Scott told Pat that today was going to be basically a day off as the distance to San Quirico d'Orcia was only 18 km away and most of that was downhill or flat with just a short 3 km uphill into the town. That would be great as San Quirico d'Orcia is a bit of a larger town and it would have a laundromat. Our check-in time was not until 4 pm so we could fit everything in before going to the B&B.
With the plan for the day set, we walked down the street to another building where our host at La Lanciotta arranged breakfast for their guests. Going through the property gate and down a set of stairs we could see a large table outside set for six people. For a very short time we were alone but were soon joined by a couple from Germany. They were on their way home to Berlin after attending a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert in Rome. They reported that it was an amazing outdoor concert in front of 60K people and the band played for 2 and 3/4 hours straight - one song after another! Soon a second couple from Belgium joined the breakfast table. It was great to meet these people and we had wonderful conversations. I regret that we do not have a picture. Breakfast was equally special as scrambled eggs and bacon were on the menu. A very nice change and of course, the usual pastry trays were available as well.
We returned to our room, packed up and headed downhill away from Monticchellio. Connecting to the Sp53 we commented that this maybe the first flat road upon which we have cycled any distance for days now. It was an odd feeling - not struggling to go up or just coasting down. We had a brief stop to check out a small fortified structure in Spedaletto before carrying on to Bagno Vignoni. The ancient village of is located in Val d'Orcia Natural Park along the Via Francigena hike. The area has been used for it's thermal waters since Roman times.
We like looking at maps that can provide a bigger picture of our travels. We have been to several of the named towns all the way from San Gimignano at the top to Pienza nearing the bottom. We will need to come back again as there are many more to see!
A brief castle stop in Spedaletto. The original building dates back to the 12th century and has been renovated and used for several different purposes. The building now has an area converted to a hotel.
The town of Bagno Vignoni is built around this very large water storage facility. It is not a pool or a pond. It holds the water that you can see bubbling up from the ground at the far end and from there it was sent to other areas to be used in baths or industrial needs such as textile milling.
Leaving Bagno Vignoni to San Quirico d'Orcia we had the choice of a designated cycle route or the SS2 highway which was likely busy with car traffic. The cycle route was the obvious choice for us. We took the first left leaving the village and then noticed the 15 degree hill sign. Gulp. The road was a rough poured concrete and with some hard pedal pushing you could stay on your bike. When the cement surface ended the road became dirt but the hill never stopped or really flattened out. We rode, pushed and struggled to get ourselves up the 250 metres vertical over the next couple of kilometres. It was a tough hill and took over an hour to complete. Not exactly a short climb to San Quirico d'Orcia or a day off as promised by the guide! Our riding outfits immediately went into the wash.
Gravel going up. This is steep even if it does not look like it.
San Quirico d'Orcia had a very nice main street in the historic center. It is also on the Via Francigena route but the town does not have a tourist feel about it. We located the laundromat just out side the town walls. So nice to have clean smelling clothes again and as a bonus a great lunch spot right next door. We thought that this was a wonderful way to spend part of our afternoon.
We stayed at the B&B Il riposo del viandante. It was a really nicely designed, small pension. It had great custom made furniture including tables, the wardrobe and the bed. Beautiful pieces. And a bike shop to die for.
We looked around the town and enjoyed a delicious, simple meal in a neighbourhood feeling restaurant accompanied by an excellent locally brewed IPA. Even if it was not quite a day off, it was a great success! Be sure to look at the elevation profile at the end of the day`s ride.
The Collegiate Church of Saints Quirico and Giulitta, known as the Collegiate Church of San Quirico d’Orcia, is a wonderful Romanesque style church built on the remains of a centuries-old parish church.
The local IPA we shared went perfectly with our meal. Two great artesian beers in the same day! This one was also brewed right here in San Quirico d'Orcia.
