It rained all night but it was only a dense fog that blurred the steep cobblestoned lanes as we walked past the hazy lit shops. Once again just a few people wandering the sloping streets with their newly washed smoothed stones. This main street continues its long slightly curved journey for over 500 metres then back down on a tarmac road and then the longest, steepest downhill gravel and dirt path we have seen so far. Cars were going so slowly in case they started to slide or run us over.
Then it was flat and straight. The boy from Israel passed with his GPS – they can be really helpful when in difficulty, but really not needed. A bit of rain and we’d come prepared so no need to stop. Then a Roman road. Large smooth grey stones were the evidence of this ancient road about 2 metres wide, surprisingly not slippery after the washing – it added a bit of feeling to the track.
Along a puddled track 2 white shepherd dogs jumped out on the road barking loudly, one especially confronting 3 puddles away. I put my sticks on ready and quietly manoeuvred our way around. Just 1 metre past and he showed no interest at all. Our Dutch friend soon caught us so we walked and talked together on a narrow white gravel track that we could see far into the distance. We passed some people attempting to cure their ills in outdoor rock spa baths – about 6 people big.
Then it decided to rain so for about an hour or so we tested our rain gear. Phillips cheap Aldi coat probably did the best along with Corrie’s $2 shop poncho. My New Balance non-waterproof shoes are ok in light rain but could not hold out this constant waterfall. We looked at the graffiti tunnel under the motorway and entered it with the dignity expected in a 5 star hotel. We removed our gear and prepared a snack – I leant against the written wall, Phillip sat in the ditch with his legs high up in front and Corrie stood, while 2 cars drove respectfully through our new dining room.
We were getting cold, Philip’s 6’6’’ frame looked ensconced in the ditch, and the rain was not going away so another hour of heavy rain stayed with us until the end – a small hotel in a side lane with a wifi password that made us feel right at home – ‘australia’.
Inner soles were removed, newspaper stuffed in to shoes, rain gear hung in the shower space, not dry clothes from the day before laundry laid out to dry, half a ham sandwich leftover from yesterdays lunch was consumed with a squashed grape and broken biscuit desert – my 1 pair of shoes too wet to take me to lunch and Corrie’s ankle needed some rest. The good thing about being in a hotel when things are wet is – they have a hair dryer which will be used for everything but hair.
