Hiking, Uncategorized, Via Francigena

Day 17: Montefiascone to Viterbo

Retirement Reflections

Distance Walked: 18.3 km
Time Walked: Honestly, we lost track!
Temperatures: 27C (but felt much warmer)

Summary:
It was a lovely walk outside of Montefiascone, with delightful scenic views. This early section of the trail put us on 3 km of Roman basoli paving. That’s the very same pavement that Emperors, Kings and Soldiers (amongst others) traveled over the course of 2000 years of history.

Featured in this photo are two Italian grandparents hiking with their 12-year old grandson, and 14-year old granddaughter. If any of our children are reading, we so want to do this!

That was the good news. Perhaps because our bodies, minds and spirits knew that we were heading toward a rest day, the remainder of our walk seemed to drag on from there. Yes, the roads were relatively flat, and our distance relatively short. But as we got closer and closer to Viterbo, the glorious, scenic path of the morning, suddenly became dry, dusty and seemingly endless. With no shops or cafes en route, Richard longed for a Diet Coke. As for me, the thought of gelato kept me going. Suddenly, with less than two km to go, we saw what seemed to be a mirage. And while some self-respecting pilgrims would never have considered having lunch there…we did just that!

And it was delicious!

We are now at the Hotel Viterbo Inn (for two nights)! When the Manager stamped our credentials, he asked if we enjoyed our picturesque walk from Lucca to here. “Yes, very much,” we replied. “That’s a good thing. The walk from here to Rome is rather ugly” was his dry response. We sure hope that he’s wrong about that. We’ll keep you posted!

Accommodations:
Hotel Viterbo Inn
Via San Luca 17,
+39 0761 326643
Cost: 50.40 euros per night for 2 people, private room, en-suite bathroom and breakfast.

Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

38 thoughts on “Day 17: Montefiascone to Viterbo”

  9. That photo is too funny! I don’t often eat fast food but, sometimes on a road trip (and you are definitely on a heck of a road trip), it just hits the spot! Your accommodations look delightful. I’m glad you have two days to enjoy them.

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  10. Hi Donna,
    Well, sometimes you just have to surrender to the King. LOL. I’m pretty sure 1 BK Whopper won’t permanently hurt you!
    I hope your walk to Roma is better than the gloomy prediction.
    So enjoying reading about your journey and seeing the photos.

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  11. Yay for 2 nights rest. And glorious scenic walks and Burger King. Hope you were able to sleep well and enjoy being off schedule for a day or two.

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    1. Thanks, Leslie – I have slept extremely well all nights except for two (when Richard’s cough kept us both awake — luckily both of those nights were private rooms). But absolutely, last night was totally luxurious. Thank you so much for following.

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  21. Hi Donna – I too hope the rest of the trip isn’t as dry and dusty as has been suggested … and wonderful burgers – occasionally they fit the bill. Rest – I look forward to see what you get up to … cheers Hilary

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