Today’s journey begins with a trek backwards to the parking garage of my B&B host to return the keys to their home in the lockbox there. This host, Matteo, I met last year in connection with our visit last summer. I contacted him this year as I approached San Gimignano to see if his place might be available. It was and we agreed upon a price for the stay. It was nice to reconnect with him and touch base a bit. He has hiked a bit of the Via Francigena himself. He lives outside of Milan and maintains three rental homes in affluent areas through Italy.

Matteo isn’t the only reconnection made during my trip this year. Though we’ve kept in touch a bit through the year, I did reconnect with Ignatio and Mark from last year’s journey to update them on this year’s journey and provide a few photos. We remembered our times together fondly via WhatsApp.

By 7:15 a.m., I’m back on the Via Francigena exiting San Gimignano. In this stage, hikers must choose between the official route and the recommended route. The recommended route is 3.5 kilometers shorter. I choose the recommended route which All Trails (my navigational guide) breaks into two trails: San Gimignano to Colle di Val d’Elsa and the Colle di Val d’Elsa to Monteriggioni.

I stop for a quick cappuccino and pistachio brioche on the way out of town and catch a glorious sunrise as an encouraging reminder that God’s mercies do renew every morning and that is glorious indeed.

After leaving San Gimignano, I walk a brief sidewalk trail before turning right onto a gravel road and begin winding through the rolling hills and forests on my journey to Monteriggioni.

After a few hours of walking, I enter the town of Colle di Val d’Elsa and hear a voice calling my name from behind. It is Gordon, my Irish friend I initially met in Gambassi Terme two days ago. We take a break for him to grab a late breakfast and for me to grab an early lunch of a leftover piece of pizza from my San Gimignano lunch the prior day.

Gordon and I wrap-up our lunch and head out of town but not before taking in another small church in town.

Roughly 3.5 kilometers outside of Colle di Val d’Elsa, we reach the highlight of this recommended route, the Elsa River and its unique turquoise waters. Gordon cannot pass up the opportunity to dip his feet in the unusual waters and I pass on the effort to remove my pack, remove my shoes and socks, dig my towel out of my backpack, dry my feet and put my socks and shoes back on, attach my towel to my backpack to dry and heave it back onto my back. I keep walking and wind my way along the relatively crowded Elsa River Trail full of sightseers.

As I begin to see Monteriggioni in the distant skyline, the storm clouds that have been slowly catching up to me from San Gimignano begin to threaten imminent showers and before long I experience my first heavy rainfall.

Gordon and I reconnect via WhatsApp after he arrives in town and we meet for drinks and dinner.