Stone upon stone: an Italian sojourn: Where pilgrims called

We woke to sunshine which we had not anticipated, so that put us in a happy place. It rains in winter in Italy and we have had showers on more days this winter than we have had in the last decade of travelling, though to date they have only dogged us once or twice when we have had to cut something short because of it, though we now each have umbrellas which we might use for ten minutes on a variable day: but not today.

The low lying clouds that the rain left last night still had soft white patches over our Tuscan green painting today as we woke. So pretty. Though it burned off in minutes soon after.

Today we visited Buonconvento: whose name means a 'happy place'. And, it is. Folk wandering the via Soccini all have smiles and are enjoying themselves, and the town has a loveliest lightest feeling.

That is despite its massive and beautifully kept fortifications. It still has walls on all sides from days when it needed protection from invaders. Those walls around this small town are densely packed still, with seven of the original nine watchtowers, standing guard.

One of its town gates was blown up by the retreating Germans in WW2: the other, Porta Senese, built in 1370 remains, still strong and imposing today with its lovely old centuries-weathered iron clad wooden gates, incredibly tall, each fully eight inches thick. There is no moving these, except with a bomb.

Many older folk still make their homes huddled into the very fabric of the wall. Safe there. And their churches, decorated with beautiful old works of art, are not far away.

Much of Buonconvento is old: so old that the crests of all the town Podestas, or mayors, who administered Buonconvento up to the year 1270, are still displayed there.

And its lanes are little and low: built for tiny folk. But beautifully maintained. At the very heart of Buonconvento is the old via Francigena, the road which cuts through Italy, that used to bring pilgrims right through this town enroute to Jerusalem, after the birth of Christ. They used this as a watering hole. The via Francigena connects to the Camino de Santiago heading to Spain, and the Itinerary de Sigerac to Canterbury.

As the centuries wore on the old pilgrim route was further built by the Lombards, avoiding Byzantine territories, and defining the main walking and riding route throughout Europe: later defining the main trade routes of today. Much of it is known in detail today, thanks to the travel notes of Sigerac, the Archbishop of Canterbury who recorded them all in his diary, returning from Rome where he visited the Pope in the 900s.

As Buonconvento was one of the stopping points, and watering holes enroute, we, in turn emulated the pilgrims, and found a lunch spot on the via Francigena and had a most delicious lunch. No wonder the townspeople are happy folk having food stops like this on their doorstep.

The menu was quite unusual, too, which is initially what attracted us, and included starters of baccalau on oven-baked polenta squares which we chose, followed by unusual pasta dishes: one of which had a sauce of black cabbage and fave beans, a lovely combination that works so well it is worth trying to remember, and to master.

The other piece of deliciousness was the rustic home-made Tuscan bread. With salt. We have been finding Italian bread is not at all to our taste without salt: but this Tuscan bread makes up for all the disappointments. The chef bakes it in a large thin rectangular slab which is then cut as needed in long soldier fingers for portions that they serve in rolled brown paper. Spiked with salt and delicious pricks of flavour. A simple rustic recipe that has likely been around since the days of the pilgrims.