hat off so fast, forgetting that I had the chin strap pulled tight. I darn near pulled my head off. I threw the hat on the ground and began a Mexican hat dance on top of it. After I was sure the spider had met his maker, I looked up and there was an elderly Italian man with a cane giving me a wide berth. I smiled in what I hoped was a friendly manner and he walked past me probably faster than he has moved in a long time. Somewhere in Italy tonight, he is probably telling his family a story about a crazy woman, stomping her hat and then grinning like some kind fool afterward.
Amazing!
A little different marker and Camino spelling.
More Camino Art!
Got to love the beautiful flowers. And although these did not smell...all day I had these bushes that smelled like honeysuckle and a million bees on each one.
In the only small town, I went through was this lovely tribute to pilgrims.
At long last and 17.5 arduous miles later., I see the entrance to the old city of San Quirico de Orcia, a charming village on the world heritage list.
Looking ddown the center of town.
This vehicle was even smaller than a smart car! I have tomorrow off to explore this wonderful town. I think I have a major head cold. I sneezed all day and used about a hundred kleenexes. I couldn't find a drug store open so I will just have to fight through it. I can assure you, head cold or not, I fully intend to not miss a thing!
Good night and sweet dreams.
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