We got an early start because the forecast was for another hot day. As we walked by an olive grove just outside of town, we saw an older man trimming his trees. He was whistling a lively tune but stopped to greet us and wish us a Buona Camminata (“Good walk”). David responded by whistling a tune himself and the man walked over to reach out to us through his fence. It was a lovely moment.
It is becoming apparent that one of us (who will remain nameless) has a better natural sense of direction than the other. Let’s just say that there was a brief argument while standing in front of a sign that included a map with an arrow “Voi siete qui” which means “You are here”. One of us was trying to make the point that we weren’t really there! The joys of map reading and using a navigation app are endless.
We walked through another beautiful medieval walled hill town (Colle di Val d’Elsa) but unlike San Gimignano, this one didn’t have tour buses or tourists massing through its narrow streets. It was only about 8 miles away from San Gimignano but quiet and deserted. I was so happy that our walk passed through it, off the beaten track.
As we got close to our stopping point for the day, we passed an Etruscan terme (thermal spring) where some young people were socializing. I looked up the Etruscans and their civilization was thriving in Tuscany around 250 B.C. The outline of the structures were still visible and the water was an iridescent turquoise.
Today’s mileage - 12.2 miles
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