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  • 416. Rome: Arrival

    I take a train from Campagna de Roma to a stop inside Rome’s perimeter road. I begin to walk. Walking on city streets with crowds of people is a strange… Read more

  • 415. Places of Foreignness: Incorruptible Bodies, Headless Statues, and Miraculous Altars

    I haven’t talked with others about these places and statues. My conversations with other pilgrims usually veer in other directions. In Lucca, I visit the church in Lucca where the… Read more

  • 414. The Ancient Roman World and Rome

    Sigeric would have seen the Roman world even before he reached Rome. He would have traveled on Roman roads. He would have crossed rivers using Roman bridges. He would have… Read more

  • 413. The First Blessing

    As I walk this Via Francigena, I realize that a surrounding and supporting public religious dimension is missing. In the classic Camino, pilgrims can see church naves with brochures or… Read more

  • 412. Pilgrims on the Via Francigena

    I look forward to meeting other hikers. There is a kinship; there is a slowness that allows nice conversations. The variety of “temporary” friendships is wonderful. On a picnic bench… Read more

  • 411. Italy’s Public Art

    I love the famous art, the paintings, the sculptures, the beautiful architecture. Whether it is from ancient Rome or the Renaissance, so many of us can wander through the museums… Read more

  • 410. The Body Stumbles

    I am exhausted. Paul Chinn’s guidebook and Sandy Brown’s guidebook are right. The climb to Radiocafani is tough. For me, it isn’t the mileage. I break the hike into two… Read more

  • 409. Tuscany: Dream and Reality

    Who does not dream of visiting Tuscany? So many conjurings of Tuscany. The soft yellow or cream stone streets and villages such as San Gimignano or Monteriggioni. The baskets and… Read more

  • 408. A Baseball Hat and Regrets

    I’m sipping wine on a terrace of the Hotel Borgo Antica Hotel outside Monteroni d’Arbia. My eyes linger over the silhouettes of the cedar trees and Italian cypresses backlit by… Read more

  • 407. Tuscany Vineyards, Orchards, Workers, and Owners

    I, and many others, lose ourselves in the Tuscany landscape. Among other Tuscany features, the vineyards have an enchantment about them. The vineyards are not only one of the most… Read more

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