A double day, partly as the second leg of it was only 12km, and partly because the host of the app-recommended accommodation didn’t respond to our request. Double days involving hill-top towns is not the best mix!
First leg from Cori was a hard descent on medieval stairways, then a steep climb up the other side on more recent farm tracks. Beautiful views from the escarpment out over the ocean. Weather very threatening but we made it to a cafe in Norma before the skies opened. Good thing we didn’t stop at the Roman archeological site on the edge of town. Unfortunately the skies stayed open, so the new, bright orange ponchos got a test drive. The challenge was the descent from Norma on what was presumably the road pre internal combustion engine. It’s now overgrown in places by prickly pear cactus, so vigilance was required. I’m happy to report that both ponchos are in pristine condition and that they worked as advertised.
We by-passed Sermoneta, hill top town of afore-mentioned unresponsive host, by taking the via vecchia Romana. Being a Sunday it was not very busy, except where there were country restaurants, which were bursting at the seams. Sunday family lunches are alive and well here in Lazio. We were hoping that some noble Italian would take pity on us and invite us in for a cold one. Sadly not, but our saving grace was a vending machine at the base of the climb up to Sezze. I gladly offloaded the accumulated ballast of euro coins for two waters and a coke (energy source for late in the day!)
Our B&B was on the far side of town, with the last 2km on rubbery legs after the climb something of a challenge. Most places were closed as it was Sunday, but Google maps guided us down a laneway switchback at the edge of a housing development to a very good pizza restaurant. Definitely not a place you’d happen to find by accident!
2saunter 
Wow you guys are going to have to eat a lot more pizza just to keep going! Amazing amount of walking. Enjoy the rain.
Cheers
Jamie
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