Our accommodation was very comfortable and we slept well. The birds started singing at dawn, and we were again delighted to see many house-martins nesting in the eaves of the house. It has been another bright and sunny day, though a little colder than the last couple of days, with a cold easterly wind kicking in around midday.
As we were leaving the dog started barking so we were able to thank Diva for giving us supper last night, and then headed off down the road into Gallina. The bar was closed, and we were later told by the three Italian women we met yesterday that the restaurant was also closed last night so it was just as well that Diva did offer to cook for us. Gallina as a village is rather blighted by being on the main SS2 road from Siena to Rome, with lots of heavy traffic pounding through at great speed. We had to walk down this road for about a kilometre, with the usual stick waving to maintain our space, until the path peeled off right into the fields.
To add to some muddy patches along the track we had the excitement of five or six streams to ford during the morning. Fortunately with little recent rain, water levels were all relatively low. We could imagine that one or two of these crossings would be quite difficult in different conditions.
After the first ford we passed some semi-derelict buildings which had once been a church and ospitale providing hospitality to pilgrims and other travellers, including Siguric (whose diaries are the source for the route of the Via Francigena) in 990/992. It is inspiring to think that we are walking in the footsteps of pilgrims who passed the same way over 1000 years ago!
At the same farm we saw our first sheep in this area, a small flock of lambing ewes, one or two already with lambs. We were surprised to see these heavily pregnant and milking ewes being fed straw rather than more nutritious hay. Perhaps this is the consequence of the very dry summer of 2022, meaning that hay is in short supply this side of winter. As the day went on we passed several more flocks of sheep out on the hills. We weren’t sure whether we are only now seeing sheep because the ground here is too poor for much else, or because flocks have been overwintering in sheds. We are quite high here.
Even though the soil here is thin and, judging by the vegetation, poor and poorly draining, there was still some wheat being grown, though less of it than lower down the valley. As we’ve noticed in other parts of Italy, it seems to be common practice to dig drainage ditches down through fields, taking run-off directly into streams and with it what little soil there is.
We had wonderful views up and down the valley again today, as we climbed steadily higher. We were able to see almost all of yesterday’s walk from San Quirico to Bagno Alto, and Castiglione standing out on its promontory. The horizon was slightly more hazy than yesterday, but we were still able to see mountains in the far distance.
By late morning we came close to the main Orcia river, and followed it upstream, first one side and then the other, dicing with traffic on the SS2 at a couple of points on the way. Our route mostly followed what we think was the old road before the current SS2 was built.
On up the road the wild flowers were enjoying the spring sunshine too. The pink daisies we’ve seen often over the last week were flourishing in profusion on the roadside banks, all facing the sun. Overhead, kites were out hunting, and way above them a regular procession of aeroplanes overflying at high altitude or gaining altitude, presumably after leaving Rome airport, now less than 200kms south of us.
For the next few kilometres we followed a gravel track alongside the SS2. The traffic was awful. On a stretch indicating no overtaking there were cars racing to overtake one another, swerving back just before double solid lines for a junction! There seems to be no enforcement of speed limits or traffic regulations here, so drivers do as they please. We’ve not checked the national accident rate but wouldn’t be surprised if it was pretty high. The driving is almost as dreadful as in Portugal!
The last river crossing of the day was the most challenging as it was on the main river, so much wider than the streams we had crossed lower down the valley. We don’t know how walkers would get across safely in wetter conditions with higher water levels and even faster flow as it was impossible not to get our boots wet.
The path followed the riverbank for a while, before turning southwards and beginning the long climb up to Radicofani, today’s destination. At an agriturismo (farm offering direct sales, meals or B&B) there was a conveniently placed picnic area where we caught up with the three Italian women we met yesterday. The carpet of daisies and dandelions in a newly planted olive grove was beautiful, and a reminder of the diversity we miss by mowing our lawns too often. Not a fault of ours!
The afternoon’s walk was a long steady climb of over 300 metres, partly on rough tracks which we assume had once been cobbled as there were well defined kerb stones in places, and partly on tarred roads. We usually find climbs at the end of the day especially tiring, but Julie’s knee has been less complaining on uphills than downhills so she was also complaining less than usual today!
We easily found our rented house adjacent to the church, and there is a convenient bar and restaurant right next door.
Today was another day of huge views around the beautiful Orcia valley, and off into the distance as we climbed higher. Tonight’s billet is at more than 2900ft and the temperature reflects that.
Tomorrow we shall leave Tuscany and cross into Lazio.