A big storm came in overnight, so much of day 3 of the Via Francigena was spent hiking in moderate to heavy rain. In addition to the moisture, love was also in the air. This morning’s route took me into the woods, where I encountered a Volvo station parked directly in the middle of the dirt road, with steamed-up windows and an obvious rocking. I had little doubt about what was going on inside, and no choice but to walk by as quickly as possible. I definitely saw more pilgrims out today, too. Yet the Tuscan scenery I’d been waiting to see was dulled by the rain.
Lots of wet pavement and trail today.The double-bearded irises were in full bloom I found an open cafe just beyond San Miniato and had coffee with a pilgrim from Mexico who hiked the Colorado Trail last summer (like me!)Views of the wet countrysideMy first olive tree sighting in ItalyI’m just going to inspect these blooming trees over here and ignore the bouncing Volvo parked on the routeThis picnic area had a can with a pilgrim’s log and ink stamp. It reminded me of all the summit logs I’ve signed while highpointing.Hiking past some small vineyards. This was the Tuscany I was envisioning when I was planning the Via Francigena (well, minus the rain)At first, I thought this was a free little library, but it was actually filled with first aid supplies, not books!I stopped for an early lunch at this covered picnic table with a handful of other pilgrims looking for a semi-dry place to eat as the rain pelted the leaky canopy above us.After lunch, it was back to the grind. Rain, pilgrims, and vineyards. Rinse and repeat.Nowhere dry for a weary pilgrim to stop and rest.I saw a sign for the “big bench” and took a detour up this muddy hill to check it out. These benches are created by local craftsmen and there are more than 450 of them placed in scenic areas around Europe.The description “Big Bench” is an understatement. I had to use those wine barrels in the foreground as steps to get up to the seat. And once I was seated, my feet barely hung over the edge.My eyes are getting more accustomed to looking for red and white Via Francigena now. I’ve finally stopped expecting to see yellow arrows.Water has been surprisingly easy to come by with public fountains marked as potable waterMy destination tonight was Gambassi Termi, where I stayed in the upstairs room in a ‘home stay’ listed on the Via Francigena accommodation siteI got excited when I saw this other pilgrim stopping at the church on the edge of Gambassi Termi and went to see if they might have a stamp for my credenziale. Unfortunately, they were closed.Walking to my accommodations on the side of the road. Today was a stormy day. Unfortunately, my weather app says tomorrow will be even wetter, with up to 2 inches falling in the next 24 hours!
Highlights
Meeting a fellow pilgrim who’s hiked many of the same North American trails as me. She hiked the Colorado Trail last year (like me) and has also completed the PCT.
The Big Bench was a fun detour. The founder deliberately made the first bench oversized to help adult visitors feel like small children and give them a perspective of wonder as they looked out onto the landscape.
I walked past a bunch of vineyards today and finally got to see the Italian landscape I’d been dreaming about back home. Let’s hope I get to see under the Tuscan sun eventually.
Challenges
After two warm spring days in Tuscany, the weather along the Via Francigena took a hard turn. It was super rainy today, and at times the route was quite slick, which is not a great discovery when you’re hiking without trekking poles.
The lovebirds might have thought they were parking their Volvo in a discreet area, but they ended up directly on the Via Francigena route. I can’t help but wonder how many pilgrims walked by them this morning.
Lunch and dinner were both from my grocery haul at the COOP yesterday. It seemed like too much effort to go back out in the heavy rain and dark evening to find an open restaurant on a Sunday.
