What a lark!

Day 32, Sarzana to Marina di Massa, 17 km

Day 33, Marina di Massa to Lucca, by train

Day 34, Rest day

Day 35, Lucca to Altopascio, 18 km

Day 36, Altopascio to San Miniato Basso, 24 km

Day 37, San Miniato Basso to Gambassi Terme, 25 km

Day 38, Gambassi Terme to San Gimignano, 14 km

Day 39, San Gimignano to Abbadia-di-Isola, 22 km

Day 40, Abbadia-di-Isola to Siena, 21 km

Day 41, Siena to Ponte d'Arbia, 28 km

Day 42, Ponte d'Arbia to San Quirico d'Orcia, 27 km

Day 43, San Quirico d'Orcia to Radicofani, 29 km

Day 44, Radicofani to Acquapendente, 26 km

Day 45, Acquapendente to Bolsena, 22 km

Day 46, Bolsena to Montefiascone, 18 km

So, we have 100 kms to go!  Wooo! The next time I post we will be in Rome! Woooo! My sister has joined for the last week of the walk! Wooooo! Nick and I are absolutely wrecked! Woooooo! 

(Just outside Montefiascone-100 kms to the Tomb of Saint Peter in Rome. Bit morbid really)

The last two weeks of the walk has just sped by, perhaps due to us being in a state of perpetual exhaustion. Days blend into the next and I've now reached the point where I can't remember where we stayed three days ago.  I thought this trip would bring a heightened sense of awareness, a better taking-in, of what is around us, but in some ways i've found the opposite: there is so much to take in, it's almost overwhelming.

As we left the Appenines behind we reached the low plains of the coast, and I was able to go to the BEACH!  I went swimming (in my underwear mind you), and we ate steaks and drank coronas. It felt like Mexico and was glorious!!!  

(The beach at Marina di Massa)

We awoke the next morning to a massive thunderstorm, with torrential rain and flooding glutters.  Great. After much agonizing we made the call, and took a train to Lucca, skipping two stages, and taking two days of rest instead.  Since then we have also had to abadon another walk half way through due to rain. It's funny, that even though walking in a downpour is akin to madness we still went through a process of analysing and justifying our decision to ourselves, including discussing whether pilgrims in days of old would have taken the option of a covered cart ride if it were offered to them on a rainy day. I mean, of course they bloody would've!!

The days of rest were well needed, probably not quite sufficient, but still gave us enough energy to keep on going.  The following days of walking through Tuscany were just beautiful, with big open blue skies and rolling green and gold hills. We stayed in some of the most stunning places- medieval towns perched on hilltops or old monasteries looking over olive groves and vineyards.  For me, this was the Italy I expected to see. 

(The walk out of San Gimignano. Probably our most favourite town so far.)

(Sunflower field- Tuscany)

The walks themselves have been some of the most challenging so far (I think i've said that a few times now) with high temperatures, a lot of distance to cover and endless up and downs over the hills.  We moved our starting time earlier to beat the heat, often leaving by six in the morning.  The most physically exhausting day we walked 25 km across broad exposed hills, me with a knee brace on because i'd strained a muscle the day before. By the time we finished at around 4pm it was 34 degrees.  

Another day we left at five in the morning, again to beat the heat, and also because the last 8 km involved a steady climb. But naturally on this day, it stormed again, so the last few hours were done in rain as we slowly crept up the mountain. 

(Early morning start. San Miniato Basso)

(See the mountains in the distance? We walked there. It was hot.)

On days like this, where we are struggling with tiredness and either furious heat or soul-dampening rain it is hard to keep on going. The kilometres just drag by and we question what we are doing.  I get caught in brain-loops where I find that i've been thinking, and often worrying, about something entirely trivial for the last half an hour.  But we keep on going, and now, we are almost there. 

With over 800 kms down and about 100 to go Rome seems very near.  I'm thinking already about buying an outfit which isn't hiking related, getting a haircut and plucking my eyebrows. And sleeping of course.  I'm also wondering how I will view this experience when I look back on it in future.  At the moment it seems almost too overwhelming, and at times painful, exhausting and boring, as well as joyous.  But I think in time the hard bits will soften, and we will remember the fun stuff, the amazing scenery and people and think "remember that time we walked to Rome, that was a lark!"

(The dorm overflow in San Miniato Basso: the ambulance comms caravan)