Day 40 - Radicofani to Procena- Friday July 24, 2015

We had a lovely breakfast in the apartment, using a mix of what we got from the bar and peaches we bought ourselves from a fruit vendor. The fruit here is absolutely delicious – especially the peaches, nectarines, and pears. They are at the perfect ripeness when you buy them, very juicy, and sweet. All very local.

We had arranged through Beppe to be picked up at a bar at km 10.1 where the VF crosses the SP 2 (via Cassia). It was really the only place easily accessible by car today. The rendezvous was set for 9:40am.

Because we got a taxi drive to Radicofani yesterday, we didn’t know how we would have arrived, so when we set off right on time at 7am, we went the wrong way from the hotel! Of course the route notes didn’t tell us which way to go, that would have been too easy. After a while, Russell was very unhappy with the GPS, and we had to stop and really think about where to go. So, half an hour and 1.1km later, we were on track. This was causing me stress, because of the rendezvous, but it was only 10km and it was supposed to be downhill. It was primarily downhill, but we still managed to climb 150 meters today.

The land along this stretch is quite barren, and primarily wheat fields. 

We passed by a number of farms, several with sheep, some with cows. As mentioned, there is virtually no shade. It is very beautiful nonetheless, with sweeping views of fields and fortresses doting the landscape. We walked along a ridge on the hills at one point, 

which gradually descended down to the bottom of the valley to reach the bank of the river Rigo. It was at the Ponte a Rigo we met the owner of our B&B (Castello di Proceno) for tonight. He had walked to a rest point on the VF where he sat and waited for us. His name was Giovanni, and he was at Via Giovanni. When I saw the name of the road I said to Russell, ‘isn’t that interesting, we are meeting Giovanni and here is via Giovanni’. As soon as he heard me say Giovanni, he came to us and shook our hands. We got there at 9:20am. I was hoping we would get there before him so we could get a cold drink at the bar, and go to the bathroom, oh well.

If we thought driving with the fellow yesterday was an adventure, Giovanni had him beat hands down. It’s a wonder anyone is still alive in this country, the way they drive. I guess they know the roads.

Procena has its roots in the coat of arms of the village. An ancient legend narrates how the Etruscan King Porsenna was wounded by a wild boar while hunting in the woods of Procena. But their hero won the battle by killing the savage animal, and in memory of this event, built the village, whose name comes from Porsenna. Procena, first town of Lazio coming from Tuscany, marked for centuries the boundary between the Papal states and the Granducato of Tuscany. Today the village is at the heart of a network of roads that connect it with the most important cities and historical places of Central Italy. The surrounding region is full of Etruscan, Medieval, and Renaissance monuments that testify to the presence of ancient civilizations.

The castle of Proceno is a 12^th century fortress with a pentagonal base, built to protect the ancient hamlet.

You can see it towering over the countryside for miles. The castle is a rare example of a medieval fortification surviving its original era. Its pentagon base incorporates a main tower and two secondary towers interconnected by walkways and a drawbridge. The complex includes a fort that is attached to one side of the castle by the town's defensive walls. The fort now houses a B&B where we are staying.

The part where we are staying was built in the 18^th century, when one part of the owner’s family moved from Siena to live in this area. So we are actually staying in the castle. It has been in the family of the owner of the B&B for 250 years! It is a real maze back here. He has a winter restaurant and albergo along the main street of the ancient town, and our apartment is down the road, along an alley, through a garden, and in the castle fort. Valerian, a young fellow who works here (not part of the family, I asked) carried our bags to the apartment, gave us our key, led us through the fort, down a cistern, into a cellar, up some stairs and out into a garden (where we could see that where we had exited was along the base of the castle tower wall), along a winding path, past the summer restaurant, and to the pool. He took us into the building of the summer restaurant where there were washrooms, a change room and shower, and a fridge full of ice cold drinks (with a book where you were to record what you took). It is a massive property, a beautiful garden, and a lovely pool. I’m in heaven!

Going back, he took us a different way, past the winter restaurant again, where he went off to get us pool towels and we were to provide our passports and figure out with Giovanni where we would get a ride to and when tomorrow. Giovanni asked if we would like a drink, and we requested gaseous water. Before we could get a word in edgewise a girl at the bar opened a bottle, saying ‘it’s not cold’. If we’d known that, we would have revised our request! Oh well.

We were told dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow would be in the summer restaurant. We asked the assembled masses if we could get our breakfast in advance so we could eat early. We said that we had to get walking very early before it got too hot. We worked out what we like for breakfast versus what they had, and that was all arranged.

I said we wanted to start walking or leave here by 7am and didn’t care if we walked from here and got picked up later along the way or got driven to a different starting point. Giovanni has a very limited grasp of English, and was getting quite flustered about this. There is a big town garlic festival happening here tonight and tomorrow (oh joy, our room window opens onto the main drag), and he was all concerned he couldn’t drive us at 7am because it was too early for him after the festivities tonight, and he couldn’t move the luggage. Valerian said he would take us, but Giovanni was going on about a lot of other things Valerian had to do tomorrow. Valerian tried to calm Giovanni down, and told us they would work it out and get back to us.

We went off to our apartment to do our laundry, have a shower, and then go find provisions and go to the pool. Valerian called and said he would take us at 7am tomorrow, drop us off along the VF, and then take our bags to Borceno.

We stopped back in at the restaurant because I hadn’t yet given them the voucher. Giovanni’s wife was there, and she told us the big festivity tonight involved food all throughout the town, provided by the locals and in celebration of the red garlic the region was famous for. So the summer restaurant is not open, we are to eat the food provided on the street. I don’t really like garlic. Oh well – when in Proceno do as the Proceno’s do.

We had an absolutely wonderful and relaxing swim and lounge about the pool.

Thunderstorms were circling about the village, but never settled here. The festivities were lots of fun. We ate at our B&B. A very garlicy barley and spelt salad, beef bourgignon (delicious), and 4 small cream tarts. Very good. We sat with a couple from Rome, and tried to carry on a meaningful discussion. They were very nice. Their son came upon the scene when we were all disbanding and he could talk English. They just couldn’t believe we were walking from Switzerland to Rome.

Giovanni’s wife told us at dinner that they would bring our breakfast to our apartment at 7am and Giovanni would drive us at 7:30am along the way to shorten the VF. Oh joy, another car ride with Giovanni, this time downhill. Lord, please watch over us!  

I’ve also decided to send Beppe and e-mail and ask him to change our reservation in Rome to PapavistaRelais, which is where Macs told us we would be staying and where I booked the additional nights. It would be much nicer if didn’t have to change hotels in Rome after one night.