The first of two double stage days where I walk four of the official stages. Today was a 35km day, with more than 800m elevation. I wasn’t the only person taking two stages today, Val from Canada and Katarina from Slovakia, who I met yesterday and Fernando from Spain were doing the same.
Val and Katarina were already on the square drinking coffee when I left the hotel, and given there wasn’t any breakfast at the hotel, I sat down for a coffee and croissant. They left some time before me.
I walked through the narrow streets of the old town, texting with my wife, and missed the first turn out of town. As I’d forgotten to turn on track notifications, I didn’t get a notification and carried on. Before I realised I was well passed the turn and decided to continue along the relatively busy Via Roma, the main road along the lake, for a couple of kilometers before joining the official route, and a steep climb to get there.
It was a beautiful walk to Montefiascone, primarily through forest on a wide path, but also along a few roads. As always it was up and down, the vast majority of the ca. 850m elevation would be covered in the morning, the afternoon being downhill and then relatively flat. I was overtaken by one walker and a couple of Italian mountain bike riders. The mountain bike riders had to push there bikes up the some of the hills, that were often short and steep, and the path was degenerating due to rain and cyclists. At one point the male part of the couple had reached the top, and he watched the female part pushing her bike uphill – only as I neared, did he offer to help her.
I was high up over the lake, but despite this there weren’t many occasions where I could actually see the lake. On the outskirts of Montefiascone I passed a 100km marker for the Via Francigena to Rome. I don’t know what it actually measures, but it isn’t walking distance, as there is 124km to Rome, according to the walking books. Montefiascona was yet another hill top town, so there was a good climb to reach the gate of the old town. Just before the gate I visited an old church being restored with beautiful paintings on the walls, I walked through the main street and up to the old Rocca dei Papi fortress with views south and this afternoons walk. I stopped at the tourist office and got a stamp, but the guy there couldn’t tell me how the 100km was measured, other than that historically the 100km marker had stood close to Montefiascona.
Montefiascone stands on a hill overlooking Lake Bolsena, next to the ancient routes of the Via Cassia traced by the Roman consuls and the Via Francigena travelled by mediaeval pilgrims on their way to Rome. The place had acquired considerable importance as the residence of the papal rectors of Tuscia, who for centuries stayed here among the gardens and views of the Rocca dei Papi. Whether intentionally or not, the name of the town refers to the wines of the area.
There is a story associated to the town. When the German king Heinrich V. von Hohenstaufen went to Rome in 1111 in order to let the Pope confirm his appointment as Roman emperor, there was also a certain Johannes Defuk, in his entourage. Defuk was a passionate wine lover and therefore ordered his servant Martin to go on ahead and mark every inn that serves a remarkably good wine with an EST at the entrance. In Montefiascone the wine had such a high quality that Martin put 3 times Est…..EST!EST!!EST!!! on the doors. Mr. Defuk decided to stay in Montefiascone, where he died in 1113 due to exorbitant wine consumption. He was buried in the church San Flaviano opposite the high altar. He left the town all his belongings in recognition of the good service he had received with the proviso that once every year wine was poured over his grave. His servant Martin let engrave the following inscription on Defuk’s grave slab: «Est est est propter nimium est hic Johannes De Fuk dominus meus mortuus est» (Here my master is buried, who died because he had too much EST! EST!! EST!!!).
It was exactly 12pm as I left the Basilica di Santa Margherita, where I also saw the preserved mummy of Santa Margherita. Just as I was leaving, the church bells played a beautiful tune.
I continued, walking out of town, towards a spectacular view over the lake, which I sat and viewed for a few minutes.
Just out of town, I met Noel from Switzerland, who had overtaken me earlier in the day. The first section after Montefiascone one walks along the ancient paving of Via Cassia, still in good condition. We walked together for an hour, talking about all sorts, not least the blisters he was enduring. He passed a Kiwi orchard and was surprised that they grew here. He told me he loves Kiwi’s, eats them whole – ie. also the skin.
Noel stopped for a break with about 8kms to walk to Viterbo, to eat the two kiwis he had in his bag. I decided to continue along a very flat section, mainly with gravel roads until I reached the outskirts of Viterbo. It was a somewhat boring afternoon, as there were long straight stretches of path with very little to see. The afternoon was hot, reaching close to 30C and the path offered very little shade. I was running low on water, and found a water fountain in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t on my GPS tracks, and there was no indication of whether the water was drinkable or not, so I filled my bottle, closed my eyes and mouth and pored it over my head, which was very refreshing. This afternoon there was very limited services and no water fountains.
I neared the Bagnaccio thermal spring, a group of natural hot water baths, which was the reason that there were a few cars driving along the dusty path, creating a lot of dust after them. I didn’t plan to take a dip, but hoped they sold water or cola. As it happened they didn’t, but just outside the main gate there was a mobile food truck, where I bought a coke – it really hit the spot.
I passed an airport and then a large commercial centre close to Viterbo where they were setting up a circus in one of the car parks. Then came the inevitable climb, albeit short, to yet another hill top town, where I arrived just after 4pm. I quickly found my B&B, where the owner gave me recommendations of things to see and where to eat. I showered, and left to see the town.
I walked through the commercial district with elegant shops and reached the large Piazza Plebiscito. Viterbo is famous for its Papal Palace, San Lorenzo Cathedral and medieval walls, that are largely intact. It is also home to Italy’s gold reserve. Italy has the 4th largest reserve of gold in the world, surpassed only by US, Germany and IMF. It is also the aviation HQ, which explains why I saw a few helicopters flying overhead as I neared the town.
I only found the backside of the Papal Palace and missed the steps to the front because of building work. I walked around town, ate Hawaiian Poke and an ice cream for dinner and retired to the hotel, tired.
