Saturday 11 April 2015

Vescia to Nocera Umbra

Today was another spectacular walk, over hills surrounding the River Topina Valley, passing through varied villages and towns and hamlets.

First there was a climb away from Vescia, about 340m worth, sort of like the Gorge track. Again, I passed lots of olive groves, and got some great views to villages below as well as to distant mountains.

I passed through the very small hamlet of Ravignano, another place where olives seem important. Pruned branches of various trees are being stacked all over the place for next winter's firewood.

From there it was a descent to Capodacqua, inhabited in the Iron Age by the Umbri. It was severely damaged by the earthquake in 1997. As I passed some road cuttings on the descent, you could see how tilted and fractured the rocks were.

Down in the village there was a place I could get a welcome lemonade, just as the day was warming up. (I drank all 1.5l of water I was carrying on today's walk.) The church was open so I went in. I presume it has been rebuilt since the earthquake, in a modern version of an old style. I thought it had been done very tastefully.

As I left this village you could see the bungalows the people lived in after the earthquake. I was left wondering what part the government played in providing these, and how much the local people had had to pay. I keep thinking of the people of Christchurch and the lack of government support they have had, and how the rebuilding/repair process drags on for so many.

I left Capodacqua along a flat path.... But that was about to be the end of all flat walking for the day!

Part 2 will deal with the next lot of hills...

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