At 23.5 km today was the first of our ‘longer’ walks and we prepared ourselves for this with a quick macchiato each in a coffee shop at the beginning! (And also because the coffee was rubbish in the hotel hostel). This early little pitstop was most enjoyable as we watched the market stallholders and customers bustling around. It also gave us the opportunity to buy some fruit and snacks for the walk.
It didn’t take long before we reached the first stage of today’s walk which took us through the leafy green forest which was really pleasant with the dappled sun breaking through.
We walked through mulberry orchards and hazelnut groves.
About half way into the walk we came to the Torri D’Orlando, which are Roman tombs. There are three tower ruins with one being hidden in the foliage!
Just past the ruins we had a break and a snack just off the path and in the shade of one of the orchards.
One of the highlights of today was stopping for a drink and refreshments (a beer) in Capranica! We had been collecting our stamps and Russell and I entered what we thought was a religious establishment to seek a Capranica stamp but it turned out to be a hotel. This didn’t matter as we found along the way that many hotels offered a Via Francigena stamp!
While not part of our itinerary, if you wish to do a shorter walk it is possible to spend a night in Capranica.
Capranica is situated on the top of a ridge and consists of a long cobbled road with little side streets and a cathedral in the middle.
Feeling refreshed and re-energised we continued in the afternoon.
The next stage was a gorgeous walk through what felt like an enchanted wood! This had a different feel from the forest this morning, being a bit more humid and even semi tropical.
Sutri was a magical little town! It was really lovely and after checking into one of the best accommodations of the trip (a wow factor in itself) we set out for some drinks and an evening meal.
As we wandered around the quaint little streets we decided to buy some treats for a picnic for tomorrow’s walk. We brought fresh focaccia bread, some fresh olives, cherry tomatoes and local cheese which we kept in the fridge of the accommodation overnight.
We struck lucky with tonight’s meal which was probably the best of the entire trip! If in Sutri at any time, the La Locanda di Saturno is highly recommended – it was a superb evening in a beautiful atmospheric setting.
And finished off with a limoncello or two! For us, with limoncello being an Italian liqueur, it is an essential part of an Italian holiday!
A quick shout out to one of our favourite accommodations of the trip… we stayed in Le Terrecotte, a small bed & breakfast with just 3 rooms. We had the place to ourselves and the owners gave us keys so we could come and go as we wished in the manner of an AirBnB. In the morning they came across and made the most delicious breakfast for us which really set us up for the day! An awesome place to stay in which was all-round one of the best days of the trip.
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