Gothic Line Prayer Journey Day 10

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. 

http://standwheretheyfought.jimdo.com/italy-2012-the-gothic-line-campaign-1944-futa-pass-and-giogo-pass-then-and-now/ 

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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Campaign_(World_War_II

Gothic Line Prayer Journey Day 9

After a good rest and recoup we started our day with the word Victory. The day was beautiful and sunny.  We set out to find Mt. Frasino. Along the way we passed through Mangona which is smack dab on the Gothic Line, so we stopped and staked our claim. Onward we drive with maps in hand and a location and we stop along the side of the road to make and up from the hillside comes a couple of old men and we ask them and they say "follow us". So we return to the town that we passed and they show us a little road and say take this until you reach that house and then walk. So off we go to Mt. Frasino and we walk for about and hour and we arrive to our spot. We break bread and stake our claim and while praying I felt this long line of men , either hand in hand or side by side by I felt led to step into this line and when I did I felt like I broke the flow and then a flow from me was going out to the left and the right. 

This area seemed to be well marked and known when we asked for directions for Mt Citerna.  It was go here and sure enough it was there.  Along the way we stumbled across Santa Lucia (which I thought was on the other side) so we stopped and prayed and moved on to Mt Citerna. we climbed to it's peak and prayed, drove a stake (took 3 tries, wouldn't go in the ground) and took Communion.  What a view but what destruction on the hillside. 

Down and over to Passo Della Futa, this was literally a spot (restaurant and resting place).  We actually drove right up to this mountain top so that was pretty cool, no walking, yeah God.  We prayed in the little park, staked and took Communion.  We then went inside to talk to the owner.  This family has owned this place since like 1913, so they pretty much know the history.  He (the son) told us that this place was a strong German defense and that the German Memorial Cemetery was very close. It seemed almost as if it was a selling point.  He then gave us directions to our next point il Giogo.

 Il Giogo like the last place, was a restaurant and it had rooms also for rent but unfortunately for us was closed.  It too was where the Germans chose to make a series of strongholds.  The view from the roads coming up were incredible.  It really was a perfect spot to set up base.  We prayed, drove a stake & took Communion, however we found ourselves at the top of a Mountain range in what seemed to be a National Park area that Bicyclists & Motorcyclists as well as hikers enjoy coming to but the place was virtually isolated today.  We did manage to get our bearings by looking at one of the maps and took off walking in the general direction.  Now this area has a different story to tell as over 2700 Americans lost their life here trying to take some of the strategic Mountain Tops.  One of those Mountains was Altuzza.  The road was marked with directions and a huge Cross on it's peak commemorating the war there. As this whole area is right on the Gothic Line and had a lot of activity during the war, there are still bunkers and the such visible for all to visit.  Again we prayed, staked & took Communion.  Every Mountaintop is different and we get different words or proclamations or declarations or directions for prayer.  It is hard to remember them all, but the Lord hears and remembers and brings life to them amen. 

Our last order of business for the day was Mount Verruca.  We drove up the road further to a gate and parked.  We had read all the trail markers but none mentioned our Mt.  An man & his daughter came down the road from what looked like a very long hike, and we asked them if they knew were it was.  They sent us back down the road and told us to take this one trail into the woods.  I think they said about 1/2 hour in we would see our Mountain.  We see Mountains all around us and signs of the war but at one point we came to an impassable, no path forest and figured this must be it. So we prayed, drove a stake and took Communion.  I (Joyce) still didn't feel right about this place, it just didn't seem like something the Germans would use as a strategic point, it was hidden in the woods but it was getting late and we needed to eat and go to sleep.

We went back to our car, satisfied that we had accomplished so much today.  8 places in all.  We drove the little way over to the Il Diogo across the road and Guido made us some nice sandwiches.  We then changed our clothes and got into our P.J.s, pulled out our blankets and pillows and set about having a discussion about sleeping there on the hilltop in total isolation, with no one and no cell service or drive 10 km. to the nearest town and sleep.  It was apparent that our next 2 places were somewhere in this huge range of Mountains, but where.  And what were we going to do for a bathroom ( hair, teeth, etc.)  And what about directions tomorrow, would there be anyone to ask early in the morning?  After much back and forth debate we went to sleep at 8:30 pm.

Gothic Line Prayer Journey Day 8

On the road again, well what there is of it.  We pushed on to Poggio Alto which to our great pleasure is literally across the the valley from Mt. Acuto so it made for easy finding (Still had to climb though). We arrived after a rocky road which we had to cross a puddle that would be no problem for a car not so close to the ground. So we found a spot, parked the car and walked in ten minutes to a opening which had a monument to two brothers(17,19 years of age) which were killed by the Germans and lots of sight markers of which two of  were for us. We proceeded to Poggio Alto.  There was a nice sign at one point but the path was not to be found so we made our own (we are getting good at that) and lo and behold after going straight up the mountain side we find a monument and a cross,  wow.

 This place was liberated by the Indians and the South Africans. As we started to seek the Lord it got foggy, cold and really windy. We prayed, staked our claim and took communion. Of course Joyce asks for her sign and wouldn't  you know it, the sun came out again for a brief second.  This is really starting to be a creepy event because it is overcast and boom, this thick fog roles in and surrounds us the whole time were praying and then as were leaving some sun pops out and by the time we are leaving so is the fog.

 

 We made our
way down the mountain back to the monument and back up again on the otherside to the top of Mt. Acuto which is another high place that the Germans had taken.  It's a nothing type of place except for it's strong point, it has a view of the valley.   Anyhow there really wasn't any signs that the Germans had been on top of this mountain except some rocks that were all strewn around from what looked like some sort of defense, but then again hunters are up here a lot as well.  There was a little rock shack that has seen better days for sure and a little hunting platform.  According to the Military Map, it was a stronghold so we prayed on this mountain, drove a stake and took Communion just the same.  By now, the view out over the valley has started to show some break in the grey skies finally.

 Back to the car and off to Poggio Della Dogana.  This one was relatively easy to find except we didn't know what we were looking for at this point.  We have been on mountain peaks, large mountain plateaus and the like, this however was a crossroads, 5 roads to be exact at this point .  We actually took one of the roads up, thinking we should be heading towards a strategic lookout point but then decided to head back down the road to a B&B to ask.  The woman told us that it was this building known simply as "The Dogana" which means "The Customs".  This was a place where  the locals would cross from town to town and when they passed this place they would pay a toll to the town in which they were entering. The Germans found this place very convenient to garner supplies for themselves.  The building looked like it might have been bombed but then again due to age it could just simply be another crumbling old structure that's found throughout Italy. 






We again looking for one place stumbled upon another,  this was Poggio Mezzana which  was one of the large mountain plateaus overlooking the City of Montepiano.  After a nice steep climb up to the top, we prayed, staked our claim and took Communion.  In case any of you might be wondering, and to clarify what I may or may not said before.  We are going to all the German defenses along the Green Line, praying, driving a stake with some scriptures on them along with a crown and the words "For the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus" written on them.  If we stop at towns that fall on the Green Line, then we just pray and drive a stake.  The Communion is basically us going to the high places and worshiping the Lord there and building a Tabernacle in the place where alters of man/demonic have been established in the region.  Don't ask me why the Lord laid this on our heart to do, I certainly don't understand, were just trying to be obedient to what it is we felt the Lord told us to do.  I told Guido, if were wrong, we have gotten some good exercise, seen some awesome views and have prayed a whole bunch over these days and that can't be bad.

Anyhow we went down into the town and met some of the locals and took some pictures at a large monument and made our way home.  We are now too far from home to be traveling back and forth so the next leg, which will eventually bring us to the other coast, we will be staying out for around 4 days and see where that will bring us.  It's a plan anyways so we shall see how it goes.