Day 2 of the Via Francigena took me away from the pavement and sidewalks of yesterday’s route and into the countryside today. But the route was anything but straightforward. About 16 kilometers into the day, I reached a covered bridge that deposited pilgrims onto a grassy dyke. I would have missed my turn off the dyke, but luckily, I spotted the silhouette of some pilgrims up ahead making the turn. When I got to Fucecchio, I ran into another snag. The Via Francigena was supposed to go up some stairs to reach the upper part of town, but the stairs were under demolition! After a 1-kilometer DIY detour, I found my way back to the route. My final obstacle was the funicular elevator up to San Miniato. It was also out of order, necessitating a tiring uphill climb to the town strategically located atop a massive hill. On a positive note, I finally met some fellow pilgrims at Ostello San Miniato, an albergue-style hostel for the Via Francigena.
I left town this morning in shorts and my sun hoodie in preparation for a very warm April day of walking in ItalyAs I headed south from Altopascio, today’s route detoured into the woods and away from the constant paved sidewalks and road noise of yesterday.This morning followed several dirt roads and was much more ruralI’m glad I created a GPS track for the route, though. There were quite a few unmarked turns and detours today. Why is it that the obvious markers like these never seem to be where you need them?After 8.5 km of walking, I entered Galleno, where a local cafe owner eagerly waved me in to stop. As I waited for him to make me a cappuccino, I noticed a sign on the wall that read “amici dei pellegrini” (friends of pilgrims). Maybe I’d run into some actual pilgrims todayWhen I returned to the route, I could make out two silhouettes up ahead. Were those pilgrims? Or just two locals out for a Saturday walk?Near the 16 km mark, I entered a small village with a covered bridge. The Via Francigena only went halfway across the bridge, though, before depositing me on this pathway atop the dyke that separated the canal from the nearby farm fields.This knee-deep grass left me wanting to Google,” Are there venomous snakes in Italy?” This seemed like the ideal place for them to scare me, and I felt quite vulnerable without any trekking polesI almost missed my turn off the dyke, when the Via Francigena made an unmarked right turn into some farm fields. I also spotted these bee boxes!I didn’t have Burger King on my Via Francigena bingo card. But there was one sitting about 300 meters off the trail near a road crossing outside Fucecchio.Something else I didn’t expect to encounter today was a barricade blocking my only route into town. With these stairs closed, I had to make a kilometer-long detour to get around the construction to get back on track.Heading over Fiume Arno (the Arno River), one of Tuscany’s most important rivers. It begins in the mountains west of Florence, flows west toward Pisa, and then out to the Ligurian Sea on the west side of Italy.As the afternoon wore on, the day grew more humid and overcast. There was little shade as I walked past small vineyards and wildflowers.Whimsical mural of Pinocchio as a Via Francigena pilgrimAfter a quick stop at a grocery store in Miniato Basso, I set my eyes on tonight’s destination. I could just barely see tower on the small peak in the distance.More potential terrain for Italian snakes to scare meViews of San Miniato on my route up to this hilltop town. The tower is more clearly visible now. But I wouldn’t get to take the easy way up. I’d had to detour up a calf-burning climb because the funicular elevator was broken.Views from the top of the elevator that (normally) brings visitors effortlessly up the 250 vertical feet from the valley below. Unfortunately, it was out of order today.Torre di Federico II – this 13th century tower is what I’ve been starting at for the past hour as I made my way here.Looking back down onto San Miniato from the hilltop where the tower sitsAfter settling into the ostello (hostel) and discovering that there really were other pilgrims on this route, I went out to find myself some dinner and explore the town.Ahhhhh. Pizza. I’ll take this over Burger King every day.
Highlights
The scenery today was much more varied than yesterday, and I finally feel like I’m in Tuscany. I even walked by some vineyards today, and the wildflowers are just stunning.
While I was in Miniato Basso, I detoured over to my first real Italian supermarket – COOP. It was huge, and it reminded me of a Whole Foods grocery in the U.S. I seriously had to restrain myself from overbuying and limit myself to supplies for the next few lunches.
The town of San Miniato was so fun to explore. I climbed up to the tower I’d been staying at for miles and just roamed through the streets, enjoying being a tourist.
Challenges
Although there were plenty of signs or markers on today’s route, they never seemed to be at the critical junction when you needed them. It’s a good thing I have a GPS route downloaded to my phone.
I was seriously flummoxed when I got to the caution tape and barricades blocking the stairs into Fucecchio. That was the main route up into the town, and the streets adjacent to the stairs all ended abruptly. It took some real trial and error and an extra kilometer before I finally found success.
I’d been looking forward to riding the funicular elevator up to San Miniato, but it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, I’d have to hike up the steep trails and road that wound their way up to this city on a hill. My calves were burning.
