Hang on, lads; I've got a Great Idea.
Charlie Croker (played by Michael Caine)
in
The Italian Job
Ciao a tutti !
Next year in 2019 it will be the Golden Anniversary of The Italian Job
being released in 1969.
And what better by way of celebration than to take part in The Italian
Job Secondo?
The Great Idea is simply told … It is
The 3Rs Walk : Rambling with Ric to Rome
Dates
- Wednesday 25 September to Friday 25 October 2019
- Returning to UK late on Sunday 27 October 2019
The Ramble
- We stroll along from Florence to Assissi and on to Rome.
- 28 days of wandering along over 330 miles, about 12 miles per day
- OK, we do climb 57,000 feet!
- Of course - there will be 6 Rest & Half-Rest Days; Never In Doubt !
- At the end there will be time to wander round Rome on Saturday 26th October 2019 for The Seven Pilgrim Churches Walk.
- And on Sunday 27th at Noon to visit St Peter’s Square, hopefully to hear The Angelus, the Pope’s weekly blessing.
Support Team
I am delighted to tell you that once again - as on the Camino #ForeverYoung
2017 - we will benefit from Dianne on Logistics & Susan on Statistics.
The Way of St Francis
The Way of St Francis, also known as the Camino di Francesco, is a
superb walking trail inspired by the life of St Francis of Assisi. The Way takes an ancient Roman road from Florence to Rome, following in the steps of Saint Francis across stunning and peaceful countryside.
This is a spectacular, sometimes challenging route.
It's downhill all the way to Rome
from here; Honest !!
A pilgrim passport
stamped along the way will allow you to get your St Francis Way certificate in
Rieti and your Assisiana in Assisi; in addition to your Testimonium
peregrinationis peractae when you finish in Rome.
You’ll Absolutely Love It
I can do no better than tell you what Sandy Brown, the author of the
definitive guide book on The St Francis Way, wrote:
The Way of St Francis lays Central
Italy at your feet and dares you not to love it.
When you finally arrive in Rome, your
sense of accomplishment will be well-earned, having just completed one of the
world's greatest pilgrimages.
But much more than that, you will
have joined the countless pilgrims to Rome from over the centuries who've made
a special place in their heart for this beautiful land, its deep and rich
history, its food and people, and its humble patron saint who walked with you
along the way.
A deeply moving
physical, mental and spiritual experience.
Source: Trekking The Way of St Francis by Sandy Brown (published by Cicerone)
Florence: UNESCO-listed for its magnificent artistic and architectural heritage,
Florence is not only a must-visit in Tuscany but also home to the
world’s largest Franciscan church: the Basilica di Santa Croce.
La Verna Sanctuary: is located in a peaceful mountain location surrounded by
breathtaking natural beauty. It is here where St Francis and his followers
meditated and where St Francis experienced the stigmata.
Assisi: is the home town, as well as the burial place, of Saint Francis and
the most important Franciscan pilgrimage destination. A UNESCO-listed
city-sanctuary, Assisi is unique for its rich spiritual heritage, as well as
its medieval art and architecture. Assisi is the spiritual centre of the Way of
St Francis.
Assisi
Rome: “Rome is a wonderful place to
visit, but nothing compares to the feeling of walking there. I sometimes feel
pilgrims at St. Peter's who took a car or bus or train or plane look at us -
sweaty, walking pilgrims - with a combination of pity and wonder.
The many long days of walking to achieve the goal makes it even more precious.
Our pilgrim credentials allow us to walk into places at the Vatican others aren't allowed and few joys compare with the feeling of accomplishment when we are finally handed our pilgrim Testimonium inside the Vatican walls.” Sandy Brown
The many long days of walking to achieve the goal makes it even more precious.
Our pilgrim credentials allow us to walk into places at the Vatican others aren't allowed and few joys compare with the feeling of accomplishment when we are finally handed our pilgrim Testimonium inside the Vatican walls.” Sandy Brown
There’ll be wonderful views, fantastic buildings and - best of all - people to meet
along the Way, new friends to make.
Looking over the Tiber Valley
Some Tales to Tell …
St. Francis is
said to have taken literally the scripture passage, "preach the good news
to all creatures."
In Gubbio residents were haunted by a wolf that had developed a
taste for human flesh. They begged St. Francis to intervene with the fearsome
creature and then were amazed when the wolf sat peacefully at his feet while
the two made a bargain. If the townspeople would feed him daily, the wolf would
leave them alone.
The bargain was upheld by both sides for the remaining two years
of the wolf's life until he died of natural causes.
A church was dedicated in honour of this encounter and, in the
late 19th century, during renovations, a wolf's skeleton was found
under a stone slab outside the chapel.
The skeleton was exhumed and placed under the altar of the tiny
church on the outskirts of Gubbio, right by the side of The Way.
And communal
meals:
Note:
Regular readers will not
be surprised at all to see the Healthy Option: Salad with the Carbonara !!
What
to do next: 1. Ask for the Plan
If would like to discover more…
***
Please ask me to send you the Plan. ***
It covers where we will be
walking on each day, distances, ascents/descents & difficulty.
There are 8 Easy days, 13
Moderate days & 7 Hard days.
As always, All Welcome !!
As always, All Welcome !!
What
to do next: 2. Rambling with Ric
As with The Camino, it is
definitely a case of getting plenty of Miles
in the Legs !
*** Do come out Rambling with Ric
***
There are the regular Friday www.FancyFreeWalks.com circular walks.
A
great, entirely free source of walks right across the South East.
The South Downs
The North Downs Way – from Otford
to the Channel
Including
iconic walks to Canterbury Cathedral & along the White Cliffs of Dover
Saturday 2 March 2019: Canterbury Cathedral
Saturday 2 March 2019: Canterbury Cathedral
Saturday 16 March 2019: The White Cliffs of Dover
Put
three grains of sand inside a vast cathedral
And the cathedral will be more
closely packed with sand than space is with stars.
James Jeans
So,
Bellissimi Amici, I really hope you will be able
to join me on:
The 3Rs Walk – Rambling with Ric to Rome
The Italian Job Secondo
After all, as Charlie Croker himself said:
It's a very
difficult job and the only way to get through it is we all work together as a
team.
Ciao,
Ricardo
PS
I know ... You're thinking:
It is a long way to go for a Pizza !!
