Day 40 From Radicofani to Aquapendente 31.9 km

Saturday 19th October day 40 another long walk 31.8 km

Packed and left the lovely pilgrims accommodation by 7:10 am - ready for another long walk. We had our shortest walk to a bar for our morning caffe yet! about 20 steps from the door! the pastries were absolutely fresh a few minutes ago from the patisserie and still warm, sooo delicious and flaky! Patrick had one oozing with chocolate! 

Farmers are whizzing off to work in their Apes already early in the morning as we head out of the village

We're up above the clouds again at first 

We walk down the hill / mountain side for a couple of hours, through the mist, the scenery is very rural, there's the occasional gunshot from hunters

looking back through the clearing clouds towards Radicofani

Many of the farms here seem to have milking sheep, some with new lambs

Another photo, they're so cute with their waggling tails, and the newborns still so white and clean!

The herd below had a couple of Maremma guard dogs with them, one of the dogs walked behind us along the track for about 25 m barking... just letting us know to keep away from his sheep! I wasn't game to turn around and take a photo! You can just see him in the photo below, he's the same colour as the sheep

Arrive in Ponte a Rigo at 11am, there's a nice little picnic shelter for pilgrims, we eat our picnic lunch early, still a little bit misty.

Roma, only 147 km away! Looking forward on our walk and the distances in our guide book- it looks as though we'll be in Roma in one week!!

then we walk another 40 m to the bar for another Caffé! Patrick- surprise surprise also has another sweet pastry!

We continue on walking, but the VF signage is quite different from our guide book... the guide book seems to have us traveling in a different direction, and perhaps across farms... as the ground is very damp, and muddy we decide to follow the VF signs, which have us going left, over the bridge and along the road, rather than the guide book directions. We follow the road, then divert off to grassy tracks beside the main road, 

and later onto the old sections of the via Cassia, so not too much walking with traffic.

Lots of views of farmlands 

some walking through shady woods

Approaching Acquapendente 

Not the most picturesque entrance to a town, I think in an effort to maintain tradition, the VF has us going through the original portal, which now is edged with chicken coops and dog kennels!

Some very narrow streets 

Here's our accommodation, via Roma 51 part of an old church complex, it's a fascinating set of old buildings! We're the only pilgrims again. We haven't met up with any other pilgrims for a couple of weeks now.

View from our pilgrim room over the roof tops of the church buildings

The Acquapendente Cathedral below

The crypt under the cathedral is just gorgeous!

The carvings on all the stone pillars are intriguing

There's some holy relics

A piazza full of water fountains

detail of one of the many water spouts

Where shall we have dinner?

On the way to find an Osteria or trattoria, we luckily stumble on a "fungi" exhibition. hundreds of fungi are on display, named and labelled if they're edible, toxic and / or morti deadly! I think I'll leave the fungi gathering to the experts and just help out by eating them!

It's all buzzing action in the main Piazza! Polizia blowing whistles, everyone out for evening Passiagata 

Today we left Toscana, and we are now in the province of Viterbio, in the region of Lazio

Had dinner- again delicious, at the il Borgo (restaurant, rooms and pizzeria) Via Porta Acquapedente. Wi fi, great food and good price!

Our Accommodation for tonight:

THE HOUSE OF THE PILGRIM - ACQUAPENDENTE

Address: Via Roma, 51 - Acquapendente
Phone: 339 8499965 - 347 1662919
Type: Hostel Pellegrini
Open all year
Price: Offer
Number of places: 13
Use of kitchen: NO.

Other Options,
ASSOCIATION HOUSE OF LAZARUS - ACQUAPENDENTE

Address: Via Cappuccini, 23
Phone: 0763 730177
Email: cercam@libero.it
Type: Religious Structure
Open all year
Price: Offer
Number of places: 21
Use of kitchen: YES.