Distance walked- miles. 13.2 324.6
Gross Climb- feet 1340. 25, 863
Song of Day: Summertime by Sly and the Family Stone
End of the spring and here she comes back
Hi, hi, hi, hi, there
Them summer days, those summer days
Hot fun in the summertime
Hot fun in the summertime
When we awoke at 6:30 this morning, we could already tell this was going to be a hot day. We decided to stay for breakfast, even though they didn't start serving until 8, because we would not be passing through many towns along the way. The trail today was largely along unsheltered trails, in the hot Tuscan sun. Much of the hike was along a mountain ridge line, providing spectacular views out both sides:
Occasionally, we would pass through a much welcomed sheltered area:
By 1:00, we reached the village of Torrieneri. It was almost 90 degrees and very humid. We had already traveled in excess of 10 miles and climbed more than 1000 feet. But, we still had 5 miles to go, with a very steep climb of another 1000 feet. And our bodies were swollen and sore. Just then, as if by divine intervention, we passed a bus stop that said there was a bus going to our destination of San Quirico at 2:00! After a quick conference debating what would would Jesus do in this situation, we decided to take the bus at 2:00 for the last 5 miles. Last year on the Camino, Sister Jean, a Nun from England told us that Jesus would often take donkey rides when offered, and so people shouldn't get hung about covering every single step walking! Great advice Sister Jean and we used it today. By the way, we are concerned about tomorrow, as it is supposed to be even warmer. Unfortunately, it will be Sunday and the busses don't run.
We went into a bar near the bus stop to grab a bite before the bus at 2:00. The bar had a hot dog on the menu. Unfortunately, it was not as good as the one we had two weeks ago. The dog was slathered in mayonnaise and ketsup:
We then arrived at the beautiful, ancient walled, hilltop village of San Quirico. Our hotel room (very nice by the way) is once again right across from the church, with bells going off every half hour....how does this happen to us all the time?! The church was built in the 800's. Here is a view from our bedroom window:
After checking into the hotel, we had a very pleasant walk around the village. Another terrific restoration of some very old structures. This is a place we would like to come back and visit again.
This evening, we had another outstanding meal in a beautiful outdoor setting of a restaurant near our hotel. It was a warm evening, and very pleasant to sit outside. The place was packed with locals.
Our hotel tonight is a so called agriturismo, basically old farms that have been converted to hotels. This one appears to be very nice, at least from the Internet photos and reviews. However, it does not have Internet, so we will be out of touch for a few days.
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