An early start today because I had a long way to go. It turned out to be around 40km with a few diversions !

Last night we tried a pilgrims’ menu again and I was looking forward to a meal of fish from the lake. It turned out to be not the greatest meal – mostly skin and bones.

The land around the lake is very fertile,  with rich volcanic soil.

Looks like Robert’s undies didn’t dry last night !

An interesting basalt formation.

We climbed up the walls of the caldera that surrounds the lake. The lake is fed by many acquifers and streams that rush down the hill sides  .

This ‘bridge’ was a bit rickety.

 Half way through the day I passed through Montefiascone. The view of Lake Bolsena from here was spectacular.

 The most interesting part of the day was walking along a section of the original Via Cassia. This road was built around 100BC from basalt stones and connected Rome with Florence. Later in the Longobard period, around the 6th century it was an important thoroughfare between their dukedoms. It continued to be an important road through the centuries and modern roads follow much of its course. I developed a greater respect for medieval pilgrims after walking a few kilometers along the road . It was hard on the feet in modern shoes. Day after day in simple pilgrim shoes would have been tough.

  
Around here we met a young Italian boy who had left Rome a few days ago and was walking the reverse direction from Rome to Santiago – 2,800km ! It will probably take him at least 4 months .

I passed some thermal springs. There were people lying out in the sun in their swimming suits and it would have been 18 degrees.

 When I arrived In Viterbo  there was a flower show on in the medieval centre. The lady at my B&B told me that the old centre is largely depopulated as people prefer to live in new developments in the burbs.

  

And I have a whole new set of blisters developing