Tuesday 21st June - A Castle for a Knight

I had a long distance to travel today, 30kms +, and to beat the heat I set off well before 7 am!! 
I left my 'pilgrims village', and before I'd even travelled 200 metres, a deer went crashing across my path, and away into the undergrowth!! - a great start to the day! 
I soon turned off the road, and was walking along dirt roads, tracks which were to continue like this almost all day - the guide description said this one was one of the most beautiful days - it lived up to it!
 
Distant castellated houses, and rivers to ford

As I travelled along the scenery kept changing, sometimes the red Tuscan earth, sometimes pale clay, constant differences, looking out across the wheat fields!!

By 10 am I was into the small village of Quartia for a nice pot of tea, and giant donut!! 

A quick visit to the nice church there:

before continuing out across the scorched landscape, on the seemingly never ending roads... again passing isolated majestic houses!! 

By 1 pm I was passing through a larger village of Strove, where I was able to fill up with water, had a snack and continued on the hot day, through woods and forests, at the side of the Val d'elsa... All so peaceful hardly anyone about, just me, the birds, and rustling lizards in the undergrowth dashing away as I approached!! 

By 230pm I was into Abbadia Isola, another famous resting spot for Archbishop Sigeric, and lots of pilgrims since.

I originally intended to stop here, but had been persuaded to continue to my hill top fort destination of Monteriggioni, which as I set off from the abbey could see in the distance up above me... 

It was a bit of a slog to get there, it always is when you can see the end, but it took another hour and a half, before I entered the gate to the hilltop fort:

and into the piazza of the village, finding my accommodation - the hostel next to the church, with green shutters, what a great place to stay, and for only 20€!! 

I was soon showered, washed all my clothes, and was out on the square watching all the tour groups come and go, whilst waiting for the others to arrive... 

Peaceful and relaxed ! 

The others did arrive later, Angelo and Freda, as well as a cyclist from Milan... We shared a hot room together that night... After my supper of Wild Boar stew, with grilled polenta - and very good it was too!! 

I settled to sleep at the end of the longest day inside my own castle!! A knight to remember!