To San Luigi and back ...

Continued from yesterday ...

From the viewpoint of La Croce, it was a further half-hour or so through a slightly dank and dark forest landscape where rocks and moss replaced the deep leaf litter of the earlier part of the walk.

As we climbed up to the col where the village is situated, we emerged, blinking, into the sunshine, and a vista of the next valley. We had our lunch al fresco among the few cottages which make up San Luigi, to the sound of tinkling goat bells.  This area has much lush green pasture in clearings among the woodland, and in fact the unusual sight and the smell of the animals immediately brought to mind the hills of Scotland.

We then descended to the village of Vallico di Sopra where we had a memorable lunch with the hunters recently, and set off to complete the circuit of Monte Penna, to return to the car at Cardoso after a walk of around six and a half hours.  We felt well-exercised!

The slightly weird forest on the slopes below San Luigi

Part of the hamlet, with a view into the next valley

... with many crocuses at our feet ...

... and ciabatta and some delicious farm cheese for lunch

The village of Vallico di Sotto with Vallico di Sopra hiding behind the trees on the right

Barbara at the start of the walk back from Vallico di Sopra

The spectacular cliffs of Monte Gragno, below which the path winds, with "our" valley in the distance