Day 29 – Albano Laziale to Cori, Italy – 38km
As the great American poet Bret Michaels once wrote, in a moment of breath-taking originality, “every rose has its thorn.” I’ve been thinking a lot over the last couple of days about the twists and turns of accomplishment and joy, about the pairing of decadent sweetness and churning nausea, or the delightful buzz and the […]
Day 28 – Roma to Albano Laziale, Italy – 26km
I picked up the Via Francigena just east of Circus Maximus, and while most walks in and out of major cities disappoint, this proved to be an absolute delight. The route follows the Via Appia Antica for the better part of the day, and this is the most important of all the great roads ever […]
Days 26 & 27 – Capranica to Roma, Italy – 79km
Last night, my host, Juliane, told me about the sword in the stone on today’s walk. It’s a convoluted tale involving Charlemagne’s famous nephew Roland, bickering locals trying to escape responsibility for the bill, and a culminating “screw you guys, I’m going home” conclusion. Who wouldn’t want to see a sword lodged in a stone? […]
Day 25 – Montefiascone to Capranica, Italy – 52km
One of the nice things about a long walk is that there’s no wiggle room. No time to waste, no time to spare. Just get up and go. And when you’re hosted by nuns, often that urgency cuts both ways. I had anticipated needing to turn down the offered breakfast because of timing, but Suor […]
Days 23 & 24 – Proceno to Montefiascone, Italy – 78km
The victors write the history and the Romans wrote a ton. Along the way, they managed to obscure, if not outright bury, the records of their former neighbors, rivals, and predecessors. And no people were simultaneously more accomplished and obliterated than the Etruscans. The Etruscans are often dubbed the first superpower of the Western Mediterranean, […]
Day 22 – Gallina to Proceno, Italy – 41km
How does someone become the face of a town? The question has been on my mind since I stayed in Ponte d’Arbia and saw a promotional brochure for Buonconvento. I imagine it’s difficult for a place like Buonconvento to differentiate itself from scores of other pretty, compact, Italian towns. So you’ve got a charming historic […]
Day 21 – Ponte d’Arbia to Gallina, Italy – 40km
Why re-walk a familiar route? With more incredible trails to be pursued than one has any hope of walking in a lifetime, what’s the argument for burning some of our limited kilometers on already trodden paths? I asked myself that a couple times when planning this itinerary. Even with six full months at my disposal, […]