Woken by alarm at 7. First time I've really needed alarm since leaving Greece. Quick shower, then pack, and still have time for a quick look around the town/village. It is a most charming place.
Our hotel in the piazza, with its mountain backdrop and clear blue skies is picture perfect. Or would be if I could get rid of the parked cars.
The town is really clean, with no litter, and an abundance of public art everywhere you look
Breakfast is a strange affair. There's appears to be a lot of activity in the kitchen, but very little out for breakfast. No bread, no cooked meats (thank the lord), no fruit. So it's coffee and cake, in that traditional Italian way.
Quick visit to the gelateria before setting off. This is the first proper ice cream opportunity since Bologna, and though a bit early in the day, sometimes you just have to take those opportunities when they present themselves and just seize the moment.
It's straight into an uphill start as we head towards the Castillo. You can tell your in Medici territory, by the public displays of extravagant detail.
We seem to be in a gentler and more open landscape today.
There is still much woodland, but also more meadow and rolling farmland. Flowers still abound, the air is still full of butterflies and bees, and the sound of birdsong – though we have list our cuckoos.
We climb steadily uphill, along forestry roads, towards Trebbio castle, built by Lorenzo il Magnifico and now a world heritage site.
I was hoping for a quick look around but could not get beyond the gates.
We continue along quiet lanes, tracks and paths. We are surrounded by the scents of broom, roses, honeysuckle, and wide views wild flower meadows. Still puzzled by the lack of cattle grazing this land, it looks made for them.
We then begin the second climb of the day, the 550m ascent of Il Giogo to the Monte Senario Sanctuary. And the temperature climbs into the high 20s as we slowly plod our way uphill.
Lunch is by an abandoned farm at Casa Sodera. We eat in the shade of some trees by some old fish tanks. I restrain myself from pointing out the dead rat floating in the water. No point in spoiling people's meals.
It's then more climbing until we finally arrive at the mountain top monastery. It has a bar. Hooray. It is closed. Boo. It will open at 3. Hooray. But it doesn't open. Boo. Eventually opens at 3.15 and we have coffee or coke according to preference.
Then a quick look around the sanctuary. As a place to practice a poor and contemplative life it does appear somewhat opulent.
After the up, up, up, it's down, down, down towards Olmo and our accommodation. Much of this section is off the Via Degli Dei and our route description is a little misleading. But not too misleading and we successfully navigate ourselves towards the Hotel Dino. We have our first glimpse of Florence, which looks tantalisingly close. Difficult to believe it is two days away.
Today's walk us possibly the best so far for overall quality.
Winnie and Mona are already settled in, showered and changed. We dump stuff in our rooms and sit down for some cool beer.
Dinner is also very good, though we are wary of ordering more than we can eat. So just a primi and a secondi, but carefully chosen. Food very good, as is the litre of house red.
Dolci? Always a tough choice:
My biscuits soaked with wine is just the right manageable amount:
Anita's tiramisu is too much for her and she barely scratches the surface:
But the prize for the comedy pudding went to Christine, for her Frutti della Stagione:
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