Left the hotel after not very restfully slept at around 9.30. I had this feeling the night before that this place would not be restful..not sure if I am jinxing my sleep or whether I just know my subconscious... but some places I have an easy feeling and some I dont... and my sleep seems to be impacted by it.
So off I went... I stopped at a place to get coffee and pizza for lack of savory breakfast...i had gotten my bearings from the info the day before. I had to walk along, again, a street but it was not too busy. Went through a lot of mini towns, meaning, cars had to reduce their speed... and then the road seemed to get less and less used as the morning progressed. But also it was not passing much of anything this included businesses where I might get a snack or water...the road was not scenic till later.. it was flat running along a river for a while...then it climbed steeply and kept doing so in spurts but the scenery got sweeter.... it included an increase in evergreens... I am also begining to see new little wild flowers pop up on the side of the road not sure if its the terrain slowly changing or spring moving to summer... about an hour outside S.Miniato the signs failed me again... further towns were listed but not mine. Also my map is less detailed now and I could not even find some of the towns on it which meant I could not tell if it was in the same direction I needed to go to. I started walking but my gut said it was wrong so I back tracked to the signs... finally a car drove by, I flagged him down... yeah, my gut was right, the town was in opposite direction on an unmarked road so I followed it. I stopped for lunch at a simple and cheaper restaurant which had a panoramic view of valley bellow... I hardly appreciate anymore that I climbed all the way up here...
then Minota proved a little confusing too..since it seemed to start and stop and had several layers. I had stopped at Franciscan cathedral, it was a pilgrims stop...then I thought I was moving away from town but instead I was walking into town center, the second part of the town... the road...it went down then up again... and then an elevator to the top of the town this was slightly west of where i'd been ...they had two information centers. I decided that I was not going to be of much use soon so might as well look for accommodations. One info place was not so helpful..the second one, the woman told me I could stay at the convenato, gave me directions back to the Franciscan church and also how to get on to my next leg of the journey. She did not even ask if I had credentials. Because I think I did need them to proof I could stay.. I finally found my way back..this was a building next to the church. I had seen the sign earlier but did not think it was a place i could stay. two grumpy men answered door and it was as if they did not know what I was doing there... than this very nice women herded me. She asked if I had reservations. I did not … I lucked out though from what I gather apparently they do usually require those....she had to make a room ready for me... she explained that for 30 euro I got room and dinner and breakfast... sounded like a good deal to me. She even got that I dont eat meat...it does not seem like a big deal here. People get it and quickly..i find telling people i dont eat meat does not seem a big deal in italy, it must not be that rare..
after my shower, I decided to explore the town without pack...much better... I saw a hill to a tower.. so of course I had to climb it.. nice views, so, worth it...and a cooling breeze..
more and more I have had humid walks... I dont always do well with that kind of heat... then back into town stopped at another church...there was a service going on...interestingly another African descend priest was leading the service. Only a handful of elderly people where there, it was monday night. I had a cafe latte on the way back to my place and walked right into the service there. It was held in small side chapel and not in the impressive main church.. I recognized the men from earlier now wearing black monks robes. A prayer book was thrust at me and there was another service. Then I had about twenty minutes till dinner... I found the place for dinner eventually and I got to see the rather small group of monks who reside in these massive halls. Only five. They were all in their fifties and one perhaps in his seventies. An older french couple where the other pilgrim guests. My meal was simple since I did not eat the four sorts of meat available. I had a minestrone type soup, salad, bread and cheese. I tried the monastic wine... but one needs an iron stomach from it. It was assumed I was somehow connected with the french couple so only italian and french was spoken. The monks seem to really get along with each other and they seemed to enjoy their food..and in contrast to buddhist monks they also enjoyed a little wine with dinner.. . there were a few more prayers after dinner in italian...then by 8.45 I was up in my room.. no tv no internet..so I was sound asleep by 9.30 and slept a good ten hours..
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