Instead of dropping down south of the Arno at San Miniato as originally planned, I've settled on a more northerly route that doesn't hit the Arno until Signa or perhaps even closer to Firenze. This route is somewhat shorter and has less traffic, and passes through some beautiful countryside. Down along the Arno it is somewhat more industrial, probably because of proximity to railway lines and plentiful water and the traffic density is correspondingly higher. I had originally been keen to use as much of the Via Francigena as was practical, but given that for this area it is entirely notional, with no dedicated path, there isn't much point.
The terrain is mostly gently rolling hills with lots of grapes. Along the way we pass the Padule di Fucecchio, which is the largest remaining swampland in Italy. We'll get a good view of the area from the road as we pass through the village of Massarella. There are some pretty towns as well, Cerreto Guidi, and Vinci (as in Leonardo da-) where there is the inevitable museum and bars with evocative names. After Vinci the road through Vitolini and Camignano climbs over the Tuscan hills and back to the Arno at Signa or even later. It is around 400m of climb, but that is only 200m more than going the other way.
The wiki has been updated.
The terrain is mostly gently rolling hills with lots of grapes. Along the way we pass the Padule di Fucecchio, which is the largest remaining swampland in Italy. We'll get a good view of the area from the road as we pass through the village of Massarella. There are some pretty towns as well, Cerreto Guidi, and Vinci (as in Leonardo da-) where there is the inevitable museum and bars with evocative names. After Vinci the road through Vitolini and Camignano climbs over the Tuscan hills and back to the Arno at Signa or even later. It is around 400m of climb, but that is only 200m more than going the other way.
The wiki has been updated.
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