Category: 2015

25th May 2015   Altopascio to San Miniato Basso (should really have gone to the older part of the city up in San Miniato Alto but didn’t know it also had a hostel)
25km
Beautiful day, quite hot

Shorter version:
Up & away early (for me) and went to local bar for a tea then set off, walked well along main road then onto tracks for several km into Galleno, Ponte A Cappiano, then through fields to Fucecchio and then into SanMiniato Basso. All well.

Longer version:
Slept very very badly (am not used to sharing with so many pilgrims…) and was the last to leave the hostel then went to the local bar for a tea to eat with my bread (was robbed at €2 for a tea…without a receipt) and then set off before 8h00, hopefully before it was too hot. Straight out on the main road walking past a little abandoned San Rocco church and on for 5km (there was mostly a foot-path) until I veered onto a dirt and then an old Roman road into Galleno where I stopped for a cappuch in a Circolo bar (this was the bar of a sport association so is cheaper) and the girl wished to stamp my credenziale which I accepted.

Then I saw ahead of me the Italian couple with whom I had shared a room in the hostel so they became today’s “Romanians” (but ahead of me this time) as we walked over 5km of paths which were not difficult but slippery because of previous rain. I kept them in sight all the way. When we came out onto a tarred road I decided to stop paying the premiums of my insurance policy and slowed down a little…and thought of the expression ” chi va piano va sano” and was very attentive to the path. Then over tarred roads and paths until I arrived in Ponte A Cappiano which is a charming little village (where I bought a great sandwich and a carrot in the little “alimentari”) and sat next to a fountain to eat my carrot before deciding which route option to take. The village has an interesting bridge (built and destroyed many times in battles) which is half open and then covered (with people living on it) and which is one lane wide, for local traffic passing via traffic lights, and only meant for small vehicles as the access is very narrow.

The map option went straight down a road to Fucecchio (2.7 km against on-coming traffic and which path would ignore the old town) whereas the guide book and the waysigns indicated turning to walk along a canal and through fields (to get one off the road) which would be 5 km to arrive in the heart of the old town so I chose the latter but was really tired of walking through quite high grass when I finally got into the limits of the little town. I stopped in a modern wine-bar place (which had comfortable chairs outside in the shade) and had a tea and ate my sandwich. I saw flags flying everywhere and learnt that there had been a Palio (a horse race like in Sienna where each area of the town has a candidate but where all forms of cheating seem to be accepted…) the previous day.

I walked up through the narrow medieval streets to the old town which dominated the rest of had town. Very pretty place but this was where pilgrim Charles had advised me to avoid the hostel…

Then I walked down to the modern area and walked out of town and crossed the Arno River which runs through Florence.

No photo of the Arno which was a very dirty river…

It seems that Fucecchio was formerly a river port as the Arno was navigable as far as Pisa in the middle-ages. From here I had to walk along the road for a few km until I arrived at the small hostel in San Miniato Basso.

MThe Italian couple (who had been my “Romanians” earlier on) arrived to share the one-room hostel, which was attached to a medical day clinic and a day centre for old people. While I went to the local bar after a shower to get internet access they walked up the main road to visit San Miniato Alto and said the traffic was horrendous as they didn’t know there was another path up which we would take in the morning – there really is an advantage in having some idea of where one is going as they have come to walk for a week (Lucca to Sienna) without any guide or maps and just intend following the waysigns…

When I returned to the hostel the man who has been instrumental in setting it up and who has walked the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome, and who leads groups for partial Via walks, came with certificates for each of us saying we had passed through there. He also told me that there is a mass at St Peters with the Pope each Wednesday for pilgrims (so a thought if ever I were to go that far…). I had a nice fish meal in a local cafe and then an early night hoping I’d sleep better than the previous night.

24th May 2015  Lucca to Altopascio
16.36km (the book & map agreed on 16.4/16.5 Hooray!)
Beautiful brilliant morning but slowly clouding over & now starting to rain at 14h00 as predicted)

Shorter version:
Left Lucca about 8h45 and out through a city gate and walked to Capannori for a cappuch stop, then on to Porcari (where I saw a strange event but you’ll have to read longer version for details), on via small roads & tracks to Badia di Pozzeveri and on into Altopascio (walking under both a railway line and the autostrada at the very entry to the old city!). All going well.

Longer version:
After a good breakfast, I set out through the almost deserted streets of Lucca but saw several walkers and runners doing the circuit of the town atop the in-tact walls. This really is a beautiful and perfect little city, especially on a Sunday morning with very few people around. Outside the walls I set off on a provincial road called Via Romana so at one time this might have been a main road towards Rome. It was lovely to walk on such a brilliant morning in a mainly residential area of houses and gardens. Roses, roses, everywhere as well as other flowers & shrubs (gorgeous rhododendrons and azaleas).

Along the way I saw interesting decorative earthenware tile work on the sides of houses and other buildings which resembled what had been in the walls of old farm buildings to let the air through. Most attractive.

 

I turned off onto a smaller road until Capannori where I decided to stop for my coffee. Just before getting to the bar an older woman walking along the street stopped me & when I asked her how she was she explained that she’d had a severed tendon but was too old for an operation (she’s 85) but she just hoped il Signore would look after her – I encouraged her to keep walking as she was. Went onto a nice bar & ordered a coffee when little Anna, all dressed in white for her First Communion, & her family came into the bar to say Hello on their way to the church 100m further on.

Sat outside and a couple of women sat down at my table and questioned me about what I was doing etc & they will now have a subject for conversation around the Sunday lunch table!

Tried to record the church bells calling the faithful to the communion service but don’t know if it’s hearable as I was a little way away & there was traffic. And there were many many people standing outside the church to greet all the communicants when they came out of the church hall where they had been assembled prior to the service.

Continued along main provincial road to Porcari and as I entered this small town I was amazed to see almost every person (& there were many people) carrying square packs of 8 toilet rolls. When I asked someone why, I was told that there was a foot race (2000 people of all ages over three different distances) and the gift for participating was a packet of toilet rolls! How original and also very practical!

Had a good cup of tea in a pastry shop which made its own gelati but I wasn’t tempted…
Continued on towards Turchetto where I went off the main road onto a small road then on beautifully-made tracks through woods to the old dilapidated Romanesque Abbadia di Pozzeveri which looks like it might be being restored. There was a cemetery beside it where some flower sellers were closing up for the day. Several signs on the cemetery gates about people who rob the flowers from the tombs… Then I was on a wide flat paved (with small earthen-ware bricks) footpath all the way into Altopascio but realised afterwards that this would be a bicycle track also. I had to go under a railway bridge and then under the autostrada which ran right through the city just outside the old town(!!).

Went into a bar where the lady telephoned to the man who was to let me in to the converted municipal building where 10 people could sleep in bunk beds but with only one bathroom with a very badly-installed toilet and shower… The man letting us all in said “passports, credenziale, and donation!”. The 10 beds are full so one really has to reserve. Quite a to-do with the bathroom with 3 Italian men walkers one of whom is very aggressive – hope I don’t run into them too often…
Altopascio is situated between two very large marshlands and the town developed around its medieval ospedale (after Sigeric’s time). I sat in the piazza in front of the hostel with the Romanesque bell tower over the other side of the square and listened to its famous bell La Smarita (‘the lost’) toll about 16h50 (?) as it used to do to summon pilgrims lost in the mists of the swamps! Weather quite changeable and cool.
I wandered around the small town centre to the church and a service was about to start (18h00) for Whit Sunday. The church was full & it was pleasant to be there with so many church-goers and to listen to the music and singing.
I went to a local restaurant for a so-so dinner after the service & had an early night as all the other pilgrims are in bed at 9pm & I have to be away early in the morning.

23rd May 2015  Lucca – day of rest!
Cool overcast day with some rain

Stop press! Info from a friend who lived many years in Italy and is an Italian citizen…

“I just wanted to give you a thought about the rights of pedestrians versus motorists. I think the Road Code in Italy may say something along the lines of “pedestrians have to ascertain that the carriageway is clear and cars have sufficient distance to stop, before stepping off the kerb”…… That is, the onus is on the pedestrian, not the driver. After all, it is the land of Alpha Romeo, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Lancia, Fiat, etc…..please look out very carefully!”

Shorter version: lovely lazy day in Lucca as I have a good week of walking ahead of me as I head for Siena.. Highlight was a visit to the cathedral of San Martino. All goes well.

Longer version:
Profited from not having to pack up and hoist my rucksack onto my shoulders. Had a late (good) breakfast and then sauntered out to visit the city. First stop was the cafe on the Piazza Giglio for a cappuccino to collect my thoughts. Then I headed to the cathedral which is really beautiful with its marble facade and the adjoining stone bell-tower.

An original church of the 6th century, it was renovated in the 8th when it became the cathedral of the town, being substantially enlarged in the 11th century to take on a new basilica plan with 5 naves.  It’s current aspect derives from subsequent renovations especially during the 14th and 15th centuries. The facade is in the Roman-Pisan style but is asymmetric because of the existing bell-tower. The upper part has 3 layers of slender pillars and arches. I finally got to see a labyrinth, the symbol of pilgrimage, on the facade so I could ponder a pilgrim’s difficulties.

This was the first church I’d seen which charged for entry (in 2009 it wasn’t charging) but just as Mirko had promised I showed my pilgrim attestation and was let in free.

It has an impressive interior with in-laid marble floors, much light coming in and very agreeable proportions. The star sight for me was the magnificent carved funeral monument (sarcophagus) to Ilaria del Carretto, the beautiful wife of one of the local noble Guinigi family members and who died at 24, which is a masterpiece of Gothic and Renaissance forms. I met a couple of locals outside who asked me if I’d seen “Ilaria”!

However I was privileged to hear 4 singers rehearsing for a mass. It was beautiful and I sat entranced for 10-15 minutes as they sang various pieces “a Cappella”. Tried to record them but not sure of the quality…
I visited other churches and strolled around the town, now in the rain, and if one kept off the main thoroughfares it was very pleasant strolling around in the little back streets where I saw the locals doing their shopping in little butcher shops, bakeries, etc.

Of course I passed in front of the magnificent Romanesque church of San Michele in Foro but it was closed as was San Frediano with its enormous mosaic on the facade which I’d never visited before. I walked into the Anfiteatro piazza (inside a parabolic shape 2nd centre roman theatre) but walked right out again as it was just full of restaurants and gift shops (no photo of that!)
I eventually sat down in a little trattoria for a meal I didn’t need but when I saw tagliatelle with an asparagus and pancetta “carbonara?” I couldn’t resist! Was very good and the ambience with mostly Italian customers was super.
As I left the restaurant last night I had reserved again for tonight as it is one of the best and very close to my hotel, and I thought I’d try the meat…fortunately I had taken this precaution as several passersby were refused a table…
I was greeted like a local (as I was a regular customer!) and I had a beef tagliata to see how it compared with my own recipe and it was delicious with Porcini mushrooms on a bed wilted rocket, with a mixed salad.

Then back to the hotel to make a few reservations for the coming week (hope to be in Siena on Friday) and to prepare for tomorrow’s departure. I had a discussion with the concierge who didn’t know about the cycling bridge…

22nd May 2015.  Valpromaro to Lucca
16km
Started raining as I set off….but cleared just after the half-way mark (but only after I’d negotiated all the “tricky tracks”)

Shorter version:
All going well. Away just as it started raining…but I survived it even on the up-hill & down-dale tracks before joining a flat bitumen road into Lucca. Didn’t get a cappuccino but I have survived that also. Arrived at lunchtime & here for two nights in a very nice (non pilgrim-like) hotel.

Longer version:
I had a fantastic night’s sleep (must have been the sleep of the Just after having gone to church)…evidently the church bells chimed all night but after 23h00 I heard nothing!
Pilar and Alfredo were up & my simple breakfast was ready for me. It has been a lovely experience to both meet them and benefit from such hospitality! Would that this custom spread but as the future-hospitaleros must have walked the Via it may take some time.

I knew that there would be no bars or shops before Lucca so I had some food & lots of water with me. It started to rain as I set off through the village, all kitted out for rain, but a few hundred metres later I realised I had forgotten to pull the rain protection cover up over my rucksack which I quickly rectified. I walked on a small road then a path which quickly went into the woods on not-too-bad tracks but tricky because of the rain. I was careful as all stones and rocky surfaces were slippery and I knew that there would be no Romanians to help in case of need and that a French couple would walk this way, but only tomorrow!

On a road again I walked steeply up to the neat little village of Piazzano which had beautiful views but not in the rain… Then I was back in the woods & the track started descending and descending and I walked very carefully and was getting worried about having to walk up again (could see hills ahead) but finally after a kilometre of descent I came out onto a flat tarmac road – was very relieved! It was flat all the way into Lucca from there. I came to a smart looking hotel set in gardens back from the road – Relais Victoria – and I thought of asking for a cappuccino (& the loo) but decided against it as am sure Sigeric would not have approved, even being rain-soaked.

The road ran through villages which were very quiet, often alongside a stream, and finally it started to clear which was great and my trousers (navy & freshly washed) started to dry out only to be wet again by the splashing from cars whizzing by. I started to see fields planted with corn.

I arrived at a bridge over a main river, Lucca on the other side, when I saw what could be a bar down off the road and I called to a man who signalled to go over the other side of the river, so I was looking forward to my cappuch just before 11h00. But…on the other side the waysigns took me on a long curve beside the river in a nature reserve! So, big decision, to have a coffee and face the on-coming traffic on a main road or no coffee and a rural walk on a dirt road…no coffee this morning!

Good decision as I started to hear many wonderful bird calls as the bells were striking the hour. Further on was an “urban farm” so city folk could learn about nature and a group of primary school children were there.

I decided to sit down and munch on my apple in the peaceful surroundings with only the very occasional dog-walker going by. On I walked until, just as I was leaving the riverside to turn into the town, I came across the most extraordinary pedestrian/bicycle bridge which was not marked on the map and would have been very expensive to build as it seemed to be suspended with just one central pillar – perhaps it was financed by a generous donor or else perhaps some of the local politicians are keen bike riders…

I walked on into the old walled town but was not sure exactly where my hotel was but I knew it was near the cathedral (I had stayed there some years ago). So who better to ask for a street direction than a taxi driver – but he said, surprise surprise, “am not from here, so ask a Lucca driver” which I did & couldn’t believe my eyes when he took a badly folded map (they do exist!) out of the car. He looked at it & told me where to go but it wasn’t correct and I asked another man if he was a local & could he help direct me and he said I’d come to the right person but when I said the street name he exclaimed “buona questione!”. However he knew the hotel (& the owner) & took me almost to it.

I checked in and asked for my pilgrim passport to be stamped & a man stepped forward with a lighter and a stick of wax which he melted onto the spot and the woman at the desk put the hotel seal into it – it’s quite the nicest one I have (but I hope it lasts until Rome…).
After relaxing a little, I walked around the town but will do most of my sight-seeing tomorrow – a few new churches to discover as well as some of the beautiful places I’ve seen before.

Lucca, completely enclosed in its completely-intact substantial walls with several gates to enter by, dates from Roman times and is a perfect little city. As it is for almost everybody who comes here, it is one of my favourite Italian cities – I came here first in 1971 with a local Italian friend and fell in love with what was then a quiet and beautiful city with its calm and empty piazzas. Unfortunately it has suffered from its success and is now being overrun by tourists ( the concierge in the hotel said mass tourism has started here in the 1990s), but I suppose that we all want to travel don’t we & we consider ourselves as different from those other tourists? It had many hospices for pilgrims from the Middle Ages with at least 13 in the 13th century. It also had a thriving silk industry and is Puccini’s birthplace.

I found one of the best gelaterias in town and delected on the home-made gelati of seasonal fruit.
Later…I have just had a delicious meal in a seafood restaurant with a to die-for starter of warm octopus & vegetables with a sauce thickened with potato, followed by tagliolini (flat pieces of pasta) with clams and artichokes, and a salad. Am replete! Now need another good night’s sleep..

By the way, be careful next time you are a pedestrian in Italy…
Over the last few days I have learnt to be very careful on pedestrian crossings which drivers seem to view as a nuisance. Three times at least cars have driven in front of me on a pedestrian crossing and once I was walking across with the green light when a woman came around a turn on a red light and nearly collected me…I was so incensed that I thought I’d hit the next car with my sticks but then thought I’d probably only damage my sticks which I needed…

21st May 2015  Pietrasanta to Valpromaro
19km
Good but somewhat cooler weather, day ending quite cloudy & cool

Shorter version: started out later than I’d have liked and walked along the main road, then took smaller roads to Camaiore, more across country finally to Valpromaro. Met at hostel by a couple of Spanish hospitaleros…dinner provided! All going well & looking forward to Lucca tomorrow night.

Longer version:
After an Italian breakfast (there was even vanilla icing sugar to sprinkle on the breakfast offerings on the buffet table!), I finally set off, later than planned as I couldn’t get myself organised. As I was paying I spoke to the young woman at the desk of the albergo & remarked that she seemed to do everything so was she part of the family? She replied that the young owner (I think his mother was in the kitchen) was her fiancé so I said that young men in Italy seem to have much luck with their fiancées to which she agreed. I walked right through the centre of town, past the beautiful cathedral once again and then on the main road which was a fairly challenging experience – in the last 2 days I’ve had several experiences of drivers not respecting pedestrian crossings, even if one is on it…so one has to have one’s wits about oneself all the time.

As pilgrim Charles had told me to avoid part of the marked path because of trees being across the paths after the recent horrendous storm (I’ve seen fallen, broken, and uprooted trees everywhere for the last few days so was this from the storm I encountered on Friday?) I fortunately could see another way to go on the map but wasn’t exactly sure of the distances to the turn-off. To cut a long story short I did an extra km until I found the right little road and then it was fine.

I had to walk up and down a few hills but I encountered several people

– a farmer planting his organic cannellini beans who had worked for the World Bank and other NGOs in South America (he said his Spanish is much better than his good English…),

– a bike rider going north on the Via Francigena to whom I explained the problem of broken trees further on and who set off but 5 minutes later was back saying he was going via the coast instead (only a couple of km away) but I couldn’t work out how he could negotiate some of the paths I’d walked with a mountain bike,

– a German couple who were holidaying here for 6 days and doing local walks but were interested in the Via Francigena

Walking in an area of small farms, little villages with prosperous looking houses and beautiful gardens with an abundance of flowers and fruit trees, set into the beautiful hills all around, was very agreeable, but no bar anywhere… I also encountered a few people who “weren’t from here” when you asked directions… Then I came to the SS1 (via Aurelia going to Rome) but crossed over it and walked on a path along a canal parallel to it. This was fine until I nearly jumped out of my skin with the barking of an ugly dog in a property running along the canal.

I can’t understand why the whole country needs to have such aggressive animals and I finally shouted back at it & then saw the owner standing outside her door but making no effort at all to call to the dog… Otherwise it was lovely walking along by the very clean stream on the path which eventually turned into a little road, all the time hearing the buzzing of the cars speeding along the road.

Eventually I arrived in Camaiore after midday without having had my morning cappuccino… This is a lovely little walled town nestled in the base of hills (and Sigeric did in fact stay here overnight in 990) with churches dating to the 13th century. Then one of the highlights of the day occurred – an excellent sandwich lunch from the little grocery store… We now have good Tuscan bread and I asked the lady to cut me a good slice for a sandwich of cooked ham and fresh ricotta which she did, weighing each element, and then I bought a cooked artichoke and a big pickled onion and a piece of Parmesan cheese – all this cost €4.40, a bargain for a queen’s lunch!

Now, where to eat it I asked them as I needed a cup of tea…no problems they said, go to the bar further on next to the church. I tentatively asked the owner (as he was also selling sandwiches, but not as good as mine!) if I could eat my food and buy a pot of tea and he said no problem & he’d stamp my pilgrim passport as well. So I sat there at the corner of the main square and the start of the main pedestrian street running right through the town, and enjoyed my feast watching all the life going on around me.

I walked out of town on this very long main thoroughfare and continued on for another kilometre until I came to the “chiesetta” of San Rocco. The lady in the grocery shop opposite was bringing in her wares to close for lunch.

I spoke to her to confirm about the church and lamented “It’s closed” to which she replied “I have the key” so she opened it up and we went inside. She explained a little of the history of this 17th century church, about how a flood had gone through it and all the frescoes had been lost but some years ago after it was renovated some of the frescoes could be seen again (not sure how) but what I saw were lovely.

I saw the sculpture of San Rocco and then she showed me the building next door which had been built at the same time.

Outside her shop her daughter had painted some signs giving the mileage to the following stops in each direction on the Via. It was all very moving and gave new life to my feet as I still had 10km to walk. I chose the longer option to be off the road, not many footpaths, and walked through woods, beside streams, and then went up a long steep path until I came out on the top at Montemagno and had a glorious view right down the beautiful valley. There was also a delicious water fountain there.

From then on it was mainly down the provincial road which was a much less busy thoroughfare until I finally reached Valpromaro where I am spending tonight in a hostel. When I arrived I walked into a bar to get a cup of tea and it was a strange place (with a strange bar man) like something off Route 66 in America with several wooden posts with signposts to many cities in the USA, all pointing in different directions, with much paraphernalia linked to motor bikes all around, not good vibes and I did not receive the normal scontrino (official receipt) for my tea and the money was simply dropped into the till.

I went on to the hostel where I had the good surprise to be greeted by a Spanish couple who are “hospitaleros” which means they give their time to welcome & look after pilgrims (meals, etc) for a donation. This is a system which exists on the Camino in Spain at the albergues which welcome pilgrims and which are staffed by volunteers from all over the world who have walked the Camino themselves. For a donation, all is provided. One can’t reserve so it a case of “first in best dressed” but they assured me that there is always alternative accommodation provided if an albergue is full. It seems a lot of Italians go to do this in Spain so they encouraged Pilar and Alfredo to come here for two weeks as the first such experiment on the Via.

This hostel, although not enormous, is very well set up with a big kitchen, as well as a dining room/pilgrim relaxing room, laundry, etc, as the church next door also uses it for meetings, etc. I am the only pilgrim tonight and have had a delicious paella with chicken and peas and a salad and cake. They will prepare breakfast tomorrow. I also used the washing machine to give half my clothes a good wash. I think I have been very fortunate as they have made me very welcome (& I wouldn’t have wanted to eat at the bar). It seems Gonzalo spent a night here last week (he simply popped his head in the door to say Hello as he was going further on but when he heard the Spanish he was in for the night!) and another German pilgrim from the Cisa Pass was here last night.

Then a young man Mirko from the village came & asked us to go to the Rosary in the church next door which we did (he was indeed fortunate to have Pilar’s beautiful soprano voice, singing the prayers in Spanish) and he prayed for pilgrim me. He then very seriously presented me with a special attestation from the ostello stating that I had stayed there and said I would be able to participate in some visit at the cathedral in Lucca free of charge. A nice finish to a good day & now to bed…as the bells chime 23h00.

PS Pilar was a teacher of French so I didn’t have to struggle with my forgotten Spanish and she mentioned that the village was pleased that the bar had opened up recently which will give a new life to the village (where there is already a grocery shop) but it doesn’t seem to me to have the feeling linked to all the other bars I have seen, as a hub of social contact. When she explained that the bar owner was from Naples I wondered and had bad thoughts…not good for a pilgrim!

19th May 2015.  Sarzana to Massa
20.9km by foot & 3km by car…
Beautiful weather (not too hot!)

Short version:
After breakfast, set off on foot following the guide book even though a longer route which was more scenic and passed through villages, had an interesting cappuch, then took back roads to Massa in Carrara marble country. Finally had to get the lady from the Agritourismo to pick me up. All well & feet seeeeem to be getting better by the day.

Longer version:
After yesterday’s mammoth effort I was a little fearful for my feet. As I walked yesterday the words of my versifying friend (which I sent you in first text for 2015) kept running through my head – taxing and tricky tracks…but my feet had stood up very well and I dare to think that they are finally adapting to the Via! So I was ready to continue on.
After eating an orange & a peach, some dry bread (not bad & one gets used to it!), I went back to yesterday’s alimentari armed with a fresh panino & the woman made me a nice ham sandwich for the road! Went into a lovely bar nearby for a tea, & then set off following the directions in the guide book, even though it was a few km longer than that on the map which went 6km straight along the main road (now the Via Aurelia which was one of the famous Roman roads, this one going from Rome to the north-west of Italy), probably without a footpath. I was quickly on a rural path going uphill towards the castle on the remains of a Roman road and then walked through quiet streets of the outskirts of Sarzana with neat houses with lovely gardens. There were no great events this morning but several little encounters:
– A woman was filling bottles at a fountain on the roadside and told me it was excellent water and many people came there to fill their bottles. So I drank some also – good

– There were many thriving and beautifully tended vegetable gardens.
– A couple were pruning in their small garden which had several olive trees and I asked them if the trees provided enough oil for them but she said there was none last year (a late frost put paid to their crop) but is hopeful for this year. When I replied affirmatively to her question about walking alone she replied “well at least you’ve got no-one to argue with you”.

Then I came to a bar and I was asked whether I was a pilgrim and going to see the Pope, and I replied that for the moment I was a walker. I in turn asked if this person was a believer to which he let out a loud laugh and said he was a mechanical engineer and once one studied physics it was not possible to believe! The coffee was very cheap but it turned out this was the bar of a Circolo (association) but one man said that it was “nothing too cultural”. I decided to try to go back to a bigger road instead of walking around a big loop & asked a fellow client to show me where I was on the map. This village was in the middle of the map but he looked and said where was another bigger map, so I thanked him & said I’d manage – when will I learn that many Italians are not geographically gifted…
All around there were beautiful views to mountains.

Almost every house had electronic gates so I’m wondering if these come as a package deal with the video surveillance cameras.
Eventually I got to Via Aurelia & crossed over it and went under a dis-used railway line with much graffiti including many about tax dodgers being thieves.

I walked along quiet roads parallel to the railway line and started to see the enormous marble quarries in the mountains and asked myself how much can one take away and still have a mountain?

I arrived in the town of Avenza and was absolutely flabbergasted by the marble industry here. Everywhere were yards with many colossal blocks of marble with many markings on each block including the weight (often between 15,000kg and 20,000kg) and huge installations of cranes, etc. In one enterprise there were several buildings with no windows, more than 12 – 15 stories high & many linked together, so I asked myself what was done in there.

Marble enterprises of all types, including of course funerary monuments. My eyes were out on sticks.
I walked towards Massa and could not believe my eyes when I saw footpaths that were all edged with marble!

At one moment a man on a bike stopped and asked if I was alone and expressed concern as it could “torna male” (turn bad) as you don’t know whom you might meet…
Then I started thinking about where I should end up as (lack of good old garden common sense) from the iPad reservation I had only noted the phone number & address of the Agritourismo (which I had booked as it said it was .3km from the centre of town) and not its name. I asked many people about the address but was afraid to walk where they said as I feared it was a very long road & I didn’t know which end it would be on. Even got two Municipal police-women on the case thinking that they’d have a map but no they just got on the iPhone …Italians have absolutely no sense of geography (except my Italian friends in Geneva) and don’t even know the names of the streets they are on.

I went into a shop to ask a young woman to call a taxi, but no reply. Then I asked her to call the Agriturismo & she started to call when the father walked into the shop & took over the case. He told my hostess Giulia that I was there & that she should come & fetch me but he couldn’t tell her the name of the street we were on – only what shops we were near! Finally she came & took me to her out-of-town haven of peace & beauty, a big old-fashioned garden & orchard.

Giulia is a lawyer but couldn’t find work so the great grand-father’s house where they all live has been renovated and open for guests since last year.

Giulia’s father looks after the organic garden and people come to buy fruit, vegetables and salads, etc. I had an interesting dinner with the family (including her sister and husband), at the time which suited them, cooked by her mother Carla and it was simple but to die for!

Two anti-pasti of lightly floured and fried sliced young zucchini and flowers, broad beans and pecorino cheese salad, a primi of silver-beet with onion lightly cooked in oil and served on a piece of good toast in broth with Parmesan cheese, a secondo of squid in its broth, followed by a green salad – perfect!

Everything where possible is from the organic garden and cut that day. Carla taught French in a “scuola media” (middle school) where the principal was the younger brother of the Signora from Da Busse in Pontremoli. I suggested that she give cooking lessons (just of the evening meal) to guests who could visit local sights during the day – I think I’d come back for that. The agriturismo Is very close to a specialised heart hospital so she often has families of patients to stay. It seems that the health system is one of the things that works in Italy. I was fortunate in seeing fireflies “luccioli” in the garden before bed which was magical as the May season is drawing to a close. Slept well!

18th May 2015  Aulla to Sarzana
17 (long and difficult) km
Beautiful, but very hot, weather

Short version:
Walked on extremely difficult mountain paths with beautiful views but also with (thankfully some shade). Finally arrived in Sarzana

Longer version: (very, get yourself a cup of tea…)
When I was getting ready to leave the hostel I heard voices & went out of my room & found 3 people who must have come in late last night. Couldn’t work out what nationality they were as there seemed to be a mixture of languages but the man spoke some English & said he had a cousin in Australia. I made breakfast at the cupboard kitchen the Italians are expert in, some fruit, bread & tea. On leaving the city on a beautiful morning I went straight to a nice cafe for my cappuccino as there would not be many options en route as I was straight over the river & on to a road leading up to mountain paths.

Within 700m of leaving the hostel I was going up from 75m altitude to 275 over 1 km in woods and the paths were treacherous! My walk right along the summits of the Jura mountains had not prepared me for such paths…the guide book warns walkers, especially in autumn, to check what is under their feet & the fallen leaves… I came up out of the woods on to a road with relief & discovered the 3 pilgrims from the hostel. I thought they were Romanian.

We took photos as it was such a clear day and the scenery was spectacular. I started off before them again along a path going up steeply over a short distance to 350m before tackling another rocky path up having to pay attention with every step. I was so worried about slipping on the rocks, shale & ruts and other obstacles in the path that I just kept thinking that I had to keep going well ahead of the Romanians as they would be my safety net in case of problems… The only positive point was that much of the path was shaded so the heat was generated more by my forcing myself to go ahead rather than the beating sun… Whenever I was out in the open the beauty of the landscape was a consolation for what I was coping with.

Up to the little spectacularly-situated village of Bibola which I did not enter but I saw the terminus stop of the local bus. On the other side of the village I met a woman walking up to it with a container of wild strawberries. She offered me one which I declined & asked her where she had found them & she pointed to the sides of the road – her eyes are better than mine as I did not see any! A little later a man came towards me walking his dog who was attached to the waist of his shorts by a cord – dog didn’t bark which I complimented him on & he just smiled. I ploughed on over a path up & down at more or less the same altitude to the medieval village of Vecchietto where there were only a few older people & of course dogs. But what views. See photo of one terrace – a room with a view!

There were several little vegetable gardens, wherever it was possible to plant something, and I saw one bent-over old lady hoeing a little culvert between her rows of vegetables to let water run down the slope. Next door there was a house which was looking for all the protection it could get, the Italian flag, the Beware of dog sign, video-surveillance sign and just down the steps into the garden there seemed to be a statue of Snow-White! And not a soul around.

I saw the “Romanians” again & set-off to remain ahead of them. Then another section on terrible paths up another 200 m over 2.5km. It was taking me 30 mins per km and this was only because I kept saying to myself “The Romanians are coming”…which spurred me on, otherwise it would have taken me longer… At one time I could hear them in the distance but never saw them again. Up and down until I got to the beautiful & spectacularly-situated village of Ponzano Superiore 200m lower. Can you believe I didn’t look in the guide book to see that there was a bar in the village (but as it was Monday it may have been closed) but this was a more prosperous village with several cars parked in a piazza. There was a trompe-l’oeil on the side of a house so I should have reasoned that there might be other possibilities here.

Splendid views and I went up off the road to a small cleared area and I saw the sea!

Following the signage I came to an open place but couldn’t see the way to go when a man appeared up a path with a dog (which didn’t bark) & pointed me down there & when I remarked on the difficulty I’d already had he reassured me and as I turned to leave him he tapped me twice on the shoulder like a blessing! Going on I passed a public wash-house with marble scrubbing board so. Am wondering whether it is still used…

You may think going up a mountain is hard but going down can be worse, especially with the state of tracks such as these which sometimes resembled river beds with deep culverts. I could never have made it without my sticks which were a God-send.

I would strongly encourage anyone considering such a walk to have their trusty sticks with them as I was so thankful of mine all the way. The other unsung heroes of the day were the people who marked the route, often with two white and a red horizontal painted bars, sometimes on painted tin plaques, in the most remote places. How reassuring to come around a bend, or even on a straight path, to be able to look up & see them.

I slowly worked my way down lower to the outskirts of Sarzana and it took me a couple of km to get into the centre of town, the part I like least about bigger places, as with villages one is either in or out very quickly.
I eventually got into this charming city with a lovely old centre with many piazzas and found my hotel. Went to the tourist office and you guessed it, closed on Mondays, but I got a map from the hotel. The hotel recommended a bar/cafe which was also closed on Mondays but I found another next to a grocery shop where I stocked up on fruit.  I asked the woman if she’d be open in the morning to make me a sandwich but she said she’d have to ask her husband what time he was opening…as it was his turn to do so!
The young woman in the bar was lovely and I sat there for a long time drinking my pot of tea (which she refilled for me) & finally I decided to have a Prosecco before dinner. It took a while to come & finally she appeared with a big tray of 8 different types of nibbles to have with my drink!

I was looking forward to a seafood meal as I was virtually next to the sea in Liguria. I had a fritto misto of prawns, calamari, octopus, etc in a very light batter which was delicious but I couldn’t eat more than half of it – I think my pilgrim stomach must be shrinking…

Oh, and by the way, Napoleon’s family was originally from here before they went to Corsica. This town has much history so off into your history books you go!

17th May 2015  From Pontremoli to Aulla
28.25km
Beautiful weather, but too hot in the afternoon.

Short version:
Long walk in beautiful (but unseasonably) hot weather. Walked out of Pontremoli on the main road & visited the beautiful Pieve di Sorano and then walked uphill and down dale, including along too much bitumen road. Arrived in the hostel with the help of a kind Romanian woman, had some dinner & fell into bed.

Longer version:
Another nice breakfast to prepare me for the road but much earlier. There were several other foreign walkers at breakfast, eating what I was eating! An Italian couple came & went in 10 mins while the Germans & I were still there eating away on cereal & brown bread!!
It was a beautiful day and the hills all around were very clear! I wanted to get away early as, being Sunday, I decided to follow the map (rather than the route in the guide book which seems to have some silly detours to get one off the main road) & walk straight along the main road for 7 km. I walked by St Peters church but still closed…so sadly no sight of the labyrinth of the pilgrim’s trials.

Walked on the main road affronting the oncoming traffic but, being Sunday and early, fortunately there wasn’t much of it. There were many cyclists out singly or in bigger or smaller groups. The warmest memory of the day was a group of about 25 cyclists riding single file and when the first one saw me he waved his right hand and the wave went down the line (made me think of the wave I’d seen once in Montreal in a Stanley Cup hockey match) and a chorus of Ciao greeted me as they all went past! It was fantastic. Another time, with a smaller group, the first cyclist whistled and the arms went out and they all moved over to let me pass. What technique!

After 7km I reached the beautiful Pieve (small church) di Sorano, a 6th to 12th century church which was beautiful. I arrived there and went in & the priest was getting ready for the service at 11h00. I spoke to him and it seems he is also the priest of another church as well as the principal of a school in Pontremoli. He said the church was from the 6th century and modified until the 12th, and advised me to see the apse from the exterior. He asked me if I was a Catholic but I replied that I was raised an Anglican. It was a beautiful simple interior and from the cemetery behind I could see the full beauty of the construction.

I went over the road to the bar recommended by a man who had done his washing & was hanging out all his “smalls” in front if his house front door. The bar was a riot (not sure how many of them would be going to church…) but I think the whole village must pass through there. Was drinking my cappuch when I heard the church bells ring. Many people were making their way there. About 5 mins before the hour, the bells rang with a “hurry up or you’ll be late” ring just like at school.
I reached the village of Filatteria (pop 2453 today) and was struck by a memorial plaque for the the WWI dead – there were 70 – 80 names, all in inlaid marble, classified by rank. I couldn’t get over the sheer number of people affected in this small rural commune.

Went up long steep hill road & another 93 steps to the village itself & came across a couple of painters in the square. Then tried to find way markings – at one point I asked a man who said he’d walked the Via but it was to Compostela (!) & he didn’t even know where the Via Francigena signs were in his own village (he looked like a local & as he didn’t say “I’m not from here” I can only assume he was!).
I walked up further (on remains of a Roman road) and through many woods, often with rocky or muddy tracks which just needed a little care to pass, but no real problems and I was ready for the two streams which I would probably have to ford but fortunately stones were placed such that one could pass without having to remove one’s shoes!

 

At the village of Filetto I passed the half-way point between Gt. St Bernard Pass and Rome! At one point, I came out of woods & passed over a tree across the road and passed through some fields & cameto a junction with a road ahead and another to the right and both had way-markings and the guide book said “continue on a walled lane” which they both were! I followed one to the right and ended up in a field & a man asked me where I was going so told him and he said I had missed a turn to the right on a path parallel with his fence which he told me to take. About 500 m later I ended up at the same tree over the road! I must have lacked a little common sense, but it showed me once again that many Italians do not have a good sense of direction.
I ate some lunch in a chestnut wood where there were picnic tables, quite unusual. Continued on through some other villages & decided to tighten my boots when I saw a park bench by the road-side. Just as I was moving off again a man popped his head out of a window opposite, said Hello, heard my accent and asked if I spoke French. It seems he had worked in Aigle and then wanted to buy me a drink in a bar but I pushed on. It was a very hot day and from then on I walked along bitumen roads, up hill and down dale and it was long, long, long. At one point there was a sign to excuse the roadwork ahead being done Gratis! I then came across a older bare-chested man with no hat, very tanned, working on a turn in the steep road with a grader(?) who was clearing a culvert all along the hill-side road, not an easy task, but a real professional. At the other end there was another sign similar to the first. A very civic initiative! Then as I walked parallel to the autostrada for a while I got to thinking that perhaps all we Italophiles could give a few days of free labour to the country we love visiting so much (but of course we would have a parallel programme encouraging people not to just throw rubbish everywhere!)…

Walked through Barbaresco then into Terarossa, and was no longer where either the guide book or map said I should be but I saw a sign and asked a woman whether the railway line wasn’t on the other side of a fence over the road. She said she’d accompany me to the hostel next to the church where I was to go. It turned out she wasn’t Italian at all but Romanian, working looking after old people, long hours for not much pay… After a couple of km we arrived in Aulla (not an interesting city as heavily bombed during WWII) at the gruesome museum (lots of skulls in costume) next to the church and was I happy when the man there offered me water. He took my passport and asked surprisingly why did I have an Australian passport if I was Indian? He had used the Indian visa in my passport as my passport data! He took me to the big hostel, no one else present & told me where a restaurant was. I was so pleased to be there as it has been a long hot day! The meal was forgettable except for excellent gnocchi in a tomato sauce. Went home exhausted and fell into bed.

Favourite experience of the day, the bike riders! No photo…

Favourite place of the day: Pieve di Sorano
Favourite flower of the day: beautiful zucchini flowers

Favourite stream crossed on stones!

16th May 2015.
In Pontremoli (241m altitude)

Short version:
Having a day off in Pontremoli to cope with yesterday’s experience!
Super dinner.

Longer version:
No stiff thighs which I thought I’d have! The hotel had a reasonable breakfast as in addition to the usual it had one sort of muesli which was great for me and a sort of whole wheat bread, as well as yoghurt and fruit! I had come late to breakfast and was the last person in the dining room when the owner came in and turned off the lights before seeing me so he apologised and turned them on again. I said I’d forgive him if he’d make me a cappuccino, of course assuming he knew how? No Italian is going to admit to not knowing how and in fact it was excellent. Perhaps I didn’t need to have it there as this city is a cafe-society…more of that later.
When I went out to the tourist office (opening from10h00-12h00 and 15h00 – 17h00) I asked the woman why it was only open restricted hours and I learned the sad story of there being no money for this as she was a volunteer. “Pensions have to be paid to older people, other costs eat up the public finances and of course problems with the quality of the politicians, not to mention the influence of the Masonic Lodge with its secret operation…” ( remember the famous P2 lodge & Lucio Gelli who was at one time in prison in Geneva?). So what changes?
There were markets in all the public squares, not only fruit & vegetables, but a whole piazza of plants, gardening equipment, clothes, etc but what really surprised me were the number of beautiful cafes and bars – they were wall-to-wall around the piazzas in the ‘centro storico’ and finally I just had to go into one & have a decaf coffee with a delicious little amaretto. So the latest verse from my versifying friend is very appropriate here (although she thought it not very good & not recommended for publication)

Caffeine cravings
Create
Command
Compel
Capricious capers in
Cosy comfy cafes

There was an abundance of beautiful fresh produce on sale including wonderful zucchini flowers which I hope I’ll be getting in Geneva when I go home. But also the number of small specialty stores of all sorts was amazing, food, wine, artisans, manchester (household linen of all sorts), etc. One shop selling nothing but mushrooms, mostly dried, cheese shops (although there were also many stalls at the market with Parma specialties), I went into one fresh pasta shop where one had to take a number to be served and there were at least 25 different types of pasta on sale… I also learnt the Italian gesture for signalling that something is so delicious – take your index finger and push it into your cheek and turn it around!

I went up a little side street and came across one of the Pontremoli culinary institutions (one of the recommendations from the Tourist Office) & opened the door to ask if I could eat there in the evening (only open on Saturday evenings and for lunch some week-days). I spoke to an old lady who was in the kitchen preparing food & she said OK.
I then visited the main cathedral where women were arranging white flowers so I asked if a wedding was to take place but no, on Sunday it would be the first communion for 19 children from the parrish. The church is very baroque in decoration, not particularly attractive, but with a very venerated 13th century wooden statue of Virgin with Child, the People’s Virgin.

I walked to some other churches including that of Saint Francis (13th century) which had a magnificent 15th century marble sculpture of the Madonna & child by Agostino di Duccio (as well as an amusing notice saying “Have you remembered to switch off your mobile as God does not need to speak to you and you are here to listen to him”!).

I walked quite a way to Saint Peter’s church to see a famous sandstone sculpture depicting a labyrinth, symbolising the pilgrim’s journey, beset with difficulties, but it was closed and I consoled myself with the thought that I’d be walking past it in the morning, Sunday, so perhaps it would be open.
I then had an easy afternoon & the weather was very changeable and windy.One of the strangest thing I have seen here is a marble sculpture of people holding up a Euro sign! Perhaps in sympathy or to encourage the Greeks?

So, in the evening I went to Da Busse and had an excellent meal. On the way I checked my friend’s apartment almost next door as she was worried that the door to the street was not kept locked – I could report that all is well. It seems that the Signora, who is 85 years old and the cook, is the unmarried child (one of five) of her parents who had this restaurant in the 1930s. She makes everything and it is GOOD! I decided to take the tortellini in brodo (as I hadn’t eaten that before) but then decided that this was the place where I should really taste the home-made testaroli. As it was too late to change the order, she said she’d make me a half-serving of it to try. However…the tortellini in brodo were to die for! I’ve never had such wafer thin pasta around the delicious meat stuffing which were served in a clear broth. Then the testaroli with pesto sauce, followed by a selection of two meats from the main course (all prepared by the Signora) with a side dish of artichokes the likes of which I’ve never eaten before. Fried then cooked in broth?

For dessert the one waitress (by this time two other tables were occupied in another couple of little rooms beyond mine & were also being served) suggested a home-made (bien sur!) almond cake but version “sexy”. Fine, I replied. It was delicious and was served with fine slices of fiordilatte ice cream with sliced strawberries, a hit! I met the Signora

and congratulated her on all but especially the tortellini and she explained that her sister comes one night a week and they make them from 19h00 until midnight. When she is no longer here, it will close…
I went home a happy little camper and slept well.