Exploring the hills

Today is Saturday. Rest day and my last day at Torreantica. It is hard to believe my adventures in Europe are coming to a close and in a couple days I have to fly back home.

I don't really want to go, but I must. All the more reason to enjoy my time here. So fittingly I had one last hurrah adventure through the hills before I had to say goodbye to them.

I left early in the morning and trekked over 24 km through the valley's stopping for a little sandwich in a tiny town's bakery, visiting old castles overlooking the hills, past olive groves and many vineyards....

I hiked until my legs were taunt as steel and then would sit down in the shade of the tall sentinel juniper that jut out everywhere from Tuscany's red soil. I'd munch on cheese, cinghiale (wild boar salami) and a fresh orange. Gourmet and simple with a pocket knife. Then I would head on.

By the end of my journey looping through Chianti I was exhausted and missed a turn somewhere. I ended up finding my way back to the main road, but disliked being near cars. So I cut across the wine fields and making a beeline for Torreantica through the trees. An adventure in itself jumping down river cliffs, following wild boar trails, and wading through the river with my shoes off to eventually get home.

Hurrah!