It was an eclectic walk. We started on a ‘5 car a minute road’ for a short while, then off on those various ‘exit to avoid the traffic pathways’, all the way to our next destination. These varied from narrow sunny embankments, a bit like walking on a castle wall; to tree and bush lined ‘up and down small hill gully tracks’ across creeks; to gravel roads through farmland and back streets. These took us [...]

We had to walk 2-3 kilometres this morning to find a bar (if I didn’t tell you before or you didn’t know) a bar sells alcohol, coffee and croissant variations. As usual, men between 40 and 70 approx. were the main guests eating and drinking their regular morning delights as we did ours. Off through the outskirts of the famous and beautiful Lucca which we didn’t give the respect it deserves (this time). Instead we [...]

We walked as though we were nearly 7 not 70 - a day off and cool, we were renewed. Along a highway for a short distance past early bar openers, a couple of locals, lots of cars, cats on every corner free to do as they wish with their barking friends disallowed the same freedom, penned up with their wishes confined. Mountains all around, the marble-mined ones obvious in the background with their grey starkness, [...]

Help from the polizia I love thunder and lightning, especially when I’m not out in it, and tonight the thunder seemed to shake our little room, while our window was in a position where the lightning would simply shine up our room - it was real theatre for me - Corrie was too tired to attend and slept through the entire performance. It did not happen - the bandage was too tightly attached [...]

The great bonus with staying in a parrocchia or donative is because not only are they cheap (mostly what you can afford), but it is a chance to meet others doing the same walk, swap ideas and experiences, talk intimately about life and talk to people from varying cultures. There were 16 of us at dinner where we had soup, bread, some chicken or beef, salad, water frizzante and wine - all for eu10 each. [...]

It’s raining so wet gear on except for my non waterproof new balance shoes - but so far in the rain my wet feet have not caused me any concern - the risk I took by leaving the heavy waterproof shoes in Sydney. Early traffic brought us to acute awareness on the slippery road but drivers appear to be cognisant of walkers and bikers so slow down and give us a wide berth. Gradual climbs [...]

We stayed in a quiet and quaint village by a rocky river. After a small sleep-in we walked slowly out of town, glancing about us at the ancient buildings huddled together while a few locals nodded with a ‘bongiorno’. Always older men walking about, with a few younger ones earnestly off to work and shop shutters being noisily raised. At all times, when leaving a village, we are aware of our noisy poles on the [...]

Up into the mountains again through villages, high up and low down in the valley, with spectacular views from 1000 metres on Cisa Pass, we relished the spectrum of this intriguing mountain range. The steep climbs and slippery loose shale declines meant we had to be extra careful, so interspersed with taking in the spectacular alpine views it was a long day. Forests of pines, oaks and others, some clinging to the especially steep slopes, [...]

The kitchen is an extension of our sleeping quarters so the 4 of us simply moved our packs into the kitchen so as not to disturb the Germans who were having a sleep in on their last day. Our friends made breakfast and we were away again higher up in the Apennines which are a little cooler with much more shade. What an eclectic walk today as we walked from tarmac roads across rolling hillsides [...]