As a follow up to my walking vacation in Portugal last year (completing a section of the Portuguese Camino), I set off to walk a portion of the Via Francegina in Italy, which is shown in the map above.
The Via Francigena is a path from Canterbury, England to Rome. Since medieval times people have made this pilgrimage from various points in Europe to visit the Holy See and the tombs of Peter and Paul. The full path is over 2000 kms. My journey of seven days of hiking about 121 kms through the rolling hills of Tuscany…plus additional mileage of getting lost and wandering the small towns where I stayed overnight!
September 20th: Train from Florence to San Miniato
The train system in Italy is quite easy to navigate. I had one change, then hopped on a bus that dropped me off close to the hotel where I was staying…about 1/2 Km walk…all uphill! While I was waiting at reception to get a question answered, four women had arrived and were checking in. I asked if they were walking the Via Francigena…and that was the start of new friendships and walking buddies for part of the next 7 days! Kathy (from Portland), her sister Pat from Alaska, Dagmar and Robyn both from Seattle (Bainbridge Island) and me became the West Coast Women on the Via! They were walking all the way to Rome.
We went together to investigate this lovely hilltop town. First stop was a glass of wine at a local restaurant on a piazza. Perfect for people watching and enjoying a glass of local wine while we got to know each other. Afterwards we wandered the streets, enjoyed the views and even browsed through a local art gallery. Dinner was at a small but busy restaurant…fresh tigliattina pasta with olive oil and black truffles. It was so good! After dinner we visited the local gelateria for dessert, then stopped by a deli to pick up lunch food for the next couple of days. Finally…back to the hotel for a glass of wine on the patio. Time to turn in for the night to get a good rest for the first day on the path.
