Monteriggione — Oct 9

This morning began in a dense fog. We were told that the warm days can create foggy morning conditions.

It was the perfect beginning, though, for our trail  leaving the town following the Elsa river path. We ran out of adjectives to describe how beautiful it was along the Elsa. If it has rained recently, though, you won’t be able to get through, as you have to hop from rock to rock several times along the way.

A very pleasant walk through gradually climbing farmland and deep forest led us, to the Castle Pietraio, now serving as a hotel, but deserving of the briefest peak. Then, just before Monteriggione, we came to the well restored abbey, Abbadia in Isola (“Abbey on the Island”). The swamp that used to surround it is gone, but the abbey is still there (no monks) and still welcoming pilgrims.

Monteriggioni is a marvelous preserved castle but very small. It doesn’t take any more than an hour, and perhaps less to see the entire charming place.

We prayed for your intentions, and also for the poor Holy Land. How we mourned for the innocent, powerless people on both sides, suffering, dying or captured and held hostage. Such an overflow of sadness!

Leviticus 26:3–6: “If you live in accordance with my statutes and are careful to observe my commandments, I will give you your rains in due season, so that the land will yield its crops, and the trees their fruit; your threshing will last till vintage time, and your vintage till the time for sowing, and you will eat your fill of food, and live securely in your land. I will establish peace in the land, and you will lie down to rest with no one to cause you anxiety. I will rid the country of ravenous beasts, and no sword shall sweep across your land.”