Downhill all the way

Last night was the first time we have met people doing roughly the same walk as us. An Italian lady, a lady from Belgium who spoke four languages fluently, and a man from Holland, and all three had at some time walked the Camino Santiago. We all joined together and enjoyed a lovely meal in a local cafe and the happy memories of Camino friendship came flooding back. Mary and I have missed the companionship of fellow travellers and especially the company of old friends Austin and Pauline who shared our walk and my grumpy moods this time last year. There were times this year when Austins navigational skills would have come to the fore up on the mountains. This morning we took our time leaving Poggio Bustone and enjoyed a breakfast in the same cafe as the previous night. There was a heavy fog lying over the mountain and it wasn't until about 9.00 before the sun started to burn through it and we started to walk. The walk started very steeply down hill and this can be as bad as going steeply uphill because it puts a lot of pressure on your knees and hips and we were glad after we had passed through Bezzecca that we soon left the road surface and joined a trail down through the forrest. After about 2K we came out of the trees at the water fountain in the small hamlet of San Liberato where we took a short rest before proceeding onto what was described as a mule track. We made our way to Goisue Carducci  where we went up the 300 steps to Cantalice and the church of  San Felice. From the front of the church the Panasonic view of the landscape sweeping below you is amazing with Terminillo to the east and to the west the Reite plain with its lakes glistening in the sun. The next stone path guided us, after about 3K, to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria where we had a short rest at the convent. The final 4K were on minor roads that weaved their way through rows of vines and olive trees. It was a pleasant walk until you hit the edge of the city of Reite and like all cities it becomes boring walking through industrial estates and then acres of apartments. By 1.30 we had reached the old town with its magnificent walled fortification and soon found Plazza Oberadon and tonight's accommodation in the Hotel Miramonti.