Up to Renaio

Two days ago we had frosty morning and a fine day - not yesterday or today when we have had a lot of rain. the rime on the plants gave some lovely sparkly effects in the early sun.

Although the little hamlet of Renaio features in our conversation a lot, as it is a good point from which to head off up into the hills, we realised that we have only walked there once, and that was during our first visit, for four days in 2012.  Normally we drive to Renaio and walk from there.

Sadly, the old Renaio road, which forms parts of trail on foot, has been recently hit by a frana (landslide).  During the night of 19th January , the hillside gave way, and at Piaggiagrande, one house collapsed and another was tilted over holus-bolus at a crazy angle.  Fortunately, no-one was hurt.

On taking advice from some men working on the road, we took to the woods for a while to circumvent the frana, as the missing part of road was part of our trail.  The landslip itself was rather shocking and unsettling, and the various strange effects on the landscape suggested an earthquake than anything.

Perhaps the BBC have been reporting another dramatic event of this sort, this time in the Italian Tyrol - you can see it here http-::www.bbc.co.uk:news:world-europe-25975251

The weather clouded over as we walked, and by the time we had reached Renaio, and were homeward bound, it had started to snow, gently and wetly.

A grand morning, but it was not to last

A closer look ... 

The frana seen on the left of the house

Another angle, showing the collapsed house at the back

No through road ...

A rare piece of grass getting the manure treatment

A cute young sheep-dog - any guesses at the breed?

The sheep he was meant to be tending - any guesses at the breed?

Trassilico

The weather continues to treat us kindly, so on Sunday, we made our third trip in so many days to what we consider to be the "dark side" - ie the colder east-facing slopes of the Serchio valley, which in winter get less sunshine than we do.

However, the weather hasn't been as cold as last year, so these three trips have been sunny and pleasant.  This time, we headed to another high village which we see clearly by day, and which winks at us by night - Trassilico.  Unfortunately, there is no cafe - but Trassilico does boast a good butcher, which oddly is the only remaining shop.  Not, however, open on Sunday!

From Trassilico, there are numerous high level trails, of which we picked the one which was getting most sun.  We met another couple about our age, also out walking, who told us they were heading for a favourite spot to have a bite of lunch, and read their Sunday papers in the sun!  In our two winters, this is only the second time we have met walkers like this.

Trasillico sitting on its ridge with the two Panias behind

A try-out of possible colour schemes makes a striking image on this wall in Trassilico

Long ago, this ridge must have seemed an obvious place to build a village.  We are looking across a deep valley to Vergemoli, which we visited last winter.  Very pretty, but no cafe1

Trasillico seen through the ubiquitous lacework of branches in this wooded place

Looking across the Serchio valley towards Barga, showing just how populated the Garfagnana is

A great walk continued ...

It is difficult to convey through photographs how magical this walk was.  For a start, the weather was perfect, and with most of the path south-facing, we were quite warm all the way.  The trail led us through woodland mainly of oak, but with some chestnut and beech trees.

After our meal, we had a quick walk around Vallico di Sopra, before heading back the way we came.  There were a few flowers around - Helleborus being the most spectacular, but we are now beginning to see a some crocuses and snowdrops.

In Vallico di Sopra

We only saw this one crocus on this walk ...

... but there were many Helleborus

View towards Serchio valley on way back

Some frilly funghi ...

... and some lacy catkins

... and some frondy lichen

From Cardoso to Vallico di Sopra

Saturday promised to be a very good day, so we planned to hike from Cardoso, under the bluffs of Monte Gragno, to the village of Vallico di Sopra, which has a trattoria - rumored to be open at the weekends in the winter ...

The walk was wonderful - with lots of along, and only a modicum of up and down.

And the best bit - when we got to our destination - the ristorante was open, and filled with what appeared to be a hunters' feast.  A lovely lunch was had - rather more than our usual cheese and bread, but not nearly as much as the hunters had!

Monte Gragno - the left hand mountain - seen from the house

A pretty sink and shrine combined in Cardoso

Monte Gragno seen from Cardoso - the trail follows the foot of the cliffs

Barbara at a junction of paths

Bill and crags

The hunters' gathering ...

Trip to Cardoso

The day before yesterday (Thursday), we visited Cardoso, which we can see prominently across the valley.  At night, we see its lights twinkle at us tantalisingly.  So it was time we paid a visit.

As we arrived, two readimix lorries and a squad of men were busy repairing a frana (landslide) on one of the village roads - pumping cement to a great height.  The ongoing cost and effort of these landslides must be enormous.

Cardoso was quite a large settlement, quite busy, bustling even, with many small squares and - always a good sign - a cafe!

Last year, we visited a nearby village - Vallico Sopra - and Barbara noticed there was a long path from there to here, so Thursday's trip  was a sort of reconnoitre.  In fact, we have today done this walk, but more of that anon ...

Mending the frana ...

Many of Cardoso's houses remain unplastered - more picturesque for the tourist, but perhaps more damp for the occupants?

Minimalist bell tower on the church - there is a much bigger one of the usual type up the hill

A narrow street between grand houses

A narrow street with novel parking place ...

The start of the marked trail to Vallico Sopra

Pot of gold?

Only one photograph was in the running for today's blog!

Captions on a postcard, please ...

A trip up the valley

We have had quite a weekend of weather - thunder and lightning and a lot of rain, again bringing with it a lot of landslides locally, with roads being blocked, communities being cut off, and in some cases, houses evacuated due to their dangerous condition.

However, a good day today, and we headed North, up the valley to escape the mist, and explore some places we have seen from afar, but not yet visited.  A bit of a "car and capuccino" day, though we did manage a short walk between two villages, and a picnic lunch in the sunshine.

Medieval bridge meets railway viaduct at Pontecosi

The village of Poggia with snowy Apuan Alps behind

The church at Sambuca, safely nestled in its volcanic plug

King of the castle at Sambuca church

More viaduct

The bastion making inroads on the main square of Camporgiano

Water everywhere - after all the rain ...

Leaving Sassarosso

The man who drives the bread van tells us it's going to rain non-stop for ten days (it has certainly rained here all day), so I'll better spin out the Sassarosso trip until more photogenic weather comes along.

As we descended through the town, Barbara discovered a good footpath which allowed us to make our walk a circular one, which is always more interesting.

Built straight onto the bedrock was this old bread oven, still in use

Looking across to the Apuan Alps from the town

Trees and a sinuous curve on the skyline

A patch of sunlight illuminates the snow-covered Appenines above us

A good path on the way back to Massasassarosso

A goodly pile of timber mimics the peaks of the Pania di Corfino and the Pania di Sassarossa

A trip to Sassarosso

Last year we saw from afar the town of Sassarosso - its name means "red stone", and the town itself was visibly pink. It is a bit out of the way, but we determined then to visit it another day. That day was yesterday.

Feeling the need for exercise, we parked the car at the nearby village with the jaw-breaking name of Massasassarosso, and walked on up the road.

Sassarosso sits on an outcrop of an unusual pink-coloured limestone, and blends in with the pink hilltop where the quarry is from which, over the centuries, the building stone for the houses has been obtained.  The rock is also notable for fossils - mostly ammonites.  Although we searched quite hard in the quarry, the only fossils we saw had already been discovered, either put on display, or incorporated into buildings.

The morning in Barga augurs well for the day

Three more esses than Mississippi!

Sassarosso nestled below its pink hilltop


The town gateway shows Sassarosso's true colours ...

Barbara enjoys a seat in the sun in front of a pink house

Fossil ammonite embedded in building stone

Fossil hunting in the quarry