After breakfast and Morning Prayer, we cleaned the bikes, which were dirty from yesterday's rain. At least we had bikes to clean! Our stolen bikes are probably being ridden by some dirtbag in Albania somewhere.
With clean bikes, we were ready to leave Siena and head through Tuscany.
Tuscany is stunning and breath taking. It is also very hilly, climbing 6,000 feet in 60 miles.
We stopped in San Quirico for lunch.
There we met a pilgrim who had walked from the Netherlands to Rome and was walking back home. Even better, his name was William!
After lunch, we rode through beautiful Tuscany toward Radicofani, which is just behind Bill in this picture.
We rode up to Radicofani, where we visited the Church of Saint Peter, built by the Knights Templar with perfect acoustics.
Inside, we thanked God for a safe trip and sang the Salve Regina.
Because the gravel road was too dangerous, Paolo had to ferry our bikes and us the three miles down to our Agriturismo.
It was not only remote, but also set in a beautiful surrounding, with a swimming pool, which cooled us off.
Janet finally took a break after all her hard work.
After Mass on this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we jammed ourselves into the van, enjoyed a fabulous dinner in Radicofani, prayed Evening Prayer, and had no trouble sleeping!
Hello Pilgrims!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your journey with us! The scenery, smiling faces, delicious--looking food and the prayers offered~especially for "the dirtbags who stole our bikes"~are inspirational =) With Love, the O'Hannigan family
Hello! Sorry to hear about the theft. But to quote (one of my favorite passages from Matthew):
ReplyDeleteThat is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body more than clothing!
26 Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are?
27 Can any of you, however much you worry, add one single cubit to your span of life?
28 And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin;
29 yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of these.
30 Now if that is how God clothes the wild flowers growing in the field which are there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you who have so little faith?
31 So do not worry; do not say, "What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What are we to wear?"
32 It is the gentiles who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all.
33 Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on God's saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well.
34 So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Love, Jack and Lisa