What a fantastic weekend. Family fun and togetherness, that’s the best, in my opinion.

Yesterday we spend an amazing afternoon and evening on a place called San Pellegrino in Alpe. As its name suggests it’s very high (in Alpe) 1525 m above sea level. It was bitingly cold and as we walked our lungs hurt because of the cold air as we climbed upwards onto the path.

We were taking the Giro del Diavolo, a pilgrims path. Legend has it that that San Pellegrino of the Alpi, was tempted by the Devil. After losing his patience, he gave the devil him a strong slap, sending him accross the entire valley, until he crashed into the Apuan Alps. These were passed through and pierced by the body of the Devil, leaving the hole in Monte Forato (1234 m above sea level).

The Giro del Diavolo is near San Pellegrino and pilgrims used to carry a large stone each as penance which were then left with the other stones of those gone before them.

We had our picnic lunch near the stones, sitting on a wall. We moved on from there and walked for an hour or so, through beech woods coming out every so often to see the sun, in the distance, starting to go down behiind the mountains. There was a sea of mountains in the distance.

We could only walk far enough so that when we turned around to return, it wouldn’t be dark when we got back. We turned and came back via a path which ran parallel, but higher to the road. Much more of an adventure and more interesting, even if there was a biting, strong, icy, wind.

Once back on the path, we headed back towards the tiny town.

Through the beech woods. No chestnuts here, it’s too high! There was a thick carpet of leaves covering the ground. Slipery in parts because of the hidden twigs and stones underneath.

It was dusk when we arrived back. The rooves are made of slate like stone here. Used because of the extreme cold. They are sturdier than cotto and warmer.

The town itself hosts the sanctuary of Saints Pellegrino and Bianco. Both can be seen mummified in the chapel there. We didn’t get to see them yesterday, but I have seen them in the past. I have a photo somewhere. Perhaps I’ll find it and post it here in the future.

The town has around 38 inhabitants, 17 more than my hamlet and it also has (from what we saw) three bars and a couple of shops compared to my hamlet of none and none! It hosts a fair few motorbike rallies from what I’ve seen of it in the past and there are signs saying that it welcomes bikers, dotted around the town. It belongs to two regions, Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, as well as two provinces, Lucca and Modena.

It is a bleak place at this time of year and gets a lot of snowfall as the striped poles lining the road are bear testiment. They are there to show where the road is in the case of snow and they are above my head in height!

Little did we know when we arrived back that we would be treated to the most spectacular sunset. The sky was on fire. I have never seen such a vivid and stunning sunset, ever!