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| Section of garden, Nova Abora |
Immediately after
breakfast we checked out from Nova
Abora, disappointed that there wasn’t sufficient time to explore the beautiful
garden. On departure the burglar dog
firmly grabbed Andrew’s arm in apparent play and also made a hole in Abbie’s
jumper in a similar display! I would be a bit concerned to bring children there
given this propensity and the animal’s ability to enter apartments uninvited!
We returned to Madonna
dei Fornelli and before setting off enjoyed an excellent cappuccino in the
little bar after which we commenced a long climb in a beautiful forest of
beech, oak, spruce and pine encountering evidence of both wild boar and hunters. The pigs had disturbed large
patches of earth as they foraged and in close proximity we found spent shells.
We hoped that the boars had escaped!
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| leaving Madonna di Fornelli |
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| leaves changing colour in the forest |
Soon we were back on
the Roman road again; so fascinating with its massive flagstones but also
difficult and precarious going on steep descents when the stones are broken. We
stopped at “Piana degli Ossi” (Bones Land) to look at some ancient Roman
furnace stones dating from 2B.C.E where a series of furnaces operated to
produce quicklime for building use with thus strategic access to road
transport. Of six known furnaces one has been excavated.
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| ancient lime furnace |
A shared morning tea of biscuits, fruit and
water in a grassy meadow near an abandoned stone house provided a very welcome
break before a steep climb, 1200 metres to the highest point of the Via Degli
Dei, Cima della Banditacce, halfway between Bologna and Florence. From here the
rest of the stage was mainly down but over sometimes very difficult rocky
terrain where we totally relied on our hiking poles for balance and support.
This track eventually leads to the outskirts of La Futa where we walked past a
massive and very well maintained German war cemetery- the biggest in
Italy. There are constant reminders of
this relatively recent trauma and the silence of this place in its forest
setting is quite eerie and unsettling.
Roman road-
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morning tea spot
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Following a forest
path adjacent to the road, after three kilometres we arrived at our destination
Mont di Fo’ and discovered the town was really only a hotel and large camping
ground. Fortunately the Hotel Sergente was very comfy albeit with simple rooms
and after a wonderful shower we met in the alfresco dining area where we were
brought the most delicious bruschetta with olive oil and garlic with also a
selection of salami cheese and prosciutto. We made short work of our late lunch
(it was 3 pm) and marvelled at the quality of the accommodation and food
relative to its modest cost; 50 euro a double and 30 for a single room!
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| German War Cemetery |
Dinner at the hotel
was similarly excellent. I had a simple cut of beef with rocket and shaved
parmesan, Andrew roast venison and Abbie steak with a creamy sauce and
vegetables, all accompanied by an
excellent bottle of chianti. We felt very lucky and appreciative. We were similarly grateful for the outstanding
support provided by the Via Degli Dei organisation re accommodation options,
trail information and signage, which contributed significantly to the pleasure
of the hike!
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