Day 22: Stage 17: Poggio Bustone, 18 km, Sun, 22°

Too Bad, So Sad!😂🤣

I’m in safely, but I have no data available and my Wi-Fi is almost nonexistent. I can message at best. I will write this blog post and then upload it tomorrow. Sorry about that. I’ll try to post one photograph from today and it will be the view from where I’m staying tonight.

An afternoon thunderstorm has arrived and with it the rain. 

Ciao!

Later:

After I had done all my usual après walk stuff and the rain has stopped I was able to go out side and find a spot where I had enough data to upload my photos. While I was out I was also able to watch my first sunset of a sort. So on with my day.

A lot of walkers on this route have stayed in the hotel I stayed out last night. It was expensive, but I read on Facebook two days ago that someone stayed here and had to pay almost twice what I paid. There are many places to stay around here which is a surprise given it’s tourist appeal. I guess there was a shortage of available rooms. In any event, I left a bit late today because breakfast was part of the deal. And it wasn’t your typical Italian sweet breads type breakfast, but a full on breakfast. Eventually though I waddled out onto the street and began the stage. Just as yesterday, I didn’t see another walker today.

I had seen some Olympic signs on my way into town, and this sign explained why. I gather this is the training spot for the Italian Olympic rowing team. That would explain all the lain markers on the lake.

It had rained all night, I know because I woke up quite often and the rain was hammering on the roof just outside my window. I was a little surprised to see the blue sky this morning. Optimistically I didn’t put my pack cover on even though the forecast was for rain today. it’s easy enough to stop and get set up for rain if necessary 

I saw a hill town off to my right, and didn’t think anything of it.

That was until I got closer. I began to have an uncomfortable feeling that I was headed up to that hill town.
It was a short, but very steep climb! I actually had to stop briefly on the way up to catch my breath, and I was soaked by the time I reach the top. Talk about a rude start to my day! Probably the real issue was the really good breakfast that was holding me down😂
I didn’t take any pictures of the steep climb, I was too busy, turning into a mountain goat! But you’ll see from a few of the pictures just how high this little town is. In mediaeval times I’m sure no one would dare attack it from the direction I came.
While I didn’t see anyone, clearly there were people around.

Some of the stonework on the streets was really good. Trust modern man to put a culvert lid in the middle of a sidewalk mosaic. This would be the same people who string massive powerlines in front of some of the most scenic places I’ve walked. Clearly the people that plan and approve these things aren’t outdoors enthusiasts. Another pet peeve!
As I said earlier, the forecast was for rain later in the morning, and I was very aware of this considering the route today was to go up over 1200 m. Moreover, much of the upper level route was through trees on pretty rough trails, or at least that’s what my guide book said. 

What has been a fairly clear morning was fast clouding ip in all directions. But it was still pretty nice out at this point.

This morning over breakfast I had decided that there was a decision point on the route, and I marked it on my app. This meant that once I reached a certain point I had to make a decision whether or not to go higher. 

When I reached the decision point I decided to walk the various roadways instead of going along the higher trails. I’m still aware of the limitations of my boot treads, and I didn’t think it was worth the aggravation if it should rain. Besides, I’ve been up and down and over and back these past three weeks! Missing a climb wasn’t going to make or break this journey. 

I reminded myself that I would pass through several villages and still have fabulous views. The words of the Swiss couple I bumped into on the trail a few days ago also resonated. They said that this section was nothing but trees without views. I had justified my decision! So I set off happily ‘down’ the road. I would have less climbing and save myself 3 kms! 

I was to descend to this town below me, and walk out the road shown in the photo. It took a surprisingly long time for the road to reach this town, even though it appeared so close. I was surprised.
Meantime the clouds continue to build. I could see rain falling across the Rieti Valley as well.

It sure is pretty country to walk through!

I started to see Poggio Bustone in the distance on the side of the hill.





It took a while, but I finally passed through Riyodutri, an older city in its own right. I tried using Google maps directions to help me cross this town, but it was so confused by the warren of streets and alleyways, that I finally gave up and just found my way through by trial and error. Some of these town plans are pretty crafty, and one finds little pathways that somehow carry you through. I’ve been in many places where this type of design was intended to slow down invaders who breached the city walls.

Above me the clouds were closing in. 
The same thing seem to be happening everywhere. 

The rains across the valley seemed to be intensifying. I wondered how long it would be before they found me? It happened about 1 1/2 km from town. I stopped just long enough to put my pack cover on and continued into town. Thankfully the rain didn’t last very long. 

On the way towards town a lady in a car pulled over and asked me where I was staying tonight. I had to go through all the hassle to figure that out and then show her. She then told me that I wasn’t her guest and that she owned a different B&B. She then shrugged her shoulders and gave me that ‘too bad, so sad’ look as she drove away! Because I wasn’t her guest she didn’t offer me a ride even though it was beginning to rain. I laughed all the way up to town😂😂 

Something else kind of funny happened when I got to the centre of town. I came up behind a fellow who is walking his dog. I noticed that he had a T-shirt on advertising the trans Canada trail. I stopped him and asked him about his shirt, and he told me that he had walked a small portion of it in Newfoundland. We had a nice chat about it and I continued on and search of the towns one grocery store. I text my host to let her know that I was in town early and heading in search of groceries. I suggested that she let me know when her father was available to meet with me to let me in to their apartment in the old town. 

When I came out from the Conad grocery store, there has been a very positive change. I took a series of photos then text my host to tell her that I was going to walk towards the apartment.



She asked me where I was, and I told her I was walking towards the old town. About five minutes later a fellow in a car pulled up and asked me who I was. It turns out that it was Anthony who his daughter had sent to pick me up. What a nice guy! He drove at speed through the narrowest of roads well into the mediaeval center. Impressive! He parked the car and motion for me to follow him. Anthony spoke no English, but somehow we manage to communicate OK

He showed me this view and I thought he meant that I was to head off in that direction tomorrow morning. I didn’t like the look of that!

I guess he saw the look on my face and gestured then I leave in that direction, but that I would descend to this lower road (way down at the bottom of this photo. He told me the stage should take about 4-5 hours. He kindly got me settled into the apartment, and just after he left, there was a thunderstorm, and the rain fell for. I think a couple of hours. I felt a lot happier about not going up higher when that rain started to fall. I would’ve been caught in it. 

And now the sun set. I was sitting in a small piazza uploading photos.





That’s it for today. It’s been a good day. 

Five stages remain until I reach Rome. The time is flying by!