Day 6 - Buonconvento to Montalcino

Coffees: 2, Gelati: 1, Wine: 1/2 bottle (of Brunello)
Actual Distance Walked: 18.5km, Actual Time Taken: 5h 28m
Planned Distance: 18.9km, Planned Time: 6h 30m

Not sure how my actual distance turned out less than the planned distance as I actually doubled-back on myself at one point.  No I didn't get lost.  I was returning a lost dog to its hunter/owner.  They had been hunting (illegally I suspect) in woods I was skirting around and had come out on the track at very different points.   I came across the dog several hundred metres further along the path, rolling ecstatically in a mud puddle.  I called it over to me (vieni qui!) and herded it back to its owner.  It took a while as it had to stop and roll in every puddle we came across.  It was a nice change to herd a dog rather than being herded by one.

I didn't encounter any other hikers but have seen lots of cyclists.  The rolling hills in this part of southern Tuscany seem to be a great favorite with (lunatic) cyclists.  I did see one with bandages all down one leg and arm clearly after coming off her bike and another gingerly walking her bike down a steep slope rather than hooning down it like all the rest seem to do.

The hills around here are really quite incredible.  As you go over one ridge and down into the next valley it is like you've dropped into another world.  You can't see the quite large town you know is just over the ridge any more.  I can't imagine what it must have been like for the medieval pilgrim.  Without a very good map or local guide you could easily wander lost and be within an hour of somewhere to get food and shelter but just have no clue.  Especially as I expect it was more forested then than now.

The last section into Montalcino wasn't so much hilly as just plan steep.  I'm not sure how clearly it shows in the photo below but this is taken 3km from the end of the route.  I'm at the bottom of the valley and the odd blob at the top of the hill on the right is the tower of the Duomo in Montalcino's main square at 564m above sea level.

I had my first taste of Brunello wine today.  The restaurant I tried was as unlike last night's as possible.  It was wall to wall tourists with employees working the floor and in the kitchen.  Last night Mama was the waitress, her sons were in the kitchen and Papa was watching the TV at one end of the restaurant.

Still the food at tonight's restaurant was good as was the wine.  Below is a photo of the bottle I chose (at random).  It was decanted into the carafe to help it breathe and I was served a small portion at a time in a huge glass, also for the same reason I suppose.  It was very good but reminded me irresistibly of a good, peppery Heathcote shiraz.  Don't tell them I said so as they take their wine very seriously here.

The wine list at this restaurant was easily three times the length of the menu.  At least the first half was all Brunello wines, arranged by year.  It started with 2006 - the youngest the wine can be and still be authentic - just babies torn from their mothers' arms.  It then worked its way back through the years until it reached 1991 and prices well into the three figures.  My baby 1/2 bottle set me back 22 euro - more than I've spent on all my dinner at many other places.

The food was good also.  I had crostini with a variety of toppings to start with - 2 with liver paste, 2 with pecorino and honey (an acquired taste), one with pesto and one with porcini mushrooms.  For primo I had tagliolini (thin, flat ribbon pasta) with a mushroom and truffle cream sauce.  I'm getting spoilt as it wasn't fresh pasta and I was a bit sniffy about that at first.  Main was wild boar stew with polenta and a side of spinach dressed with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.  All very yum.  I had to admit defeat at that point and skip dessert, instead tottering back to the hotel.  Tottering being the relevant word given the amount of wine I had drunk and the precipitous nature of the town streets.