St Benedicts Alps

This morning the snake’s beautiful but dead body had gone: a meal for some creature. No sign of the toad who scrambled away in that ponderous big toad way. I’m hoping she or he is ok and well hidden - they sort of burrow themselves down into the soil.

Later, it promising heat today - it was 35c at Lidl’s car park, I drove up the Passo Della Calla 1261m and then higher still around the north side of Mt Falterona to 1461m. These beech forests grow at this altitude. There was a fresh northerly blowing and the temperature was 20C. I had a most pleasant walk and looked out at the wild St Ben’s Alps running away into Emilia-Romagna (extra). Saw maybe 10 people on the old trackway that goes to high remote Castagno St Andrea and then San Godenzo.

Off to get my second Astra Zeneca jag at 21:03.

The Draghi government and the pixie-hatted Gen Figliolo have made great progress in rolling out the vaccine programme. (The hat is actually the headgear of the hugely respected Alpini section of the armed forces.)

The National Park of the Casentino Forests has recently go world heritage status.