Day 25: Stage 20: Ponticelli, 23 km, Sun, 30°

Are We There Yet? 

This was definitely a bit tougher stage than I’d expected! Not sure how that happened.🤔

After breakfast I was on my way and fairly soon into Poggio San Lorenzo. I passed right through and soon found a steep descent.

I was definitely still in the Apennine foothills! 

Perhaps I thought they might miraculously disappear. Clearly I’ve about had my fill of them!😂





Gorgeous countryside today!

This formal pond basically just appeared out of nowhere. I wondered if it must be very old and left from an earlier wealthy property? 
Beautiful lilies!

Much of the stage was spent on very narrow paths going up one side of a hill and down the other side. It seemed quite relentless for the first 12 km. Up, then down and repeat.

Looking back up towards Poggio San Lorenzo. 

A lovely forest trail. Even now I had to be careful of the mud today. There were huge ponds of water on the trails and also on the small gravel roads. It’s amazing how the runoff continues even though there has been no rain for a couple of days. It just shows the volume of rain that was experienced in the past three weeks.
Every time I found a little stream I of course knew that the next thing was going to be a climb! This one was nice with a little bridge across



This stream crossing was a little less nice, but very manageable.

Another steep climb and I would focus on just getting up it as the heat increased. I would be essentially stuck in the trees the whole way up before a brief gap would show itself and I could measure my progress against the surrounding terrain



Arriving at the top of each climb I’d have a brief look around before the next descent.

Very pretty countryside. Beautifully green after all the rain. By the fall so much of it will be browned out from the heat of the summer sun. 
As I crossed the top of this hill I noticed quite a few signs for several monasteries. I had the sense that this was an area that was quite special to the Catholic church, but I have no idea what I walk through. I had promised to be at my destinations by 13:00 and I was going much slower than I had anticipated. I’m usually pretty good at estimating time and distance, but I knew I was going to be off on my calculation today.






I arrived into the regional town of Poggio Moiano about an hour later than I thought I would. Last night I determined that there were no grocery stores at my destinations. A little research showed that this town had two small, grocery stores where I could get food to cook tonight as I am staying in an apartment. When I say small stores, I mean small. I walked into the first little grocery with sweat streaming off me, and I’m sure I looked a little road worn. The lady behind the counter was quite brusque and rude to me. Fair enough, my Italian is not particularly fluent, but she could have been kinder. We all have off days. As I was putting the few groceries into my pack my hat fell to the floor. I was just reaching for it when another woman picked it up, gave me a lovely smile and wished me a good journey. A simple kindness. Appreciated and likely never forgotten. It’s always the seemingly small gestures that mean the most. 

I also purchased a cold drink which I took to the little square across the street and enjoyed to the fullest. 

And then I descended another steep drop out of town. Sheesh!

I’m going to miss these little villages, but I don’t think my legs will!

I met this young Italian couple hiking up to town. I assume they were Italian, perhaps not? He grunted something as he passed, but the young woman gave me a big smile and we exchanged the typical Cammino greetings. I only took a photo of them because his pack was so massive. I couldn’t believe he was carrying so much. He was young and strong though. I reminded myself that I used to carry a large pack when I was hiking in the mountains more than a few years ago. I carried on down the hill, wondering with my additional 1 kg of food in my pack just how much fun the next climb would be?

The obvious answer was, not very much fun. Still I had to admire the beauty all day long.

Finally getting to the top I looked back across the valley.

And then I start it off, direction down🙂

It was around here that I got into a little trouble with some sheep dogs. My daughter Erin told me this morning that my grandson Avery liked the videos I was sending with chickens and dogs. As I walked past a sheep enclosure the dogs all came racing over to see me off. They were behind a fence and I thought perhaps it would be a good idea to get Avery a video of the puppy dogs. Dumb idea. There were quite a few dogs, and their barking attracted the farm owners. I had some fun explaining in my limited Italian why I was filming the dogs. I ended up pleading the ninth and excused myself by saying that I was a Canadian pilgrim trying to film dogs for children. 😂🤣 I didn’t wait around to see how that went over, but I think I have a little video that I can send Avery.

I made it to the top of the highest pass today and decided that because the view was so wonderful that it somehow warranted a selfie. I’m sure there’s some logic in there somewhere, right? 

As much as Rob hates my hat, I have discovered that it’s the thing to wear when there’s so many flies around. The flap on the back keeps them off my neck and ears while the wide brim with my sunglasses keeps them from getting into my eyes. So far I haven’t swallowed any either. Full marks for the hat!



I figured that from here it should be all downhill. I was fast coming up on the time that I was expected in town, so I messaged my host and told her that I would be there in about an hour. I wasn’t. There were more hills and more I’m delayed messages. 

But what beautiful vistas as I climbed up and down!

This is looking ahead towards tomorrow’s stage, a 30+ kilometre march. I think from the looks of this that I will finally leave the mountains and their foothills. 

After spending my day walking on the most bizarre sorts of trails and over hills and down dales, I quite suddenly stepped out onto this freshly paved piece of road. Heaven! I followed the nice piece of road all the way into town.

My host greeted me in the small yellow house at the end of the Piazza, and showed me around the apartment. She gave me a slip of paper which I am to present at the bar for my Italian breakfast in the morning. After she left I walked down there to see what refreshments they might have. I showed them my paper slip, and they told me that they would be closed all day tomorrow because the owner had to go to a funeral. At least that’s what I think she said. In any event, there won’t be any breakfast at the bar. In order to help manage this setback I bought the biggest bottle of beer they had plus a few small odds and ends before returning to my apartment. 

Thankfully, I earlier purchased a good size package of ravioli and a jar of spaghetti sauce. I’ll make sure that I don’t eat it all tonight as part of it will need to be my breakfast tomorrow morning. Yummy. I should be fine for food tomorrow because I think that there are a couple of towns along the way. I also have my two reserve Cliff bars that I can munch on as I walk. I’m not concerned. I will make sure that I have some tea tomorrow before I leave, mostly because I haven’t had a cup of tea in 4  days. 

Note to Annemarie; please no pasta when I get home for at least a month! 

I will be leaving early in the morning because tomorrow’s host has asked that I’d be there by a specific time. I’m beginning to feel like I’m on the clock! 

Now it’s time to make dinner. Somewhere nearby there’s loud, pounding music playing, and I’m suddenly reminded that it’s Friday night. Thank goodness I have earplugs! 

Cheers!