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Although we had a lovely evening in Citta della Pieve, the night that followed was one of the poorest yet.
Our apartment did not have an air conditioner, and its windows looked out over a major piazza. Our owner's solution: around 9:00 PM, open the window and let the fresh air in. This advice came during the middle of a major heat wave.
When we let the fresh air in, we also let in all of the noise of a Friday night. To shorten this diatribe to footnote length, it was loud. And it remained loud until well after 1:00 AM. Then, after the people's voices had finally fallen quiescent, the mosquito came.
Let us draw a curtain over that entire bleak night and move along.
We wanted to make an early start on today's stage. It was supposed to be very hot again, and we had a moderate distance to travel. We managed to leave Citta della Pieve before 8:00, and walked down a long gravel road out of town. After a couple of kilometers, we were able to see the city from across a valley. It was a beautiful sight, with its stone towers and churches filling the skyline, far more impressive than what we saw on the way into town.
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| Citta della Pieve |
Today's stage was incredibly straightforward. We followed a gravel road down to the valley, and then we walked on a long straight road that paralleled the railroad tracks. We walked through farmland, wheat fields, and freshly mown hay.
Mary of the Straight Road
Eventually we reached the town of Fabro Scalo, where we left the sanctioned Via route to wander into town to find a bar for cold drinks. I had an iced tea, Mary had a water.
Refreshed, we returned to the road. We crossed the Fiume Chiana (Chiana River) and began a slow ascent on asphalt to Ficulle. This took about an hour on an ever-steepening hill. Ultimately, however, we made it.
Ficulle is another tiny, beautiful brick and stone hilltop town. It is one of those places you would never come on a tour bus, but it is rather beautiful. We were able to find a supermercato to grab something for a late lunch, and, thankfully, the only restaurant we could find was open for business.
In the evening, people bring chairs out into the streets, and sit and chat until the light goes out of the sky. Mary had met our neighbors, so when we returned from dinner, we were able to engage them in a lively Italian conversation.
La Rocca, Ficulle
One more day to Orvieto and our last rest day before Rome.
Today’s Distance: 21.3 KM
Total Distance: 1013.4 KM
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