Ciao a tutti !
You travel to Search
And you come
back home to Find yourself there.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Way of St Francis is over.
The Story is simply told.
Florence to Assisi and on to Rome.
28 days to walk 530 kilometres (330
miles), ascending 17,000 metres (57,000 feet).
Daily average of 19 kilometres (12
miles), ascending 600 metres (2,000 feet).
What was it the Buddhist proverb says?
But, of course, Pilgrimage walks are about far more than just the Statistics.
For The Way of St Francis – like all Pilgrimage walks – is about the huge
privilege of being outdoors for a month to Search.
So that when you come back home, you
can Find yourself.
As Oscar Wilde wrote in the Importance
of Being Earnest:
So what does my Diary record for The Ramble to Rome?
Well, firstly, the stunning Countryside. :
Lago Piediluco
Lago Trasimeno
The spectacular Sunrises & Sunsets - Ponticelli & Arrone:
The amazing Villages and Buildings:
Cantalice
Reiti
Bridges: Big & Small
The Tiber
Jackie & Jeff
Poggio Bustone
And the Architecture and Sculpture:
Torre della Fiora & Passu
Sculpture in Piazza Mazini, Stia
And, finally, the scrumptious Food:
The Cappricosa at the 3 Archi hotel
The Cafe stops & Panini pick ups:
Barry in Spello
& the best Panini - from Foligno
And the famous Lavanderia days too:
Rest Day Leader Kate & the iconic Ironing Board
Dare I even mention the Hills?
If you have ever walked up to the Tower at Biscina or to the Tree of St
Francis or at the end of a very long day up to the Castello Orsini, these are
walks you will definitely carry in your Memory for a good while to come.
The Tower at Biscina
The lunchtime view from near the Tree of St Francis
And the downhills too, especially in the Niera Valley to the abandoned
village of Sensati:
Then there are the friendly and welcoming People you meet along The Way.
For this is a country where as you pass people, whether they are 18 or
80, they always say Buongiorno.
Where pretty much every car and van driver returns a Pilgrim’s wave.
Where there is always time for a photo; whether you are tidying the garden, picking olives or in the bar:
And though there is only 1 Pilgrim for every 20 who walk The Camino in
Spain, indeed there are fellow Pilgrims.
Those you have known for half a century:
Nigel & Roger
The Fitz Economists
from the Class of ‘71
Those who are Regulars on the Pilgrimage Walks:
The Class of ’19 in
St Peter’s Square
#JobDone !!
A MASSIVE thank you to the 14 Pilgrims from the UK who joined me out on
The Way.
And to my Logistics Director Dianne and to the Reverend Susan who manages all
the statistics.
And those Pilgrims you are meeting for the very first time:
Brenda & Monica:
The Santa Fe Girls
And now that I have returned Home, what did I Find about myself?
Travel makes one modest.
You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.
Gustav Flaubert
The Way starts at the Duomo in Florence and continues to the Basilicas
at Santuario della Verna and in Assisi, ending at St Peter’s in Rome:
Florence
But as well as the well-known churches, my memory will be of the village churches, such as Badia Prataglia and Piediluco:
And especially the 4th Century Pieve di Saddi, standing alone
in the countryside some 10 kilometres from Pietralunga:
As Pilgrims have done for 1,700 years, Roger & I sat there one warm afternoon.
We were offered a donativo
Beer & Banana.
Though it is over 1,000 miles way, I thought of St Mary’s Church in Rye, East
Sussex.
The church where I was christened.
And of its famous clock; some say the oldest in England.
To me, the words on the clock face very aptly summarise one of my abiding memories
of the Pilgrimage; and indeed of Life itself:
And before we too passeth away, what should we do?
As I return to the UK, the Autumn leaves are already falling:
Out with Mylo in the Chislehurst woods
And I too am in the Autumn of my Life.
Rather like Pilgrimage walks:
The tragedy of Life
is not that it ends so soon
But that we wait so
long to begin it
WM Lewis
Looking back, I was far, far too slow to begin.
But at least I have made a start.
And plenty more Pilgrimage walks to come!!
Look out for news on The
Ultimate Ramble with Ric: 2021
And as for you, dear Reader, well Charles Dickens’ exhortation in David Copperfield might give you a clue:
The most important
thing in life is to stop saying "I wish," and start saying "I
will."
So,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you
Safe
in the palm of His hand.
See you soon!!
Ciao, Ricardo
PS
Did I forget to tell you?
Italy: Best ice creams in the World!!!
Please do note the Healthy option ( Bottom Right) : the Salad at Tenuta di Biscina
(OK: It was because they didn't have any Chips !!!)
