Day 197: A Change Of Plan

Nucleo Area Artiginale (Raiano) to Sulmona

Distance: 10km

Sleeping in a recording studio means absolutely no outside noise. Good sleep? Well, not really. My head is spinning. But I'll come back to that later.

At 06:00, I leave my Airbnb, bound for Sulmona, where I would catch a train to Pescara for a quick beach getaway. It's flat, straightforward.

On the way there, I rewind my overnight thoughts. Should I take a couple of more days off trail than just a day? The daily thunderstorms, which commence around noon, and the not better looking outlook make me think that way. Obviously, the trail is still walkable but it's also a bit of a pity always getting tense as soon as I tilt my head up and look at the clouds, never knowing if I get into a storm. 

In Sulmona I board the train, taking me to Pescara. Still not sure what to do. As soon as I arrive in Pescara, I head straight for the beach. Walking in the sand feels amazing and so does the quick swim in the warm water. As soon as I come out of the sea, I decide to take a week or so off trail. It's not an easy decision since I just recently found great pleasure again in walking. This will certainly disrupt the flow but my respect of  thunderstorms and plenty of time on my hands outweight it.

Spontaneously, I book a train north, back home. Stable weather and better options to recharge.

Already now, as I am sitting in the Eurocity Train, I am looking forward to rejoining the trail. That's the way it should be. I'll be back!