16th May 2016 La Storta to Saint Peter’s
15.5 km
Good weather
Venturesome
Vigorous
Valiant
Virtues validating
Via victory
Yes, my versifying friend could see victory at hand before me…not too sure about the ‘virtues’ though.
Well, some of my clothes dried sufficiently to be worn and the orthotics in my walkers protected my soles from the still-wet walkers. I thought I might be obliged to try the trick of one of my walking friends who always takes a spare pair of socks and two little plastic bags with her and changes into the clean socks after a wet walk, slips the little plastic bags over them and then back into the wet shoes!
I set off earlier than usual as the office in the Vatican closed, I believed, at 12.30 and I needed to be there to get my credenziale stamped in its very last available space and receive my ‘testimonium’ to prove that I really have finished my venture (& don’t have to return for another year).
When I saw what was available for breakfast in the hotel & was told it wasn’t included in the price of the room, I decided to forego it… So I walked straight out onto the Via Cassia until I found a decent bar. And then it was ‘boots on the ground’ for 15km to St Peter’s.
Always along this busy road with Romans in cars (of course) until it branched off and I walked all the way to Vatican City on the Via Trionfale (triumphant, marvellous isn’t it!).
Sometimes on footpaths of varying quality, sometimes on the road when cars were parked on the footpaths so blocking them, sometimes none at all, and built-up areas all the way. I had a map but this time there were no intermediate points with the kilometres marked so I just had to gauge where I was. The waysigns were few and far between sometimes very basic and nothing like the smarter signs I’d seen along my way.
At one point the road went ahead while another branched off & I thought I’d check with a young woman as there were no street names that I could see just there and she indicated to continue on and then came running after me to say she’d made a mistake, so I was saved from doing extra kms…
Nothing very interesting along the way except some yellow footprints which started to appear on the footpath or road when it was advisable to cross over to the other side to get a, or a better, footpath.
And there were Romans who were also frustrated with drivers who had no respect for pedestrians… The only thing that wasn’t very triumphant about this road was the long lines of cars often banked up at lights or for other obstacles – I even started to understand the frustrations the drivers must have felt?
I came to the Monte Mario park and walked up the ramp to see Rome and my first view of St Peter’s below.
It was quite something to be finally so close and then there were steps down (in a poor state) to avoid two hairpin turns in the road which were appreciated. And at last I was at the entry to the Vatican Museums and I walked past the hundreds of people queued up to get in there (as I have been in the past) with the queue snaking around the walls.
And then there were the beautiful collanades in sight and around further the basilica at last. I must admit I had a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat when I arrived in the piazza in front of the basilica, right as 12 noon was striking. So I asked someone to take a photo (the plastic bag visible on my leg has my poor guide book inside and half stuffed into my pocket…too heavy to carry).
and then I had to make my way to the Sacristy before it closed.
When I explained about getting the credenziale stamped a volunteer let me through a ‘fast-track’ rather than queue up with the many people who wanted to visit the basilica and I left my backpack & sticks in a cloak-room & headed up the steps. Then through the “Holy Door” as Pope Francis has declared this an extraordinary holy year of “Misericordia”. After the initial “shock” of the sheer opulence of the interior I finally got to the Sacrestry in time and was let in to receive the final stamp, the testimonium and a postcard of Michelangelo’s extraordinary Pieta.
Couldn’t believe it was now finished… I wondered how Sigeric felt when he arrived back in Canterbury (and I can only have immense respect for the courage and fortitude he must have had).
I asked about a mass for pilgrims only to be informed of a normal mass time, so I’ll try to go to mass in the beautiful church of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
I went back into the church and wandered around feasting my eyes on this glorious work of man. With the increase in tourism many parts are now cordonned off and it wasn’t even possible to get near the Baldacchino
Or to touch the foot of the bronze statue of St Peter as in the past.
I finally went into a little chapel which was open for prayer so I could sit quietly for a while, fortunately accompanied by some beautiful Bernini gilt angels on the altar.
I am so pleased to be finally here safe and sound…and I thank you all for supporting me on this long journey. I think it will take me a little time to get back to real life…
Now on foot, of course, to my hotel in the Trastevere district to get into what I hope is a nice room!
I’ll do a “final aftermath” to my walk after I return to Geneva (too many favourite places to visit in Rome in the next couple of days).
