Honeymoon in Style - Part 2

Day 2 - Tough climbs

May 12

The day started with a delicious breakfast at the B&B. Homemade cakes, bread, honey and a spectacular range of jams: chestnut jam, kiwi jam, apple and lavender jam are just some of the highlights. Everything was homemade and so delicious and served with rooibos tea, the perfect tonic for my still aching throat. After exploring the garden around our beautiful B&B and filling up our water bottles we headed back to the via delgi dei trail and on to the next destination. The route started with a steep and challenging section, but the view from the top made the tough climb worth it - simply stunning! The descent off the other side brought us to our first well-deserved break at the quaint Vecchia Trattoria Monte Adone restaurant. After eating simply divine pasta dishes and drinking espresso we resumed our hike towards the next destination. Although it was a much shorter day at just 17km, in some ways, it was more challenging, with steep climbs. The cliff tops and views certainly made it all worth it though, and with the weather still beautiful it made for another very enjoyable day of hiking.

The next B&B was very different to the first, but memorable for different reasons. The hosts were the epitome of Italian hospitality, warm, welcoming and determined to help with every need and make us feel completely at home. In fact, they were so welcoming that I didn’t even get annoyed about losing my watch charger and along with it the ability to put my efforts on Strava… Well, maybe just a little bit annoyed 😆 Dinner prepared by the host was simply so delicious and homely. It felt so comfortable being around this wonderful couple. Even though they both are from Napoli they speak of Bologna with so much love and passion. I wonder if there is any other nation who speaks of every part of their country with this much of passion. They also recommended the sunrise from their terrace, so we got bedded in for an early night with anticipation of waking up with the sun.

Day 3 - Big day!

May 13

What is more romantic than waking up for the sunrise with your husband? Having to climb out of your bedroom window onto the terrace to do so in order not to wake up your hosts!😂 It is not the first sunrise that Chris and I have seen together but every sunrise with him feels special. We watch how the color of the sky slowly changes by gradual rise of the Sun. It’s a chilly morning, but I feel warm inside.

After having some breakfast prepared by Loredana,our kind and friendly host, we get ready to leave. This time it feels a bit sad to leave as I already feel some friendship and connection with her. Her kindness and supportive nature were so welcoming and warm that it made feel like I am at my own home. But I feel happy in a nostalgic way about it - finding and forming these connections in fleeting moments is one of the things that makes travelling so magical.

The breathtaking Tuscan scenery made the hike enjoyable straight away. Even though it was the longest day of the trip so far, the time seemed to fly as we lost ourselves in the clear blue skies, pristine white gravel roads and luscious, rolling green hills. We knew we wouldn’t have any restaurants and cafe ahead to enjoy therefore we had a simple lunch of fruit and cakes by the side of the trail, while basking in the midday sun. This lunch felt so relaxing simply because of the view we had while eating. The peacefulness of the surroundings was a pleasure to our mind and body.

However, my mood changed for the worse when the one restaurant that should have been available in the second half of the route was closed! Lacking my now habitual afternoon coffee, I really struggled with the last 5km, especially as it deviated from the main route and wound down through overgrown fields and forests to a valley where the next B&B was situated. I don’t enjoy the experience of feeling slightly lost and wondering whether we will even make it as any evidence of a path becomes smaller and smaller, but I trusted my husband and he trusted Komoot😳, and we got there in the end. Regardless, the perspective of having more delicious Italian food for dinner cheered me up and I forgot the tiredness of the day. It was a long and beautiful day. It was a special day.

Day 4 - Embracing the rain

May 14

I had been too tired to appreciate just how beautiful our B&B was when we had arrived the day before, but I was greeted in the morning with the clear blue shine of a gorgeous swimming pool, with a beautiful view of the Tuscan countryside stretching endlessly into the distance. It was all I could do to stop myself imagining forgetting all about hiking, and instead tanning on a sun lounger all day! But the realisation that my clothes consisted more of quick drying t-shirts and leggings than bikinis made me reluctantly steel myself for the journey ahead.

It started pretty well with some climbs, as usual. Most of the path was through forests and hills. However, on resuming our hike after a trailside lunch of bread, cheese and jam, it started to rain. The rain became stronger, making the forest paths muddy and the descents treacherous. Despite my careful nature, I fell twice: the first was a soft landing and made me laugh, but I was not so lucky the second time, and crashing down onto rocks made me cry. However, seeing my husband running back to me to help me up was comforting and helped me find the strength to carry on.

We continued (albeit more slowly), and soon the rain stopped and the sun shone again we had another opportunity to appreciate the beauty of Tuscany. Meandering through green fields and hills, seeing picture-perfect houses, churches and farms dotting the horizon, really helped to restore a sense of inner peace in me. I couldn’t stop thinking how beautiful all this is. Soon enough we reached a pretty village square where we could recharge with some delicious food and coffee at the local bar and alimentari.

But even though we were resting we could start to feel the tiredness of our body caused by the last three days of hiking. The final 9km to our B&B for the night was mercifully plain sailing along flat backroads, but the trepidation was beginning to build, knowing that we had another big day coming. Tomorrow would take us much closer to Florence… but at the cost of 30km of hiking with 1,200m climbing.