Today we went on a walk, starting in Pian di Mugnone, along the small stream, towards Caldine. Before Caldine we crossed the stream and followed the track back to Pian di Mugnone. It was about a 3 mile walk. On our outbound leg (walking upstream) we spied hundreds of fish in the stream, as large as 7 inches, with stripes on their sides.
The track we walked back on is mostly a dirt road, used by the farmers. Along the stream are large cultivated fields as well as small garden plots, the latter being very well-tended.
Along the way we noticed piles of pink seeds. It seems the ants are getting ready for winter and are rearranging the local farmers' hard work by moving the wheat seeds (pink with fungicide or pesticide?) and storing them in their underground caverns. They were fascinating to watch, and we had fun comparing how different colonies hauled in their bounty. Some dragged the seed and made huge piles outside their holes for other worker ants to bring in, while others did the hauling and storing all one one go.
This path is used by runners, dog-walkers, and today we even came across a woman who was doing Tai chi on the side of the path. Who could blame her - the scenery is incredible and it was sunny and warm.
As we approached the last bridge to cross back to Pian di Mugnone (back down stream), we spied 2 dead rats floating in the water. Funny, only an hour earlier we were commenting when we saw the the fish upstream, how clean the water looked!
