D7 Olmo to Firenze

It's a very short day today, 8km, and mostly downhill, so we are having a very leisurely 8.30 breakfast. We are sat outside on the veranda, and do a bit of table shifting so that we can sit with Winnie and Mona. I hope they don't mind the intrusion. We reminisce about the walk, the highlights and the idiosyncrasies of the  various places we have stayed.
Florence looks charming and close in the morning air, as the bells of the city drift across to us.
Winnie tells me that contrary to my belief that all churches are free admission in Italy, the Duomo in Florence charges to get in. I am surprised, but he has been to investigate.
It’s forecast to be hot today, 29 or 30 degrees. So we have been pondering wearing walking sandals. In the end we decide to wear boots so that we look like genuine Via Degli Dei walkers rather than casual tourists.

So we leave the Pensione Bencista, which is easily the most impressive place we have stayed, and begin climbing. There are 60m of ascent today and they are at the start, as we go up the drive of our hotel.

Soon we are descending on tracks and paths. It is a much more enclosed landscape, we are usually walking alongside the boundary fence of a large and unseen property, but it's quite pleasant and getting hot.

We start to pass large and expansive properties as we hit the city outskirts.
Then busy roads. It feels odd to be surrounded by traffic and noise and the smell of fumes are very noticeable after a week without them.

Even stranger is having to cross roads via subways. We are directed down by some locals, as though we are a set of complete country bumpkins on our first visit to the big city.

We call into the botanic gardens for a quick look around, a sit down in the shade, and to eat some food.
The streets are getting narrower and busier as we get into the historic heart of the city. We pass the Duomo and soon reach the end of the walk at the Fountain of Neptune. Very different in style to the Neptune in Bologna, but a very suitable end for the way of the gods.

So we have finished.
It hasn't been the most challenging walk, but the scenery has been consistently good, the weather has been fabulous, and all of the accommodation has been unique, memorable, and worthy of return.
It goes to show that a walk does not have to be tough to be rewarding – though comments from other walkers suggests that perhaps I am underplaying the physical challenge.

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