8/16 Italy To mountain foot

I eat breakfast with them as they induced. And I ate lunch with them as they induced.
It will not be fine today. I could see sunrise clearly, but the clouds are gradually increasing. According to Fillipo, my new friend of Italian, this is typical weather of this area. If so, I can display my fortune in weather while the trip again. Everyday sunny day in the Provence, it was clear sky in the Alps, and after I leave, it will be cloudy. It is the same pattern as my old travel.

Then, where do I go? Before starting, I made a plan to this pass. But I have no plan from here. Italy is large. It is far to Roma from here. Now I have many choices but I have time limit. I can go only part of them. One member of astronomical companion recommends West Coast area, or I am interested in Siena, I watched on TV. There are three roads to Roma. All were build in Republic Time.

There are 3 main road to Roma. All were built in Republic Time.

• Via Aurelia: along the West Coast
• Via Cassia: passing Milano, Bologna, cross the mountain to Firenze. To Roma on inland.
• Via Flaminia: Going to Adriatic Sea on the east side at once, going along the coast. Passing the mountain from the east in Roma.

I must choose one of them weather I use the bicycle or the train. Then I should remember the concept of this travel. This is the trip after Hannibal's going. Then I must go as he went.

There is the lake Trasumeno in the southernmost end in Toscana. The place Hannibal fought with Roman army and crashed them. How about going there? I want go there from Florence, but time is not enough. I will use my bicycle from Arezzo in Toscana, and use a train again from Perugia, Nakata's Town.
But I want more information. Basic concept is the above. I will make final decision after buying a map.

15:00, I am a traveler. So I must leave, however comfortable here is. I said good bye to everyone, and go through the road into clouds. Turning back, I can see the hut from chink in the clouds. They wave good-by to me.
Ciao---! Good Bye---! Sayo-Nara---!

I was climbing up with panting, panting, panting, gasping, gasping, gasping,
Fascinated by scenic views, panting, panting, panting,
yes, I have a bottle of orange juice, cool it in a stream, It must be too cold to make headache,
Gasping gasping and gasping with nosebleed,Climbing up with panting and gasping. But Climbing down is so


||||
||||
||||
||||
fast. Only 30 minutes cycling lower the altitude of 1000m or more. I was over that cloud alittle while ago, but now I have been to the place where I can not see the hut. The friends whom I ate lunch with only 30 minutes ago are over that clouds. They are surely talking all together, relaxing like previously.

The mountain top was another world. It was a special place. The border between the special world and common area must be clear. I run, run, and run, thinking such a thing.

What was my target? Crossing the pass must be one of them, watching sunset, beautiful stars is another answer, and I want to enjoy mountain climbing if possible.

Yes, I can do all of them. My journey is going on, but this is one end. I think I can accomplish something. All I must do from now is going to Roma eating pasta and gelato.

Getting down from the Alps, I go through some towns where commerce and industry developed slightly. And it becomes the plain where vast farmland spreads. There are some campsites in the mountain side, but the nature of locality around here is one road running in large orchard.

I can go to the next town and search cheap hotel, but I want to camp tonight. As polite Japanese, I have camped only in campsite while this trip, but I see many campers outside of formal camp area. Camping at the riverside in the fruit field must be no problem. I start at 3 p.m., I could go 90km in 4 hours. I can go pretty long distance even though it was short time.
I am grad to camp at natural place.

(2004 8/16)