Day 2: Pontassieve to Consuma

September 2, 2022

12 miles

3300 ft of elevation gain

The guidebook rated yesterday’s hike as easy and today’s as hard. Probably due to the elevation gain today. The trail kept going up and up and up. But it was a beautiful hike. Leaving Pontassieve at 6:15 this morning we crossed the bridge that gives the town its name, ponta means bridge and the river is called the Sieve. The sun was coming up over the hills and it was so quiet and peaceful.  

Through  the olive orchards, which are everywhere here, and then past the vineyards with the grapes looking like they are almost ready to be harvested, before turning and heading into the forest for most of the rest of the hike. We walked on old Roman roads part of the time and saw the remains of Roman walls. 

Arriving in Consuma, we bought some bread and cheese, found a shady spot and ate our lunch, only missing the vino. Then another half mile to the summit and our hotel, Hotel Miramonti. It’s a large old building that was probably quite elegant in its day, but way past its prime now. The shower has no shower curtain and shares a spot with the toilet, so when you take a shower, the whole bathroom gets wet. We have been making our lodging reservations on the fly, each day booking a room for the following night.

We only saw one other pilgrim today, a woman who breezed by us without saying a word. It would have been normal if we’d been on a city street, but we were the only people on the trail in the middle of the forest. 🤷‍♀️ Maybe she didn’t speak English.

I’m a little baffled by the Italian people actually. They seem a bit cold at first, walking by us without saying hello, etc., but as soon as we start to engage with anyone, they immediately turn warm, friendly and helpful. We just have to make the first move.