Via Francigena – Time Out

Day 6

Today we slept in! Our room in San Gimignano is clean, comfy and mostly quiet. The first order of business was to pick up our laundry. Reg found Lavanderia Viola, a laundry where he dropped off our bag of trail-dusty clothing yesterday when we arrived in town. Today, after breakfast we picked up a neatly wrapped bundle of fresh clothes. Worth every Penny to avoid hand-washing in the bathroom sink.

Our next stop was Torre Grossa (Big Tower), one of the most iconic towers in Tuscany. Built in 1310, it offers spectacular views from 177 feet above…if you’re willing to climb the 218 steps to the top.

We must have worked up an appetite climbing all those stairs because we found ourselves in front of Gelateria Dondoli, billed as “The world’s most famous gelato 2024.” We do have our favorite gelato shop in Rome and have been eager to return once we reach the end of our Francigena. So, we couldn’t resist a chance for a taste comparison. I’ll let you know what we think in a couple weeks.

Our next stop was Piazza del Duomo where we toured through the 12th century Duomo di San Gimignano, most famous for its fresco decoration.

Whew! That was a pretty full day for what we called a rest day. Tomorrow we will be up early and back at it. Another long day with climbing and spectacular views.