17 th September


3PWS from CASTELLINA to SIENA.

Weather improving plus we managed to do most of the day?s walk off the roads.
The first bit downhill, into the plain where the Elsa flows (I think, it is called that).
From hilly vineyards and Olive trees to vast fields of turned over, arid looking earth with farms on hilltops.
Very pleasant walking.
Stop over at MONTERIGGIONI, where we had pasta (just about) heated in a microwave. Never mind, the sun was out and the village is really beautiful. (The wine was good as well).
The afternoon took us onto the VIA FRANCIGENA (the pilgrims road that links Canterbury to Rome). It all ran smoothly till a serious storm started. We had been walking with blue sky on our right and sombre ones on our left for quite a while, when somebody up there decided that blue was not a nice colour.
Hastily up a hill, towards a farm when it seriously started to tip it down.

A very nice couple offered us shelter at the farm and took us down to the nearest place (a Bar cum Restaurant), where we were more successful in knocking back a few glasses of wine and eating some local charcuterie then ordering a taxi to get us into Siena. It was still raining hard. We got a taxi after about an hour and made it just in time to meet Ekkehard on the Piazza del Campo and for the sun to come out again and put a shine onto the TORRE DEL MANGIA.
In the rush I also forgot my flask stick at that place AND the telephone number, so it looks like that stick was to last only the length of the 3PWS through Chianti. I hope Caroline doesn?t read this?.she?ll kill me.

It then appeared that there were no hotel rooms available and it took some shady arrangement through the tourist office to secure us one room for the four of us. It was large enough and had a port-a-loo sort of bathroom and shower in one corner that provided us with a few occasions of laughter.
We had a nice dinner in a nice local trattoria and the made the mistake of topping it up with a couple of pints of Guinness at the only bar still open (which was the local Irish bar, you might have guessed).
Ekkehard was now starting to worry what he had let himself in for, and I can?t say he was wrong, but the 3PWS was being completely self-indulgent.

The snoring competition must have been rather fierce, I guess, but only Ekkehard – who had water instead of Guinness – could really tell you.
One thing for sure: he will not share a room with the 3PWS again: ever ?..

PS. And please don?t open that fridge, Simon!