Distance Walked: 19.1 km ++
Time Walking: 6 hours (including breaks)
Temperature: 32C
When we woke up this morning, it felt like Graduation Day. And in so many ways, it was. I threw out my (no longer) white LuLu Lemon long-sleeved shirt (that I know you were all sick of — me too)! I donned my Columbia hiking dress and put on my best perfume (eau de deet). And then, like we have done for the past 23 days, Richard and I began to walk.
There is no way to Polyannaize it. Parts of today were butt ugly (sorry, Mom)! Not only did we spend the first 7 km walking along a very busy road, in rush hour traffic, our views repeatedly looked like this. There was literally garbage everywhere! Everywhere!!
But there were other parts of today that were truly magnificent — especially when we exchanged the earlier traffic jam for this one.
Today’s path took us back and forth from busy roads and bustling suburbs to tranquil stretches of peaceful farmland and parks. In the last hour+ of our walk, we reached Monte Mario (the “Mountain of Joy”). Here, ancient pilgrims were said to “outburst with joy” as they glimpsed the stunning panoramic view of Rome, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Our guidebook, which is usually “just the facts, m’am,” got a bit carried away in its description, saying:
And neither can we, modern pilgrims, contain our emotions at the sight of the Eternal City, so deeply desired as not to seem true, there so beautiful before our eyes! Suddenly the fatigue will seem light to you, the many kilometers walked just a stroll. And then you will walk the last 4 km as if you were flying!” (The Via Francigena, 2nd Revised Edition, Terri di Mezzo, Editor).
Richard and I would not quite express it in this way. But, the moment was remarkable and one that we will always cherish,
As was the moment that we reached St. Peter’s Square.
As Richard so wisely summed it up, this trip was definitely not about the destination, but the daily journey!
What happens when a hard-core athlete marries a hard-core non-athlete? They meet in the middle and walk…a very long way!
Total Distance Walked: 420 km++
Thank you for following. Your comments have meant a great deal to both of us!
Congratulations. I am amazed at what you have achieved. You deserve a few days of la dolce vita.
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Thanks, Anne – I was a bit amazed myself. We had a few odds stacked against us and had almost decided not to go through with this trip. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Thank you for following!
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Woot woot! Congrats!
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Thanks, Kate – It feels sorta good! 🙂
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Congratulations!!! You guys rock.
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Thanks, Deb – You totally rock too!
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Hi Donna – Congratulations to you both! What an amazing achievement and journey that you’ve done together. . Have a wonderful stay in Rome. Thank you for sharing your words and photos with us throughout June.
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Thanks, Natalie – After leaving St. Peter’s Square, we immediately took a taxi to our hotel (35 min walk). It’s smazkng how quickly things change! 🙂
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Congratulations! Thank you! Enjoy! Roger
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Thanks, Roger – We greatly appreciate you following!
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I enjoyed the journey too😊 Ann
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Thanks, Ann – That’s kind of you to say!
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Let the bells ring! You did it. Celebrate and relax. I’m there will be some vino on the horizon.
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Thanks, Brenda – Yup, there’ll definitely be wine! (We have been missing our Spanish sangrias!)
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It’s been fun to follow your adventures! Thanks for sharing… maybe one day I’ll convince David to get his knees fixed so we can do this!
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Do it, Liz!!! You will LOVE it! Thanks for following and for keeping in touch!
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*Fanfare* Brilliant – well done!
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Thanks, Anabel – Your kind words are greatly appreciated!
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You are both amazing and inspiring. Congratulations for yet another Camino!
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Thanks, Kathy – Your comments have also been inspiring and have meant so much!
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Another wonderful achievement. Thank you both for sharing this journey with us. I’ve enjoyed it so much.
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Thanks, Cath – I’ve loved having you follow along. It’s the next best thing to seeing you in person!
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Aw…you know I love a happy ending, Donna! Congratulations to you and Richard! You did a wonderful job sharing your journey with us. Love the dress!
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Thanks, Jill – we were extremely grateful for a happy ending as well!
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Well done you two! Thank you for sharing your Camino with us – certainly allowed for a most pleasurable vicarious experience! Whoot whoot! 😀🌺😀
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Thanks, Susan – I greatly appreciate you following!
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Congratulations…glad to know you both arrived safely.
It was a privilege to share a small part of your journey with you.
Happy trails,
Karen x
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Thanks so much, Karen – you were a significant part of our journey. Your help in answering our questions as we prepared for this trip, and sharing your own journey along the way, made a very positive difference. It has been a pleasure to meet you….and now call you ‘friend’. Richard and I hope that Croatia is treating you well! I look forward to remaining g in touch.
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I’m hope you notified the Pope of your arrival. Congratulations to you both and thank you for including us on your journey. I’ve never been to Rome so I hope you include a few posts and pictures from there (no pressure 🙂).
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Thanks, Janis – We haven’t contacted the Pope about our arrival, but we plan to pick up our “Walking Certificates” at St. Peter’s Square today. We have been warned that the “Certificate Experience” is very different here from the one in Spain…and a tad underwhelming. However, Richard and I plan to create our own ceremony and go out for champagne (or similar) immediately afterwards!
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Congrats❣️❣️Job well done, enjoy your stay in Rome….
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Thanks, Georgia – we have begun our first day in Rome by sleeping in and lazily surfing the net on our phones. Our hotel (Moses’s Fountain) has offered to send us breakfast in our room at no extra charge. That totally rocks!
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Seriously, I’m not sure who the athlete is and who the non-athlete is after this! Great job, both of you!!!
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Hi, Tracey – Your comment made my day! I am incredibly uncoordinated…but I do have endurance…and a healthy dose of stubbornness!
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The finish line, for now! Huge congratulations for this accomplishment, Donna! Thanks for sharing your daily journey and safe travels back to reality!
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Thanks so much, Terri. Your support and encouragement has meant so much!
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Congratulations and enjoy the satisfaction of achieving another Camino walk. Well done Donna and Co.
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Thanks, Suzanne – I have greatly appreciated you following along!
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I was astounded at the amount of rubbish on this path and had a pictiure in my head of Rome gleaming like a golden beacon below you. Congratulations on finishing this Camino. Thanks for sharing your daily journeys, I’ve really enjoyed reading them.
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Hi, Jo – We had been warned about the “garbage crisis” ahead of time. After spending 21+ days in charming Italian towns, the overflowing garbage became very noticeable just before reaching La Storta. It then followed us all of the way into Rome. And it isn’t just the garbage in Rome. Signage, crosswalks, park benches, etc. etc. have been in a worse state of decline in Rome than anywhere else on this trip. This is a long-standing crisis, which has evoked a huge diversity of opinion. We Googled it…and that was a true eye-opener!
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Why so much trash toward the end? This was Italy? Nice journey. And it is alway about the journey — that’s life.
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Hi, Gail – See my reply to Jo (directly above) about the “garbage crisis” in certain parts of Italy. Thank you for following. I greatly appreciate it.
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Been following your journey across Italy and thoroughly enjoyed reading about your daily adventures. Congratulations to you and Richard and thanks for sharing.
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Hi, Linda / I greatly appreciate you following. Thank you for this very kind feedback!
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Well done dosent seem enough so I will say very will done. At some point in the near future i will walk with my son from Norfolk to Rome and then on to Ortona. Your tips and advice on accommodation are very helpful thank you for that. I also like the way you say it how it is but still make it easy to read thank you and once again well done.
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Hi, Clive – Thank you so much for following along, and for your kind words. If there are any questions that I can help answer for you, please do not hesitate to let me know. Wishing you and your son a Buen Camino!
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Although we have never met, I feel I got to know you and Richard a little by following the daily journey. Thank you for the posts, and especially the accommodation details, you have made our upcoming Camino that little bit easier.
Ross and Annie
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Hi, Ross and Anne – Thank you for following. I am glad that my posts were helpful to you. Wishing you both an awesome Camino ahead. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can help answer any questions for you.
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Wow! Maybe I am repeating myself, but Werner Hertog spoke to our student body a few years ago. His advice to students was to walk. The only way to get to know the world we live in is to walk it. You, and Richard, are testimony of this. Great posts!
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Hi, John – Both Richard and I agree with Werner 100%. Traveling on foot allows a much more intimate view of your surroundings, its people and its culture — especially in small towns!
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Congratulations. Thank you for y
Sharing your wonderful trip. What next ? Cheers Jo. 😎😎🍷💐
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Hi, Jo Jo – For now, Rest and relaxation are both high on our agendas…as well as catching up with family and friends back home. 🙂
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Auguri!! Well done. But sorry I’m not ready to finish yet. Hope you are going to do some more posts when you get back home. Louise
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Thanks, Louise – This is very kind of you to say. For now, a wee break from walking and posting is on the agenda. 🙂
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And I would like to add you have done an absolute stirling job of not only posting but replying to everyone’s lovely comments.
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Congratulations indeed … just an amazing accomplishment … for the intrepid walker and for his beloved wife, who managed to keep up – so well done.
Italy has some serious civic challenges … so am not surprised about the rubbish – foul it must be, let alone ‘dangerous’.
Now looking forward to hearing more about Rome and your thoughts – once you’ve recovered a little … brilliantly done – loved the posts … cheers Hilary
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Hi, Hilary – Thank you for following and for your kind and insightful comments. After all of that walking, we hadn’t been prepared for the massive tourist crowds EVERYWHERE…and the extreme heat (highs of 37C this week). I see us taking lots of siestas!
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Congratulations for reaching the end destination and enjoying the journey, you two! Incredible – the experiences, the determination, the physical and mental challenges, the meeting in the middle. 🙂 And, keeping up with the daily posts, Donna. Enjoy some well-deserved days in Rome at your home exchange!
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Hi, Liesbet – At the last moment we decided against the home exchange and are in a small hotel (that is actually located in the backside of a monument) in the center of Rome. This has worked out very well for us and our home exchange partners were fine with this.
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Have enjoyed watching and reading the journey with you. Safe travels home!
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Hi, Kathy – Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Richard and I have been thinking about you and are sending warm thoughts your way.
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Cute dress and I’m sure your eau de deet smelled wonderful! Hey, some things are really butt ugly!!
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Thanks, Dee – I usually try to focus on the scenic views and ignore the unappealing ones. With the continuous, overflowing garbage, that was very hard to do.
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Congrats!!!! You two are GREAT! i m so glad I ‘ ve met you on my path!
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Thanks, Carla – It was such a pleasure to meet you. You were are ‘Camino Angel’!
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YOU DID IT!!
What an amazing journey. Thanks for taking me along 🙂
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Hi, Aimer – Thank you for joining us!
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Congratulations, Donna and Richard! Apologies for the lack of comments but I have followed you all the way, cheering and sympathising where necessary.
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Thanks, Clare – Your cheering and sympathizing means a lot!
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You are very kind 😊
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Oh Donna, I’m so pleased for you both! You’ve been honest all along the way with your descriptions and words, so many thanks for sharing the trip with us. Huge congratulations on a huge trek!!
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Thanks, Debbie – One of the advantages of writing ‘live’ is that you write exactly how you see it — without the chance to edit! 😉
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You did it! Remarkable! I’m
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Thanks, Molly – In many ways this surprised us too! 🙂
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I’m proud of you!
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Hey, thanks. Today I was close enough to the Pope to actually touch him…but I restrained myself!
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Incredible and inspiring! Congrats!
Wow that garbage pile up…..
Peta
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Hi, Petra – Thank you so much for following!
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Wonderful – Congratulations on a huge effort. That garbage was sad to see though.
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Thank you!
I agree that the steady lines of overflowing garbage were shocking.
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Congratulations, what an amazing journey. Enjoy your time in Rome.
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Thank you, Suzanne – This trip was more than we had ever hoped for. I highly recommend to everyone: Take out your Bucket Lusts, select one goal, and start making a plan to achieve it! 🙂
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Hi Donna, Eau de deet, funny. I appreciate the candor in this post and all of your posts. Wise words from Richard “not about the destination.” Okay, now you made me cry at the end. Very happy tears! Thank you for taking us on this journey with you❤️
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Thanks, Erica – I’ve greatly appreciated your kind words along this journey. This is our last morning in Rome. One more sleep (London) and then we will be home. It truly has been an incredible experience!
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Yay! I finally got to read about the happy ending! 🙂
It was a wonderful accomplishment – kudos to you and Richard. Too bad about all the garbage though.
Love the picture of Richard and the ‘traffic jam’. The expression on his face is priceless 🙂
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Thanks, Joanne – What doesn’t show in that photo is the sheepdog who quickly came toward Richard to protect his flock. Working at the SPCA, Richard and I are both very comfortable around most types of dogs — which was very helpful. It was an incredible experience to watch this working dog in action.
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Such an achievement for you both, one I’d love to do myself. You must be so proud & so many memories. It’s been lovely to read about your experience. Well done for writing about it every day too!!
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Thanks, Sam – If this is a trip that you would be interested in – I HIGHLY recommend it. Thank you for your kind words. The writing piece quickly became part of my daily routine. I know myself well enough to know that I would not have been able to write these kind of details once I was back home! 🙂
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Yes definitely know what you mean. A routine is key. I need to learn from you 😊
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Thanks, Sam – The routine was simple. Get up, walk for 8 hours (including break of course), find our lodging for the evening, shower, hand-wash clothes, go to nearest bar or cafe for a drink, snack and free wifi. Immediately download a few photos, summarize the day’s events….and quickly hit ‘publish’ by the time that Richard was finished his drink! 🙂 At 7:30 pm have dinner, once the restaurants were open. Go back to lodging, sleep, then get up first thing in the morning and do the whole thing again! It truly had a very meditative flow!
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It looks like your last several days on your way into Rome were absolutely beautiful. Except for the heaps of garbage in Rome. Congrats on going the distance.
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Thanks, Jude – Even though Richard and I had been pre-warned about the garbage, it was still a shock! Thanks so much for following along.
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