Author: tony

The bulky brick built buildings of San Miniato look slightly spooky, towering up through the morning mist.
We do not lose height but set off along a ridge with frequent backward glances at the  hill top buildings and their massive foundations.
It is pleasant walking with views to both sides of  classic Tuscan countryside rolling away into the distance.
At the top of a hill we stop to talk to Fred who is enjoying a well earned rest, when a white van pulls up. The driver proceeds to embrace us, he is Giovanni, he tells is he has walked
Canterbury to Jerusalem in his time and shows us pictures of him embracing the Pope.
He leads us on to an oak tree and a seat with a book to sign. After further embraces we leave him with a French couple who have just arrived.
Later as we are sitting by a crossroads having a rest he drives past with some lunch for them, they hadn’t realised there was nothing available on this country stage.
We continue through the improving weather and spot butterflies and flowers. Top sightings are a single bee orchid and a badger crossing a busy road.
The final ascent of 200 m through vines and olives brings us to the Ostello Sigerico, a lovely building at the back of a church with a garden looking up to Gambassi Terme, a kilometre above, where we plan to get breakfast tomorrow.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

Thank you to all those who entered our wildlife identification quiz: majority opinion was a spotted fritillary.
We say fond farewell to Hugo and set off on a pleasant walk through the Woods of Cerbaie, consisting of oak, alder, tree heather and strawberry tree growing on sandy soil, still muddy from recent rain.
Coming down to Ponte a Cappiano there is a restored medieval covered bridge built by the Medici. This replaced a previous bridge which was sketched by Leonardo da Vinci, but whether his design was used is not known. The area changed hands many times as control passed backwards and forwards between the city states of Lucca, Pisa, Siena and Florence and the bridge was destroyed and rebuilt many times.
Next up is Fucheccio, another lovely place you never heard of before and decorated with flags from the visit of the Giro d’Italia cycle race a few days ago. As seems to be the pattern, there is the old town on the hill and the new town below with a fancy elevator to whisk you up from the car park, we take the stairs.
We purchase lunch and cross the River Arno looking for a pleasant place to eat it but end up dining under a road bridge.
The final 150 m climb up to San Miniato is hot and humid and we arrive at the Franciscan Monastery for tonight’s rest just before a loud clap of thunder and the rain pours down.

We loved Lucca, a maze of narrow streets and medieval churches, culminating in the Piazza Antitheatro, an big oval space that used to be the roman amphitheatre and now is full of  bars and restaurants.
We set off into heavy rain and heavy traffic across a flat landscape of industrial units.
All five of our chums manage to meet up with us in a bar for the first coffee stop and as we emerge the rain eases off.
There is little to entertain us until we reach Altopascio.  We spot a bar full of men in hi-viz having a labourer’s lunch at 8 euros so we join them.  The remains of San Jacobo, one of the most famous stops on the Via Francigena include a castellated bell tower which apparently  housed the bell of the lost which was rung to guide pilgrims to the hospital through the impenetrable marshes, well it’s a good story anyway.
After getting a special pilgrim stamp in our credentials we set off again, we need no bell to guide us through the oak woods and olive groves as the way is so well marked. The only wildlife is an unidentifiable  butterfly (any suggestions anyone?)
We arrive at a B and B in the country for tonight’s stop to be welcomed by Hugo the pot bellied pig.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

We have an excellent breakfast in the Ostello and Tony is instructed how to use the coffee machine by Ross, the toast is less successful, as the bread is extremely heat resistant. We leave the Swiss ladies having a leisurely breakfast and set off, just round the corner Fred and the Aussies are trying to interpret the bus timetable, good luck with that.
To a chorus of frogs we set off up the first climb to Montemagno, where a statue of a man with a guitar turns out to be Giorgio Gaber, a popular crooner M’lud.
Up again through woods under an overcast sky. At Valpromaro we pass the ostello where Alessandro, who we met earlier in our trip will shortly be hospitallero. In the adjacent cafe we meet Bruno who tells us he lived in Birmingham many years ago and used to cycle out to Stourbridge, maybe we saw him! He asks us to say hallo to the Pope for him.
Emerging into a downpour we descend through woods to reach the River Serchio. We walk alongside the brown rushing waters until we hit the road into Lucca.
We enter through the gate in the intact walls into a maelstrom of tourist activity. The ancient streets and the magnificent cathedral are impressive. We found our hostel and get stuck into some serious washing, ah the joys of a pellegrino life.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

A wet night continues into a wet morning and we set off. Almost immediately we head up hill to the castle and weave our way between the cloud laden mountains and the coastal plains.
Eventually we get a panoramic view of the sea and the end of the Cinque Terre peninsula.
After a second coffee we continue onwards. If you want to know where Italian marble worktops come from, we can tell you, we passed by yards with huge lumps of Carrara marble and gantry cranes to lift them.
Pietrasanta looked nothing special as we huddled under the town hall roof overhang to eat our lunch, but later we discover one of the prettiest squares in Northern Italy with ancient churches and town gates.
The weather improves throughout the afternoon and the hedges smell of orange blossom.
We meet up with our multinational friends including the reappearing Aussies at the municipal hostel overlooking the graveyard.