Best made plans of Mice and Men. Here we go again. Sometimes you just need to make compromises. Hiking with a partner is all about adjusting to the ever changing ebbs and flows. When we went to bed last night, we planned to sleep in, have breakfast late and walk slowly to the upcoming town. It is less than 10 miles. Easy peasy, nothing to it.

George had a restless night, not too much to drink but then maybe that was the issue. We had nearly ran out of water, pretty darn dehydrated, and the humidity was fierce. Neither one of us were happy, but George was less happy.

After breakfast we decided the best choice of action was to find a pharmacy, and replenish George’s dwindling supply of ibuprofen. That stuff is gold around here. Without a prescription, they will only sell you 400 mg tablets and 12 doses. So that’ll keep him going for three more days for a whopping 7.60 Euros which is equivalent to $10. That’s nuts. We can buy a boatload at Costco, for next to nothing. Needless to say, he bought two packets.

After his purchase, I hit the grocery store and found nail polish and remover. Also, very important stuff! Then I bought us two bus tickets and we were on our way to Montefiascone. Yep, no hiking program today. But I was able to remedy that once we got off the bus.

Montefiascone is, yep, you guessed it, on top of a hill. The bus driver told us this was our last stop. Okay then, I guess we walk from here. It didn’t look like any pictures I’d seen in the book, so I imagined we had a trek ahead of us.

We were directed by an older pilgrim and then a lady from England that we needed to follow the highway up a very, very steep road. Well, of course we do! And so we did. Up, up and more up, till we finally found the Cafe Central in Old Town. The Apartment wouldn’t be ready till 3pm so we had some time to kill.

After dropping our packs at the Tourism Center, we had a sandwich and headed up to see the vista. It was quite the climb, up way too many steps to count. But it was worth every heartbeat that skipped and every labored breath that was missed. This is why you come to Montefiascone!

There is a lovely park on the hilltop. Once we arrived breathless, we had our breath taken away a second time. You can see the snow covered mountains of Umbria in the distance. I can only speculate, that on a super clear day, you might be able to see all the way to Rome! Bolsena Lake’s southern tip is right below and the fields of patchwork green are abound! I just can’t get over the beauty of this region. Tuscany is incredibly gorgeous but Luzia in its own right, is justifiably just as stunning! They are like sisters that have their own unique qualities and you just can’t choose a favorite.

After walking around the park, we headed to Rocca del Papi. It is a historic medieval castle that was the summer house for Popes who would travel through. Built in the late 12th century by Pope Innocent III, it is still a popular destination for people of all faiths. Back in the day, it had four towers but today there is only one remaining. And yes, we climbed it!

What an incredible way to see this region. I had a bit of vertigo as it was pretty dang high. But boy oh boy, I’m glad I did. So there’s that for not wanting to do much walking, climbing, or hiking today. Somehow we managed to overcome all that nonsense!

Once again, it is clear why these people in Italy live so long. It’s not the pasta or the gelato, it’s not the red wine or the olive oil! It is the constant hills, steps and stairs that makeup everyday life. So if you want to make it to 100, go find a hill to walk. It seems to work great for the Italians!

Just as we think we are at the end of our rope, God reminds us that we are stronger together. With His strength, all things, not some things, but everything is possible.