St. Francis' Way - Page 8

Polino - Rieti

First we walked a few kilometers along the road slightly uphill, then the path was mainly determined by beautiful field and forest paths. There was one major climb and up there we had a rest with a beautiful view. Slight hills and colorful meadows, sometimes with horses, sometimes with cows characterized the landscape, before it went a little later downhill. We paused again at the small chapel of St. Francis, then serpentines led us towards Poggio Bustone. Again we visited a cafe, it had become sultry. The rest of the way led mainly downhill through the Rieti valley.

Many small villages, few woods and meadows and a Franciscan monastery just before Rieti, characterized the route. Arrived in Rieti, we looked for a long time our Accommodation (Hotel Blu, 50 € per room with breakfast). We have only the Gpx data of the path and 2 pilgrim guides with us, which is of little use in larger cities, especially since this was not a pilgrim accommodation. Only with Google Maps and after some questioning we found the hotel, far outside the center. Apparently also used as refugee accommodation, one of the refugees fetched the owner. Without a good day, he showed us the room, small, unattractive, with a view of the gas station. One can imagine the noise. We immediately set out to explore the town. Rieti is only worth seeing in the city center. Among others the geographical center of Italy on the Piazza San Rufo, the cathedral with a statue of Francis, the idyllic place on the Velino River were worth a visit. On the way back we stopped at a pizzeria to avoid arriving too early at the awful accommodation. But also this night passed.

Rieti - Stroncone

The next morning we wanted to take the offered breakfast, dining room closed. We wanted to pay, no one there. We rang the bell at the counter, nothing. I.e. we had to leave without paying to get out of here. That's what we did, because the way today was again a long one. So we took our breakfast in the village and then followed the a whole piece the Velino out of the place. It was raining this morning. The first part of the way was mainly along roads, there was only an ascent before the Santuario di Fontecolombo, the 3rd Franciscan monastery in the Rieti Valley. After that it continued straight, only at the small town of Contigliano the path began to climb. On small roads and paths, the increasingly steep path wound its way up.

Only shortly before Greccio did we rejoin the main road, it became more moderate. We crossed the mountain village, which is absolutely worth seeing, where Francis often preached. 2 km behind it, downhill, is the monastery of Greccio. Again as if hewn into the rock, the monastery houses magnificent compositions of figures. Absolutely worth seeing. Francis everywhere, as a statue in front of the stairs, but also on the large bronze door. In front of the monastery, 2 Germans were shouting at each other, hoping that no one would understand them, well, advertising for us it was not 🙂. We had to follow the steep forest path behind the monastery, back had a last beautiful view of the Rieti valley and Greccio. After that the path was paved, it led dead straight steeply uphill. A large group of guided pilgrims came to meet us, we wondered how one could do justice as a guide to everyone there.

Will probably not be easy. On the summit we rested first, before we followed a wide path through beautiful meadows. At some point we crossed the very idyllic and quiet mountain village of Prati, then it went long the quiet road downhill. A very old couple stopped with their car next to us and the woman gave Manu a bouquet of flowers with a smile. Yes, the Italians have something, a loving people. A little later it gets steeper, it goes over rough scree. Since you think, it's just a few more kilometers and then comes such a way where you can hardly move forward 🙂.

Nevertheless, we could soon recognize Stroncone in the valley in front of us, again such a very old small town on a hill, again with a great panoramic view. After some searching in the extremely narrow streets, we found our accommodation (Hotel Porta del Tempo, 35 € per person with breakfast). The friendly owner Andrea spoke English, it was here absolutely lovingly furnished and our room was super. In the late afternoon we walked a bit through the city, quickly got lost here, everything narrow and winding. In the lower part you had a great view, there we went first in the bar on one or two beers.

For dinner we ate next to the hotel in the Taverna La Mola. Gigantic flair, everything with old vaults, there was a love grotto and the husband of the owner led us us through underground passages into other grottos. Food was also fantastic, a wonderful place.