Day 13
When we left Radicofani for Aquapendente this morning, we knew we had a decision to make. Our guidebook suggested splitting the walk with a bus ride once we reached Centeno, thus avoiding a dangerous, hot 4-mile walk along a busy 2-lane highway. Our dilemma…we had no bus ticket, had no way to get a bus ticket and cash is not accepted by bus drivers. We were told the drivers would let us ride without a ticket, but there is a €40 fine (per person) if we were caught by authorities without a ticket. What to do?
Well, first we had to reach Centeno, so off we went.
We met a couple from the Netherlands, Herbert and Renate, who were having trouble with their phone timer, so we took photos for each other the old fashioned way. A great memory.
We reached Ponte a Rigo where our friend Luca was waiting with our new trail friends, Herbert and Renate. We all had lunch and a nice visit, but soon it was time to say goodbye to Luca as he climbed on a bus to begin his trip home where he will finish his university studies and begin a new job.
The four of us continued along the trail, dodging cars and trucks as the path merged on and off the rode way. We eventually lost sight of Herbert and Renate when they stopped to enjoy a shaded rest area.
Reg and I plodded along, hoping to make the 2:15 bus in Centeno. It was a little after 1:00 when we stopped along the main street through the village. As we were having a discussion about what to do, an Italian gentleman (no English) came out and pointed to his car and pantomimed steering. Reg caught on right away. He was offering to drive us to Aquapendente.
Reg was ready to jump in, so I quickly pulled out my phone and opened my Google Translate app. “How much?” I typed in.
“Venti,” he said.
“Venti?” Reg repeated.
”Sì, sì…venti, venti.
Reg looked at me. “We can do twenty, yes, twenty…let’s do it.”
So, we loaded our bags into this strangers car and hoped he would take us where we wanted to go. He chatted to Reg the entire way (it was a much longer drive than we expected and would have been a horrible walk) managing to learn where we began walking and where we called home. He drove us right to the Aquapendente piazza, practically to the front door of our accommodation. Best €20 of the trip!
Day 14
Today we have a rest day in Aquapendente. It’s not your typical Italian tourist town. It’s a no frills, gritty sort of town with a much more local feel. We had no agenda beyond finding a grocery store.
In the afternoon we sat out in Piazza Comunale each sipping a limoncello spritz while all the town men gathered for what must be their daily social ritual. We found a cute little restaurant with good food, so we ate there both nights. What more could we need for a rest day?
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