Total ascent, 1200m.
Total descent, 1282m.
Friday, 4th August.
As I approached the restaurant last night the village was deathly quiet. I could see that the black, solid door at the top of the steps was closed so I waited, nothing. I knew that they were expecting me as my landlady had just phoned. There was a bell, so when the church clock struck 8 I rang it, nothing. I rang it again, a voice inside shouted what was probably "Stop ringing the bell" in Italian. Presently a girl, who looked remarkably like the cheese and stomach girl, answered, smiled and led me up to the third floor. The tastefully decorated restaurant had one empty table reserved for me, otherwise it was completely full. Now I knew where the village was!
It was indeed 3 out of 3 glorious meals, and again I had no choice. Courses came and went, each as fine as the other. It occurred to me that during the day I'm working my way through roughly 400 calories an hour, and in the evening eating my way through roughly 2000 calories an hour.
Several hundred of the 2000 calories - the antipasti before the starter.
The plan for today was simple: go for breakfast in the landlady's kitchen and sit eating while she watched over me (everything was homemade so I guess she was just gauging my response), watch her painstakingly write what appeared to be her life story on the receipt for my stay, stroll to Pietraporzio to pick up some lunch, walk up Monte Vaccia's western flank in at least partial shade and stagger down its eastern side to my destination. This was a simple mountain day, up one side, down the other.
I left charming old Affittacamere La Barmo at just after 8:30, with parts 1 and 2 of the above completed in a manner strangely true to my prediction! Part 3, the stroll, was indeed a stroll for those who consider a 20 minute plod in 34 degrees (what, at this time???!!!) with a backpack a stroll. I passed a couple who were strolling properly before stopping for a macchiato (my coffee of choice just now) and a slice of pizza which looked delicious in the bakery, less so by lunch time!
But now it's time for music! I nearly always find myself humming a tune which is related to my circumstances (example from yesterday - 'Crawling King Snake' by The Doors, ruined by Jon who has since identified it as a grass snake!). Likewise I'm always listening out for what I can hear people playing, and so far it's been awful. Italian pop I can cope with, every one a potential Eurovision winner, but in the last three villages I've had 'Convoy', 'Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep' and 'Simple Simon Says'. Ok I quite like 'Convoy', but even so! Surely though, in a sleepy rural village, nobody needs 'Shape Of You' being blasted out on what sounded like the community PA system. And finally, in the restaurant last night they were playing 'Hurt' by Johnny Cash on a loop, presumably to honour another local bovine stomach loss.
Today was all about lunch, and I wasn't bothered at all with quite how flat my pizza now was. It was the place that mattered, in this case the summit of Monte Vaccia (2495m). The walk up had been a short spell on a lane followed by a relentless but very enjoyable 4000ft climb which included my first real alp (mountain pasture) of the trip and my first proper col (not as high as yesterday but a real col, with a zigzaggy path to the top). This left a quick climb to the summit for lunch, and an awe-inspiring 360 degree view of BIG, pointy mountains. I was really in the thick of it now, and could clearly see the higher peaks I'd be in the middle of in a few days. Today's photos are all views taken from either the col or summit.
Approach to a proper col.
The view west from the col.
Me on the col! Looking north (not me, I'm looking south).
Looking east from lunch (the view south must have been rubbish!)
And then I came down. Despite the descent being shorter than yesterday I was more organised, rationing water and fruit pastilles for when I actually needed them. A couple of hours later, not far from the end and ready for my final ration, I heard rushing water. Is there anything better in life than standing in a river eating fruit pastilles? Not today there wasn't.
The room quality couldn't last. Tonight I'm in the Italian equivalent of a Swiss pub. The view's great, the beer's perfect (for here), the cat's annoying and the room's average. There's no plug in the sink so I've done my hand washing in the bin, and it's drying nicely on the line (a chair). Dinner next.
Stats Zone:
Yes it was briefly that hot at the start!
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