woke around 7ish, after close to twelve hours sleep..my body needed it... and got myself packed and down to breakfast.. the hotel is very nice with fancy amenities but the staff seems not really into it... I got my food then tried to pay but the lady was too engaged in conversation to pay me heed..finally I just put down money and key and left.. I wish I had been able to gotten orientation from her..
so I wasted a good walking hour, four kms circling the city unknowingly trying to figure out which star like radiating street I was suppose to hit to leave.. I still ended up asking three more times as the road kept forking and lucky I did, my instincts were not with me that day, and two old ladies who probably were too deaf to understand me send me in the wrong direction.. it did all get sorted but disorientation takes up walking time..
I asked a local man and got my barrings, a little chagrined at the confusion...walked past guest house again..but this time with more photos, a small sandwich and water which i'd found along my loop... my route was now on a more busy road. But I walk against traffic cuz I realized I am the kind of person who wants to look death in the face should it arrive by car... only if the blind turn was against my favor would I cross.. the small highways are single lane. Not a lot of traffic by american standards but fast! Those little cars can zip... I learned that in order to go thru most villages involves climbing hills...cuz they are protecting against barbarians... I crossed through S Martino in Campo, S Martino in Colle and then I nice steep hill to Pila. It was sunny out, beautiful rolling hills even saw two snow caps in the distance, of course also the quintessential wine grapes, which currently seem to be getting trimmed now green on em yet.. also I figured out only a day later.. .that Umbria is also famous four it's pigmented soil a type of sandy brown...which definitely makes his area have distinct look
I did not rest long.. shops were open today and there was plenty of water. I am still struggling with the weight f my pack,but today was slightly better than the day before. I have developing blisters... ironically if I rest too long they start getting really sore... the path was pretty straight forward because I was on main roads. Since villages are mostly on the hill, when I ask directions to be sure, people point out the villages I name and I can tell more or less if I am heading to the right hill. In Pila I took rest outside a church and had my carry along lunch, mostly cheese, bread, cucumber and some candy... then to Castel Del Piano which I walked through before I realized.. and then needed some guidence again going towards Strozzacapponi.. I was ready to stop for the day...my body was telling me to.. I asked in a police station if there was a place to stay overnight. Most of these towns are too small to support any sort of logging, and the land around here is private. They did not know, ironically about ten minutes later I saw the sign with the bed on it, which let me know I had found loging... it was between Strozzacapponi and S Mariano, the place looks like were rich people stay who are touring the area for vineyards, I was afraid of the ticket price..yup not my budget but still cheaper then the comparable in america... it was really really pretty and I was to weak to refuse.. the lady who ran the place was gruff and friendly about my age. She made me feel good by how much I had walked that day and next day would give me advise on what path to take out of there..since orienting in the morning seems to be not my skill. Stores have long close times after lunch, I think they are closed from 12 to 4pm...crazy by usa standards but good to know you wont find anything in the countryside open... after four, I went and got provisions at local supermarket for next day. In eve I crossed the road to the restaurant connected with the hotel. The father ran this place. He spoke french, italian, english and german...so with me he went from english to german when is volcabularly failed him...and for a little while in french when I told him I had lost him... he had the cook create a special veggie menu, which was like a pasta premavera and broiled vegtables, simple and good. He started talking to me about how the economy in italy is failing because of corruption... he said he's never seen it so bad...he's worried.. he's almost seventy, he started working when he was 14.. it sounds like he's always worked in fancy restaurants and hotels around europe. France, then England then Munich Germany, I think Switzerland then eventually home to Italy. He told me of his first job at 14, in france at a fancy hotel, he was too young to work, so they had him organize and sort the wine bottels..at first he was loath to work in a basement but grew to love it, it was there he developed his fine wine collection, he says his present collection is so good because of what he learned there. Apparently the hotel annually hosted a wealthy arab family, and some of them would sneak into the basement for wine, because their religion forbade them to drink.. he got a good reputation because of working with them so skillfully, that this was his first big premotion, presumably above ground.... .eventualy he got this restaurant.. which he was able to buy out and own for himself, he's had it 30 yrs... also built the fancy country house I am staying at..and provided for his parents... crazy..he says he lives to work..he married a german and had five kids.. and was hoping all his work would provide established businesses for them to run when he passes on.. he says he looses sleep worrying ( I think to myself, your a good father, but if you were able to go from nothing to this, why worry so much about the kids) he was sweet and incredibly charming. It was interesting too to see how years of working in posh service industry has made his movements and manner immaculate.. he wore a snazzy suite and had flair with all his actions.. he also told me he taught himself to find truffles, he knows the trees with in who's roots they grow and tell tale signs that they are present.., for instance, they are quiet acid and the grass tends to wither in spots where they grow... why am I narrating all this? I love hearing little vienjet (could not find spell check correct version of this) of people's lives that I meet in places I visit. And actually this was the first real conversation I had had since I came to italy...so it's worth a documentation.. the women I had met at the country home, was one of his younger daughters... at the end he gave me a little discount on the meal.. he too was very supportive of me walking across the country.... and he would do the same had he more time.. he joked he would hopefully get to do it if he is born again... it was quite late by the time I got back to my room.. and as crazy as it sounds.. I jogged back..cuz I was in a hurry to lie down... ha ha..
oh I kind I feel like I am moving at the speed of the middle ages as the cars are whipping past me at a very modern pace..
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