Today was my longest day on the entire Via Francigena, and the hiking conditions weren’t great. It was cold, rainy, and windy. When I planned this trek, I’d been eagerly looking forward to hiking along the calm, turquoise blue water of the Elsa River during this stage of the walk. But two obstacles dashed that plan. First, the heavy rain churned the water, making it muddy. Secondly, one of the bridges connecting the riverside path was out. This meant I’d have to take a paved detour rather than hiking along the river trail. The rain was persistent the entire 23+ miles to Siena, so I arrived with a bunch of blisters and raw skin from walking so many hours in wet socks. But just two hours after I arrived in town, the rain stopped, and the sun invited me out to explore what would ultimately become one of my favorite towns on the Via Francigena.
Heading out of town on wet streetsPhoto the Elsa River that had me so excited to see the turquoise waterUnfortunately, the bridge on the river path was out and I had to follow a paved detour. Even when I crossed the river, it wasn’t tranquil or turquoise today, thanks to the heavy rain and flooding pushing mud downstreamI did pass a few tranquil swimming holes that showed how clear the water could be on a nice dayLooking down the ladder into one of the swimming holesThese vineyards would have been lovely on a sunny day, but were just a slick, muddy mess todayI walked through the cute village of Strove this morningStroveThen it was back to the flooded trail where a dog decided to hang out with me for more than a kilometerThere were some stretches in the woods where I almost felt sheltered from the rainAnd I wasn’t the only pilgrim braving the weather (though I suspect some of them took a bus to Siena)Via Francigena announces only 300 km left to Rome.Today looked mostly like this.Except for the super steep climb to Monteriggione, known for its medieval fortress and watchtowers. The village was built on a hill in 1214-1219 AD to protect against the war with Florence.And then it was back to the grind, where the heavy rain seemed to force the droplets to bounce off the puddlesThere were lots of goats and sheep in the fields, and a cacophony of animals bleating in the rain It made me sad to hear the frenzied bleating of these two drenched baby goats separated from the herd and calling for their mothers.I tried to fix some hot spots throughout the day, but it was almost useless. My shoes and socks were soaking wet, and there was just too much friction in these rainy conditions.I briefly stopped to take in several distinctive-looking buildings (Are these old castles??)The rain paused for about 20 minutes when I reached this sign for Siena. Unfortunately, I was still a solid 90 minutes from town.About 2 km before the town, I caught up with a cluster of French-speaking pilgrimsNearly there. Only 2 km left to walkThis evening’s lodging had lovely views of the city and the Duomo from the patioNarrow streets and archways in SienaA few hours after my arrival, the sun came out and beckoned me to go out an explore SienaI ran into Ronald (the Dutch pilgrim I’d walked with yesterday) while out exploring Siena. He’s taking the day off tomorrow to enjoy the city.My first stop on my evening trek around town was the Duomo di SienaI arrived at the Duomo right as the bells were ringing.Intricate carvings on the DuomoWhat a lovely and architecturally rich city.Torre de Mangia – one of the tallest secular towers in ItalyEarly evening views of the Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico
Highlights
I’m super proud of myself for toughing it out through a 23-mile day in the miserable rain. Cold rain is my kryptonite. But I didn’t quit, and I didn’t take the bus.
The town of Siena had been my favorite stop on the Via Francigena. It didn’t hurt that the weather magically cleared shortly after I arrived, so I could go out and explore the city sights.
Listening to the bells chiming at the Duomo for a solid 5 minutes and standing in the square filled me with awe.
Challenges
I was really looking forward to this stage of the Via Francigena because of the chance to walk next to the Elsa’s turquoise waters. Unfortunately, the rain and broken bridge beside the river meant that wasn’t going to happen.
This was the first stage where I really missed my trekking poles. Between the steep climb to Monteriggione and the slick trail, I could have used the extra support.
I still don’t feel like I’ve met many pilgrims on the Via Francigena. Most of the people I passed today were speaking French, and Ronald (the Dutch pilgrim) will soon be a full day behind me as he’s taking tomorrow off to sightsee in Siena.
