“And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”” I Kings 18:41 NIV
Our longest hike was to the town of Montefalco, Umbria. Montefalco is visible anywhere in the Umbrian Valley because of its location. The first settlers were named Umbri and Romans, Lombards, local merchants, later ruled it. Then the people were under the control of the local town of Foligno and Papal States. Then Montefalco became a part of Italy after 1861.
We started hiking in a light rain. We had raincoats and umbrellas but not pack covers as some did. The sun came out and then you were hot and steaming. So the outer clothes come off and are packed away until the next round of rain.
The soil was a muddy clay mixture and we began to walk like ducks as the shoes became heavy and mud caked. We climbed around 1,000 feet but it was a steady and long climb. We arrived dirty, wet and cold from the hike.
When we arrived in the village through the city gate, we climbed the final distance on a main street to the restaurant, Il Falisco. The owner was grilling lamb chops and lamb sausage on a grill over a wood fire. He had owned the restaurant for 40 years.
It was a heavenly meal of Gnocchi in Red wine sauce which made the pasta purple, salad, a type of French fries, lamb fresh from the grill. Tiramisu was our desert and we were all satiated and wanted a nap. Instead, we walked down steep slippery steps to the Fratelli winery.
The lamps were a mixture of old painted ceramic with LED bulbs. The 1950s TV in the corner was a surprise as well.
Have you ever hiked in inclement weather? What do you do to prepare? How do you persevere in difficult decisions?