Sunday 26th June - Ever Closer

A nice figure to start the day... My guide book says it is exactly 200 kms to St Peters Square, Rome... I bet it takes... Forever!! 

A gentle start to the day with 530 rising, and breakfast at just after 6 am... The volunteers at this hostel do such a good job - thanks!! 

By 620 am I set off through the empty streets of Radiffocani, and straight away down the steep surrounding hill... looking back for quite some time you could still see the hilltop town and castle

 














Again I was walking along gravel/dirt roads, which as usual reflected the hot sun up at my face... 
By 9 am I was at Ponte a Rigo - where the or used bar... Was shut on Sunday's!!... And I had to decide... Go left for a day walking along the busy roads... Or go right, walk 8 kms further, but on (supposedly!) nicer tracks... me and Africa chose the longer route, much to our later regret, whilst everyone else went left!! 

Off we went, and spent the first 5 kms on a Tarmac road, quiet but still Tarmac, however then back onto gravel roads, cross country, up and down the undulating terrain... another hot day, fortunately there were several water fountains scattered along the route, some of the water not very pleasant... But when you're thirsty, any water will do - I think I drank about 6 litres of water as I trudged along!!
 
By 1230 we marched into a hill hamlet Proceno, where the solitary bar was at least able to give us food and drink (and an ice cream!) 
Then we were off again up into the hills, passing a lovely old church on the outskirts with its ancient free is still visible... 

Then we plunged down the hill again, and along an old trail alongside a river, with plenty of shade:

not to last though, as soon we were out in the full sun again, starting our climb up to today's destination - Acguapedente - with a handily placed fruit wagon at the bottom of the hill and a juicy peach to sustain us, we climbed up up up, until we we climbing up through the ancient gateway to the city

 


















We arrived around 330 pm at the parish hostel next to St Rochs... To be greeted by everyone else who'd walked along the road, and hit there several hours earlier!! 
Was it worth it?... Probably not, ah well!! 

Having got showered and changed I managed to get around many of the churches, all within ball throwing distance of each other, until I found St Lorenzos and evening mass at 7 pm, followed by a kebab and chips, quick look round town... And bed!