Today we walked uphill all day–in the rain.

That kind of sounds like your worst hiking nightmare, doesn’t it? It was kind of tough at the end, but overall, not terrible.

The rain started in the morning as a slight drizzle and continued that way for a few hours. It was light enough that our shoes never got soaked through.

The rain got heavier about three miles from our destination (a 12-mile day). We took a long break and had a snack and tea; it was still early in the afternoon, so we were in no rush.

The last hour was in steady, though not pouring, rain. Surprisingly, although shoes were pretty soaked and our socks kind of wet, our feet were only damp. It helped that though we had rain, we never walked in puddles.

As for the uphill, it was a steady ascent, never steep (until we got to the hill town where we are staying). It didn’t leave you huffing and puffing.

The reward is staying in the cutest, coziest place yet. It’s a small, old building with thick wooden beamed ceilings.

The shuttered window looks out over red tile roofs, stone walls around green fields, and a church tower presiding over it all from the top of the hill.

The room is the most spacious we’ve had yet, with lots of space for us, our suitcases, and backpacks. And it has two (!) piping hot radiators that are making quick work of drying our wet things. A big, non-leaky hot shower and a hair dryer! Downstairs, there’s tea and hot water. Heaven!

Now that we’re inside and the rain is outside, we’re as snug as a bug in a rug!