Thursday 17 October 2013

Day 38 from Montalcino to San-Quirico-d'Orcia 25 km

Thursday 17th October  Day 38  from Montalcino to San-Quirico-d'Orcia 25km

We head down from Hilltop Montalcino to rejoin the Via Francigena and continue on to San-Quirico-d'Orcia
Started the day above the clouds in lovely Montalcino with blue sky.
At the Piazza Cavour on our way out the eccentric caretaker/ gardener has created a new display. Its grape harvest and wine making time
Even at 8:30 am in the morning he's got happy Italian music playing, 
and he's busy working and chatting.
We walked down the way we came up to avoid car traffic

Down the quiet, peaceful country lanes
We can see as we walk down, we'll soon descend into the clouds, 
we walk through misty, eerie fog for the next few hours. 
Patrick and I are reminded of the movie "Werewolves in London" and spend the next hour or so trying to recall the storylines...
The moisture laden air creates delicate patterns of water droplets on the spider webs
The grape vines are pruned and trained very strictly 
stopped in Torrenieri village for CaffĂ© and lunch snack. And the fog clears as we walk onwards for the next few hours to San-Quirico-d'Orcia!
arrived San-Quirico-d'Orcia about 3 pm, our accommodation is next to the church
number 18, up the stairs to our pilgrim accommodation and bunk beds
view from our bedroom window 
I think these light fittings would be right at home at my place!
An afternoon wander and gelati...

San-Quirico-d'Orcia is another town with a fortress. There's even a catapult!
The lovely walled gardens of San-Quirico-d'Orcia
The old Pilgrims hospice courtyard in San-Quirico-d'Orcia
Sunset, time to get the pilgrim washing off the line and find our dinner Osteria

lovely dinner at Osteria Ossena, on the main via of the old town, only 400 m from our accommodation! They have a great food philosophy, cooking and serving what they grow and rear on their own farm

We get some advice tonight from Don George to stay on the road the first section of the route tomorrow to Radicofani  as the way through the fields on the first half of the walk doesn't go near any villages for hours and may be very wet and muddy. it's a long 32 km walk tomorrow! 

Our accommodation tonight; 

COLLEGIATE San Quirico - San Quirico d'Orcia

Address: Via Dante Alighieri at the Church
Phone: 0577 897236 - 0577 897278 - 0577 897587 - 347 7748732
Email: giorgio.maramai@teletu.it
Type: Religious Structure
Agent: Don George
Open all year
Price: 9 €
Number of places: 30
Use of kitchen: YES.


1 comment:

  1. Fabulous pictures, so atmospheric. I would love to visit, it looks so peaceful x

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