7th July 2017
Gambassi Terme to San Gimignano - 18kms
Last night we all had dinner in the Ostello Sigerico. Our hospitalera Pascale looked after all of us really well and a splendid time was had by all. These "hospitaleros/ras" are all volunteers who give of their time to help out in Pilgrim Hostels. Our thanks to all of them for the great work that they do. Before we turned in for the night I showed Pascale and a few of the pilgrims my brother William's Ave Maria, which they all loved. I have played this video in every convent, monastery and other hostels we have stayed in to everyone's delight! Anyone who has not yet viewed it can do so by simply googling "William Gomez Ave Maria". Quite a number of videos come up on screen. Choose the first one that appears which was recorded in 2007 in Vienna at the Christmas Concerts and features The acclaimed mezzo-soprano Elisa Garança under the baton of maestro Karel Chichon, a lifelong friend of my brother.
This morning we were determined to beat the sun and so we set off at 5:00am followed soon after by our Italian friends Giuseppe and Elisa. The first few kms were steeply uphill and so they soon overtook us and after a while we lost sight of them. Once again we were walking on ridges with splendid views of the Tuscan countryside. At 5:10am the temperature was already 20C, but although it started to get hot it was not uncomfortable as there was plenty of shade and a cool breeze blowing from time to time. In Casanuova we saw a sign announcing that from here it is 279kms to Rome.
We rested briefly in Pancole at the Sanctuario di Pancole which was built in 1670, destroyed in 1944 by German bombing and rebuilt in 1949. For Catholic believers this is the place where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bartholomea Ghini, a young deaf-mute girl, and cured her. On 2nd May next year it will be 350 years since that event.
A little later the path veered off the road in a wide loop to visit a 12th/13th century church but we decided to take a shorter route in order to try to get to San Gimignano as early as possible as today was going to be very hot.
We arrived at 9:00am just in time to have a nice breakfast! We were joined by Giuseppe and Elisa and by Bernie and Michele , two Australians fellow pilgrims, and by Martin. After a chit-chat we carried on into town to see some of the wonderful sights this town has to offer. We were annoyed to see that even as bona fide pilgrims we were asked to pay to enter the Cathedral, something which we refused to do. Around this time we were joined by the Magnificent 9, the Italian pilgrims who were finishing their walk today in San Gimignano. Most will travel back home straight away but a few will stay in town overnight and travel home tomorrow morning.
Tonight we sleep about 2kms outside town in a camping site that has a special area for pilgrims with dedicated cabins, complete with air-conditioning. Luxury indeed!
Tomorrow will be a longer day as we make our way to the Abbadia Isola, where we will spend the night.
Tomorrow will be a longer day as we make our way to the Abbadia Isola, where we will spend the night.
Comments
Post a Comment