So as we left you on our Day 9, having had a long productive day we found ourselves at Giogo Pass which was 12 to 15 km from the nearest town in either direction and we needed to make a choice whether to add 30 km to our next day or sleep in the car where we were. The discussion came down to coffee and directions in the morning and so we just opted to stay put and figure it out in the morning. After putting on our p.js we sat back and discussed our day and saw a giant, and I mean giant bunny on the hillside. Soon it was dark and off to sleep we went at about 9:00 pm.
Have to admit, we are not youngsters anymore and sleeping in the car, although large and comfortable, we still had a somewhat restless sleep. It could be that we hadn't finished praying the area, or the sudden stuffy nose and the constant blowing if it or the need for the bathroom where one wasn't available and not sure if going out of the car to relieve myself was safe since they have wolves running around up here and wild pigs too. Guido fared a little better then I did, but I certainly wasn't making it a peaceful sleep for him.
We woke about 6:30 to deer grazing in the field beside us but fell back asleep until around 7:30 -8:00 to the sounds of someone emptying garbage into the bin. Guido decided to run over and ask them if they knew where Mount Pratone was. I mean run is a little exaggerated as he still had to get dressed and put on shoes while I'm hoping they don't drive off. After about 15 minutes Guido comes back with directions and 2 coffees. God being a Great Father supplied both through the restaurant owners who needed to pass by to get some stuff and then leave. The restaurant is only open on the weekends now so what an awesome coincidence they showed up right? Oh and did I mention they gave us the coffee!!! Yeah awesome Father we have.
So off we go for what we were told was an easy 45 minute hike up to Mount Pratone along a road that was completely drivable but closed off to only Forest Rangers and police. The owner didn't know where Poggio Perfetto was but gave us a flier with the name and number of someone who could help us to our next destination. 
Mount Pratone was exactly 45 minutes on the dot where he told us it was and besides the owner we didn't see another person until we arrived on the mountain top and there were 2 men up there mending the road and when we sat down on the bench up there the police came through in a jeep with 4 other people. It was a real crowd by then, but this would be the last people we would see for the next 8 hours. (more on that later) Anyhow we prayed, staked and took Communion and then called the person on the brochure. 
"Oh it is really hard to get to, kind of dangerous and long and it is suppose to rain and are you really prepared because even professionals have a hard time getting there and it takes like 3 hours from where your at now". Yeah we were feeling a little discouraged but said we would do it, so we started off in the direction back to where we started to find trail 00. After about 15 minutes we see the trail 00 marked on a tree, but looking to the left and the right there was no trail. We go about another 5 minutes and see another tree with 00 written on it. 
We are on the trail but now were heading the wrong way. Guido calls again, no answer, he calls the other number and gets another man who doesn't know where it is but will have someone else call us back. Now remember we are in a Mountain range and get spotty coverage at best. So we walk back up 20 minutes and someone calls us and gives us direction. The only thing that matches what the first guy told us was that it was a 3 hour walk in and after a about 3 1/2 hours we arrived at Poggio Perfetto. Guido had to call the source at least 4 times (we got lost a few times) for indications on what tree to turn at, but presto we were there. At one point instead of being a forest it looked like we were walking on the moon. Just past that where it turned back somewhat into forest we staked our claim broke bread and prayed. 
This walk at times was very eerie and felt weird. There were signs of the the war at every turn. There was a lot of investment put into this strategic point and 2700 Americans alone would lose their lives in this battle to take this area. It was so strategic and so strongly fortified that it took 6 days to take. It still feels spooky. So weird you are in part of the woods and it is all alive and green and the next second the trees are all dead and that spooky feeling comes on you. And to walk for so many hours and see no one or nothing but trees and water is just not my idea of fun even if you do hear birds chirping.
In any event when we started the journey back, we still had a small mountain called Verucca that we thought we had found the day before but our source said we walked on the wrong one. So after we arrived at our car in extreme pain we had to decide if we had the strength after 8 plus hours to try. The source had told us it was a little path beside Mount Altuzza just 20 minutes in. (the one with the cross from day 9) We decided that we would go for it because we really wanted to get off this mountain and move on. So we call our source again to verify and the office is closed. We then came down and parked the car at Mount Altuzza (5 min. drive down the road) and there is a young man coming down and he tells us that 10 years ago they closed the path to Mount Verruca because it was too dangerous. He knew because his father worked for the Forest Service. So we got in our car and drove away to Scarperia where we will stay the night. I punch in our home on the Tom Tom and see we are only 1 hour & 13 minutes away so we decide to go home and spend the night.
Just then our source calls us, and we tell him what the young man
told us and he said that wasn't true, and told us which path it was. So
returning to the place still not convinced we had the proper directions,
but we climbed down into the valley, a scene out of some scary movie and
found
our spot. Well the young man was correct, we weren't on
top of the Mountain, and there did not appear to be any safe way to get
up there either. Not to mention we were now on 9 hours of walking, so we
staked our claim at the base of the mountain victoriously. We then
hiked back up and got in the car as it started to rain and rain and
rain. In fact it rained all day the next day too. It was ok though
because we needed the rest after our 9 1/2 hours of walking.
Just then our source calls us, and we tell him what the young man
told us and he said that wasn't true, and told us which path it was. So
returning to the place still not convinced we had the proper directions,
but we climbed down into the valley, a scene out of some scary movie and
found
our spot. Well the young man was correct, we weren't on
top of the Mountain, and there did not appear to be any safe way to get
up there either. Not to mention we were now on 9 hours of walking, so we
staked our claim at the base of the mountain victoriously. We then
hiked back up and got in the car as it started to rain and rain and
rain. In fact it rained all day the next day too. It was ok though
because we needed the rest after our 9 1/2 hours of walking. 
The Axis Powers World War II was fought between two major groups of nations. They became known as the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers. The major Axis Powers were Germany, Italy, and Japan.
The Forming of the Axis Powers
The alliance began to form in 1936. First, on October 15, 1936 Germany and Italy signed a friendship treaty that formed the Rome-German Axis. It was after this treaty that Italian dictator Benito Mussolini used the term Axis to refer to their alliance. Shortly after this, on November 25, 1936, Japan and Germany both signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, which was a treaty against communism.
An even stronger alliance was signed between Germany and Italy on May 22, 1939 called the Pact of Steel. This treaty would later be called the Tripartite Pact when Japan signed it on September 27, 1940. Now the three main Axis Powers were allies in the war.
Interesting Facts
- The Pact of Steel was first called the Pact of Blood, but they changed the name thinking the public would not like it.
- Mussolini was often called "Duce", or leader. Hitler picked a similar name in German called "Fuhrer".
- At their peak during World War II, the Axis Powers ruled much of Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
- Some people in Italy called the Italian Empire the New Roman Empire. The Italians conquered Ethiopia and Albania prior the break out of World War II. They were the first major power to surrender to the Allies.
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