I have had big distant days and they have NOT been easy. Tuscany is all hills, so its been a bit of an up and down. I did over 67 km in two days which would normally take me three or four. So in my mind, I have gained a day or two in my plan to reach Rome. However today left me a GRUMPY PILGRIM....
SUN JUNE 22: Lucca - Fuechio: (37K - 22 miles - longest day yet)A pleasant surprise happened last night in Lucca, Birgit, my first travel buddy ended up in the same Ostello (Pilgrim Hotel) as me, So we had dinner with 2 other German girls and caught up on each others adventure...hers being a bit more risque! The next day (today) we planned on meeting in the same city about 17k away (10 miles), but I got up early as was in this village by 11:00 am, and just felt like it would waste a day to stop, so I thought I would go to the next village with an Ostello - which was an additional 12K (7 miles). I was kind of excited because this town's Ostello is actually built into the bridge (WAY COOL). Unfortunately SUNDAYS SUCK as it is difficult to contact people and when I arrived at Ponte a Cappiano, no one was there and no one would answer the phone, so I was stuck.
A nice lady in the bar phoned ahead to the next village (another 3 miles) and found me a cheap room in a boarding house. However she just gave me the name and address....after I walked about a mile, I suddenly realized, I am walking into a town of 30,000 people and have no idea of any of the streets and did not ask her to tell me what it was near (church, town center , etc.) SHIT! . How in the hell am I going to find this. Luckliy for the first time ever, as I walked into the city there was a city map with street index posted in bronze and the street was a major one and the street I was on would merge right into it...LUCKY PILGRIM!
It was quite lovely and had an awesome terrace. But man I was beat when there, though not as beat as the first few days, so my body is street tough! And vesides that listening to my music made me miss turns, twice, so I had to retrace steps (CATES - I take back that beer offer!). Also today, I was confirmed in my annoyance at Lucca being touristy. In Lucca, I got a small gelati which had two ping pong ball scoops in it, something I had never seen before (so smal serving), today in a small village along the way, i ordered the same small bowl and it was crammed full and about 3 inches of mound above the edge. Trust me - getting away from the tourist hot spots is way better!
Its also funny the lessons that come to me on the walk, sometimes they seem like major life questions or challenges and sometimes, just practical walking advice. Todays tip is do NOT tuck your shirt in your underware. Because my pack is tight against my back, my shirt back is always wet with sweat, and when it was tucked in me undies, it created a nice flow to my, how should I say, rear attributes, which created the perfect storm for chaffing. OUCH! The last four miles were hell, as was sitting in the pizzeria waiting for dinner.
Another good lesson however is the restorative power of sleep, the next morning fett and butt were happy and ready for another day!
MON JUNE 23: Fuecchio to Gambassi Terme (31k - 19 miles):
Today was to be the TRI-FECTA of difficult days: 1. yoyo path (all ups and downs), 2. Long Distant (though originally this was my 36K day, but yesterdays misfortune (closed Ostello) reduced the mileage, and 3. Fa caldo (HOT)! This was a tough day, taking me 10 hours to do the entire walk, though I did take a long lunch-nap break (about an hour). Please enjoy these pics as I WORKED HARD FOR THEM. it was an amazing day with incredible views the entire time as I walked along (up and down) a ridge in Tuscany! What added to the toughness is that for the almost last 12 miles, there were no cities, shops or cafes, so first there are no good breaking points and second, you dont ever know how far you've gone and how much is left. 1 mile before the Ostello, there was finally a bar, and I have never been so happy to see a bar in my life!
This day made me really realize how not only physical this journey is, but also mental, because though my energy was good all day, my mental energy went down at end, making me even slower. The Ostello is Gambassi was nice and there were alot of pilgrims there, I had dinner with about 12 people - five of them Italian guys who walk together and like to sing...they sang throughout most of the dinner....it was odd and interesting. And then there was the Spanish lady whose laugh shattered glass,,,,hysterical. I just wish my italian was better as I dont think I got all the jokes.
TUES JUNE 24: Gambassi Terme to Colle di Val d'Elsa (28K - 17 miles)I got a really early start today as I could not find my clock when i awoke, so I think I left at about 5:30. I also made some individual choices about routes and probably saved myself a mile or two of hill climbing. I am beginning to think that part of the NEW mapping of the camino, is for tourist reasons and they want you to hit many towns. I was a little disappointed when I passed this really nice hotel cafe at 7:30 - the first I saw all day only to realize it was closed until 8am. and I did not want to waste 45 mins of walking time early. It was a nice crisp morning and I got to see the sunrise...i probably took way too many pics. Then I passed through an amazing old city San Gigmiano, where I had a nice coffee on a terrace overlooking the hills. I also worked hard to get to this city as it was high on a hill. I made great time and made it into Colle, about 1:30pm, but as usual my worst part of day - finding Ostello and finding Tourist office. And italy is like Spain in that many places close from 12:30 - 3 or 4, which both the Ostello and Tourist office were, so I ended up walking back and forth a couple of times. Adding to my already general grumpiness.
I think I am ready to leave, its not easy being a nomad, a different city every day. I dream of my own bed now and air conditioning, though I did have it on the two nights previos (Lucca and Fuecchio) and unexpected pleasure. i took a picture of the CLIMA maching. But I have less than two weeks left, I know, but it is beginning to feel less like an adventure and more like work or something I have to check off as having been accomplished. But then there are moments like today as I was nearing my end city, a van just pulled over right in front of me - which first made the GRUMPY pilgrim even grumpier, because I was going to have to walk way out in the highway to get around it, As I passed the driver he reached out and handed me three apricots, and said they were for the pilgrim going to Rome. Its these moments that encourage me, and allow me to lessen the GRUMP. A farmer waving his fist in triumph as he passes me, a nicely dressed lady in a city, saying COMPLIMENTI COMPLIMENTI.
I know I can do this, and enjoy it, but I do miss home.....
DAY 39: June 26: Sienna to Ponte d'Arbia:
After yesterdays rain, I awoke to a thick and heavy fog. I loved it and chose to take the hilly loop in the morning,,,,so my spirits must still be lifeted. It was a lovely and seemingly mysterious walk in the mountains in the fog where I snapped pics of sunrise, trees and spiderwebs crystallized in moisture. There is something other-wordly about fog and being alone in nature. And only an hour or two later, my favorite stop of the day - PRIMA. My cappuncino, croissant and zigarette (YES IM SMOKING - but will NOT in the USA). One of the things I hate about smoking is how bad it smells, well here it is actually an IMPROVEMENT on my smell and to me seems a part of italian life...
The day was clear and lovely later as I walked over hills and vineyards, ending up in a lovely village atop another hill...of course. Tonight there are 5 pilgrims here besides me, 3 italiand and a dutch man - who is now walking home to the Netherlands, after reaching Rome, he will be walking for more than 6 months....OH LA LA. I dont think I could do this, or rather, dont want to do this. Two of the Italians, Therese and Giorgio, I met last night and they are walking from Sienna to Rome.
