The mountains of Abruzzo

After a dreadful night's sleep - the traffic noises at Donatella were deafening, trams and cars and revved-up motor scooters all night long - we set off for Abruzzo (about 2 hours' drive). And started walking ... The mountain air was so fresh after the torrid heat of Grosseto and Florence. We walked and walked, up and down and around mountains, finally reaching our refuge in the late afternoon. Pretty weary after a long day's walk and after a sleep-deprived night.

The refuge is minimalistic, to say the least. Dormitory-style, with 14 mattresses crammed into one room. Water is in such short supply that we have to use it super sparingly. A quick wash in a basin and I felt refreshed. An astrophysicist gave a presentation in the evening - on black holes - pretty incomprehensible. But then we viewed the stars and looked at Saturn through a telescope. To bed by 10.00 p.m.