What I Wish I Knew Before I Retired
Richard and I are now back home. We are grateful for our experience on the Via Francigena and are appreciative of all of the support that we received along the way. A few commenters asked for a summary of our general observations, surprises, warnings, and suggestions. As conditions change rapidly, no two walks on the… Continue reading La Via Francigena – Reflections from Home
I may have previously mentioned that our travels on the Via Francigena were all about the daily journeys. As we are discovering, the destination is also pretty sweet! Day 1 When I left you last, Richard and I had just arrived in St. Peter’s Square. From there, we took a glorious taxi to our hotel,… Continue reading Via Francigena: Rome
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… Continue reading Day 24: La Storta to Rome
Distance Walked: 21.8 km Walking Time: 6 hours Breaks: 1 hour Walking Pace: 3.5 km per hour Attitude Difference Ascent: 580 m Attitude Difference Descent: 690m Distance to Rome: 19.1 km Campagnano di Roma: As we walked yesterday’s trail, we repeatedly heard sounds from the area’s Autodromo Vallelunga Pietro Taruff. Sadly, we never did catch… Continue reading Day 23: Campagnano di Roma to La Sorta
Distance Walked: 15 km Time Walking: 8 am - 1 pm (including a stop in magnificent Monte Gelato Falls) Temperatures : High of 27C (with a burst of rain). Summary: Today was our first day on the trail that had any hint of rain. When we finally decided that the skies were serious, we unearthed our… Continue reading Day 22: Monterosi to Campagnano di Roma
More Decisions: When planning this trip, we never made an exact plan of where we would be when. We knew that we wanted to complete 18 official stages, ranging in length from 13.4 km to 32.3 km. We figured that we would likely break up some of the longer stages, add in rest days and… Continue reading Day 21: Sutri to Monterosi
Distance Walked: 22km Time Walking: 7 hours (with 2 luxuriously long breaks) Out of our 18 days spent walking so far, today’s hike was unquestionably the most diverse and stunning. Majestic woods, a little church (as well as houses) made of tufa blocks, hazelnut plantations, Roman tombs, a medieval bell tower, the quaint village of… Continue reading Day 20: Vetralla to Sutri
Distance Walked: 18 km Time Walking: 6 hours (including breaks) Temperatures: High of 29C (but actually seemed cooler). Our Hotel Manager could not have been more wrong — at least regarding the exit views from Viterbo. Have a look for yourself. Pretty cool, right? My iPhone (and its lowly user) have given these scenes no… Continue reading Day 19: Viterbo to Vetralla
Distance Walked: As little as possible. What We Did: See above. Temperatures: 28C (again, it felt much warmer). Quick Photo Summary: We leisurely began our day with a wonderful breakfast that was included with our hotel room price. Breads, meats, cheeses, cereals, yogurt, pastries, fruits (including kiwi)...and of course, coffee! Richard then ventured off to… Continue reading Day 18: Rest Day in Viterbo
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… Continue reading Day 17: Montefiascone to Viterbo
Retirement Reflections 