Day IV on the Via Francigena from San Quiricio to Castiglione d’ Orcia 9 KM ( in theory). Friday 13 th June.

13 Jun

9km we said, it will be a breeze we said…Wrong! Friday 13 th? Nobody in this group is superstitious but perhaps we might avoid walking on that day in the future 🫣

The day began peacefully and uneventfully….But.

June pausing at an advert for an Agroturismo .
Wonderful views as ever.
Local flora
A wild Orchid
This stretch was buzzing with insects – good to see.
A lot to choose from but we chose the second one down.
We explored this hamlet,but not the tower.
A view from the court yard
A gorgeous garden
Christina in the frame.
Not long until we reached Bagno Vignoni with its ancient hot springs now walled in as a centrepiece of the village, visited over the years by Queens,Popes and Lorenzo the Magnificent
We managed coffee here – rather a day trip feel to the place – but interesting, even though you can’t take a dip. The waters flow into the River Orcia.
It was at this point things got tricky as a long awaited repair of a pedestrian bridge was still incomplete, which meant we had to find the traffic bridge with no footway.
We had to navigate the rest of the way in searing heat using our phones which sent us up and along some tricky,rock strewn paths. This diversion, for want of a better description, added five km to the day and it was slow going, wisely, for some of us.
Yes,there it is.
By early afternoon and much later than anticipated we reached Castiglione d ‘Orcia and it’s peaceful square

Very welcoming lady served us Agua Frizzante and beers.
Salute!
An interesting menu and we might revisit in the evening

Then on to B&B Il Vecchietta Via del Cassero, with its wonderful garden and vistas; a medieval house whose stone walks made for a very cool interior

Not thinking of climbing up there but we had a very restful afternoon which helped us all recover from a tough day…but we did it!

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