Colle di Val d’Elsa to Monteriggioni – September 30th – 9.1 miles in 6 hours climbing 1100 feet.
One of the Fab Five said, “you must go down to go up” – how about if you want to go up you just take an elevator? Yup, in Colle di Val d’Elsa. This medieval hilltop town has an ascensore to take people and weary pilgrims to the top (or bottom) of the hill.
We took this fabulous time machine up to the top for dinner and panoramic views.
Our B&B was so comfy and fabulous – the kitchen perfect for wine and then breakfast.
Today was a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes, forms, textures, terrain and people. The soil rich like dark chocolate. A simply stupendous day!
We’re staying at the clean and comfy B&B In Piazza – literally on the Piazza in this small but uber charming hilltop medieval walled city. 
Roxanne’s post and photos:
Walking out of the town of
Colle Val d’Elsa. 
One legged sock change
Soaking up the view
An Italian and a Nevadan showing their total joint replacement scars on their knees. 
Pruning olive tree
Walking towards the hill with the towers of the town walls of Monteriggioni. 
Yellow in Tuscany
No touchy
That’s San Gimignano way up there at the top of the last photo.
Saturday must be hunting day. One group told us they were looking for wild boar. It’s on every menu in this region. Some group of hunters had walkie talkies – some were alone. It was interesting that no one had a hunting dog. This man had a bird call.
It was a short day. We started out leisurely and ended by 12:30 where we walked straight into an Enoteca and had a marvelous lunch.
Colle di Val d’Elsa is another medieval town known for it’s production of crystal glassware and art.
Tonight we are staying at B&B Palazzo Beltramini. Again, we rented all the rooms and have the place to ourselves. Lucky us.
Today we walked with Diana from New Mexico. She’s here celebrating her 60th birthday year.
There’s many more pilgrims on the trail since Lucca. Some are going to Sienna and the others are going to Rome. On the Camino de Santiago everyone greeted each other with the phrase Buen Camino – here we just say Boungiorno.
Below is a picture of must which is left over skins, seeds, and stems of grapes used to make balsamic vinegar.
Vineyards and farmland.
The scenery is constantly changing.
We climbed to the stunning and heavily tourist filled town of San Gimignano – a medieval hill town and UNESCO World Heritage site. Known as the town of fine towers. Imposing on the inside. Marvelously massive on the outside.
Rooms are expensive and almost all of the hotels were full. We happened upon an apartment called Nacci Duccio. They had three super clean rooms with private baths and flowered toilet paper. We had the whole place to ourselves. Perfect!
We had a romantic dinner for five overlooking Tuscany. It was magical!
Roxanne’s blog and photos:
Walked to the town known for it’s tower houses, San Gimignano. 
Tanking up
Again Paige’s sewing skills saves the day! With pink thread and a needle, she repaired the holes in a pilgrim’s shoe. 
Teresa at the Vella della Certosa Bed and Breakfast explained that Italians like to sing their words so they pronounce every vowel in a word. 
Yes to the coldest morning yet – two long sleeved shirts and my coat. It took a couple of hours to de-layer down to a short sleeved shirt. By the end of the walk I was toasty in my pants.
Have you noticed in the photos that the sun is too often in my way? If we pilgrims could plan the Via we’d walk due South. However, the Via has us, again and again, going east and north. Everyday one of us bitches about it for a second or two and then we move on. It must be cathartic because there’s no reasonable explanation for the behavior.
To spice things up a bit we walk on roads with little to no shoulders. 
On this day the community offered super cool blister and cut first aid boxes.
Hello hills!
They look like rolling milk chocolate – plowed and ready to plant. 
And then… green.
The day was perfectly challenging.
We stayed at the fantastic Villa Della Certosa in a two bedroom suite. Chappy took the pull out sofa in the living room. Our host Theresa was the best – so helpful and kind! Felt like home.
Roxanne’s post and photos:
Ponte a Cappiano to San Miniato – 9.2 miles in 6 hours including breaks. It’s Wednesday September 26th.
We’re staying the super clean Ostello San Miniato. 
What a treat after last night’s grossly dirty Ostello Comunale Ponte dei’ Medici. We were charmed by the outside. Never judge a book by its cover. Take a look at the bedroom door. Ewww.
San Miniato is a hilltop town with panoramic views and is as charming as it gets.
The cool morning air allowed for long pants and a semi-heavy long sleeved shirt.
After a quick walk out of Altopascio we were greeted by a trail – a soft and cushy path. We needed this.
By 9:20 it was time to change into a thinner long sleeved shirt and by 11:00 I was wearing short sleeves.
We encountered two more pilgrims today – sisters from the USA. Today is their first day and they too are heading to Rome.
You were right Troy when you said we needed a morale booster. Thankfully, today was that day. Easy trail, cool temps and wind.
We’re staying at Ostello Comunale Ponte dei’ Medici. All five of us are sharing a room. 
Chappy’s bed broke – what do you expect for 20 euros?
After lunch Bill and I shared the best tiramisu we’ve ever had and Roxanne enjoyed a marscapone parfait with gluten free cookies.
It was a good day.
Our time in Lucca was fun. We actually had two days off from the Via.
It was a mixed bag – residential, farm land, industrial and commercial areas – lots of olive trees.
We met a new pilgrim from the USA. It was her first day on the trail, she’s ultimately walking to Sienna and looked like we did on our first day. Clean, fresh and eager!
We entered the province of Florence and are sleeping at the Albergo Paola. It’s a one star that’s better than some three stars we’ve stayed in and here 
From Lucca walked to Altopascio
Three wheels
This bell tower is in Altopascio. The bell is called “Smarrita” the bell of the lost that rang at dusk to help pilgrims lost in the fog and the woods.
and color…
There’s lots of fresh air in one of our favorite cities in Tuscany.
We hopped on a train and headed south. It wasn’t hot enough so we decided to go even hotter!
Today it was hot and humid by 9:30. Darrell learned that the weather is not normal for this time of year.
The humidity causes the horizon to be misty and our bodies to be soggy and heavy.
We encountered seven other pilgrims along the trail and met the nicest locals today. They all think we’re nuts for walking to Rome but smile at our tenacity.
We found the closest place to rest at the Hotel Astoria.
Roxanne’s post and photos:
Walk then a boat ride across the Po River (with two fun Italian lady pilgrims). Walk again – then a train ride to Fiorenzuola. One final walk right to the Hotel Concordia.
Right after taking the picture below I slid a couple of feet down the boat ramp and my phone went flying in the air towards the river – miraculously it landed on a small patch of reed grass and didn’t get wet.
The boat captain took us to his house to sign his guest book and to get stamps in our pilgrim passports.
10 miles by foot.
We saw alfalfa fields today and also confirmed with a farmer that the beans are indeed soy (good call Cathy).
The misty cool morning and the presence of hunters brought a smile upon my face. 
Hills! There’s hills on our horizon. Just wait! We know they will test our stamina but we are looking forward to them.
This is what betraying the train warning sign looks like when you’re carrying a backpack.
Improv on the Via….
The crossing guard got a text message!
There’ll be days like this, mama said…
Tonight we are in another super clean donativo sponsored by the local municipality. The mayor, Luigi, came by to greet us.
Mosquito repellent
Pheasant hunter near Miradolo Terme
Sidewalk cafe in Miradolo Terme
Cusani Castle in Chignolo, Po
Hostel in Orio Litta
It was such an exciting day! We had the rare opportunity to walk through RICE and CORN!
Oh and BEANS!
If it wasn’t for the mosquitos that ate us alive we might have been able to finish the day by sleep walking. It seems as if we’ve plowed this trail for days. It’s only the new bed each night that tells me we aren’t walking in circles.
I kid about the rice, corn and beans. The truth is that it’s beautiful – not just the landscape but the fact that we are all doing this together, we’re healthy, we get to visit, laugh, share and be still within ourselves.
We’ve all become huge fans of clouds and wind because the sun slowly sucks the life out of us like an aging helium balloon. Lucky for us the weather Gods has given us plenty of cloudy mornings.
Tonight we are staying in a church donativo. All five of us are in one room. There are 10 in the building and there’s one bathroom.
Irrigation
Coffee with heavy cream
Sidewalk cafe in Torre de’ Negri
Gelateria
Five beds and one bathroom hostel in Santa Cristina E Bissone
Neighborhoods.
More rice, corn and beans but not prevalent like before. 
Boy is it flat! There’s not a hill in sight.
Most of our walk was on pavement which takes a toll on the body.
Belgioioso
We’re staying at La Locanda Della Pesa an Albergo. Super clean room with two beds and a private bath. I rate it a 9 for the comfortable beds (yup 2 twins) and cleanliness. Bill rated it a 9 because he found a fork on the floor with food on it. Darrell rated it a 7 because it didn’t have air and Chappy gave it a 6 because it doesn’t have WiFi – so he thought… now it’s a 9.
Yellow church in San Leonardo
Yellow home in Belgioioso
The scenery changed today – large farms, narrow country roads and woodsy paths next to the Ticino River.
Early this morning rice was still king and corn its queen. Shotguns echoed around us as camouflaged sportsmen hunted for pheasant.
Approaching the noon hour we approached the Ticino River – silent fishermen cast their lines while motorboats scared the fish away.
Bicyclers ruled the road ande trails! Occasionally scaring the $h!t out of us.
It is remarkable how new scenery stimulates the mind and body – it’s like a shot of adrenaline!
Hello Pavia and the Hotel Excelsior.
Wring it out –
Lay it on a towel – 
Wring again – 
Hang –
Roxanne’s post and photos:
Harvested rice
Lombardy Plain irrigation canal
Ticino River
Purple tractor
Pavia, a college town on the Ticino River
I think our brains knew we had a short walk and shut down our bodies right out of the chute.
The mosquitos are back!!! If you stop to take a photo the flies and mosquitos will take you down and eat you alive. Especially by the piles of poo!
Pheasant tracks galore.
Beautifully overcast most of the day.
We now lie on the bed in the Hotel Motel Flower (no lie).
Our hallway the night before:
It rained last night which made for a wet but pillowy soft walk on the grassy trail. The foggy sunrise was magical and just a tiny bit eerie.
Quickly our shoes became soaked.
Today there were two train crossings. At the first one Chappy became impatient waiting so he crossed the tracks only to tell us no train was coming….. blah, blah, blah.
He didn’t cross early at the second train.
For those who have asked we have seen pilgrims everyday but yesterday.
Tonight we’re sleeping at Hotel Dica di Tromello and Giuseppe is our host
Roxanne’s photos:
Rice mill.
11.2 miles and 6 hours.
Then teetered on the shoulder of a busy road and timely jay walked as a police car pulled up to the intersection. They smiled and shook their heads in disgust.
This lead to a gravel road that meandered through fields of corn and rice which soon became fields of neglect. It was hot and humid. Gravel is a bugger to walk on for any length of time. It surely conditions every single muscle from the knees on down.
A pizza and salad lunch was in the cute town of Palestro. You know what they say about eating your way through Italy. Good golly we surely can’t be walking enough to offset the calories.
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock – all playing at different times like Row Row, Row Your Boat. The cadence of walking sticks. Apparently, 4 out of 5 hikers recommend them. However when going down steep muddy trails the remains 20% wish they had them. I love the sound. It’s harmony to my ears.
We strolled into the heart of Robbio where a bunch of men were visiting outside the local cafe. They were excited to see us pilgrims and wanted to know where we were from and told us we’d be staying across the way. However the lady who was to let us in the donativo (donation only dormitory) told us we only have a reservation for one not five. When asked if there was another place in town they all chit chatted amongst themselves and the gal got on the phone to arrange for us to stay in another donativo four kilometers away. One of the men kindly offered to drive us there in his van.
This is what an evening looks like. Laundry, bar, C rated movie in Italian, killing flies, visiting, drinks and more food!
Farm Houses.
Rice.
After witnessing the beautiful church in Cavaglià Bill and I thought Darrell and Roxanne might like to see the Duomo.
We saw, ate, gelato(ed), haircut(ed), ate, drank, ate and are going to bed quasi early.
We’re staying the night in Milan then hopping on an early train back to Vercelli to start the Via again.
Roxanne’s post and photos:
We decided the previous evening that if we could find a store we’d buy snacks for dinner – retire early and start at dawn to ward off walking longer in the heat. Normally dinner starts between 7:00-7:30 pm which means a late bedtime.
Bill decided it’s time for his flip flops!
Cornfields, hay, kiwi plants, rice fields and some sort of lower growing fuzzy beans were all around us. We walked briefly near the highway and along irrigation ditches full of water.
Pooped out as we crawled into Santhià.
Roxanne’s post and photos:
It’s the celebration of Saint Rocco and Bill is standing in the confetti. 
Coffee Americano
Vineyards, kiwi orchards, rice paddies, corn, farmhouses and rural roads. 
