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

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

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

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

Resting takes many forms. The views walking from Monterregione to Siena are glorious. Pleasant hillsides. Farmers tilling their ground. Nearly two-thirds to Siena, a kind man has made a “Welcome… Read more

Finding the Via Francigena is generally not difficult. The various local friends of the Via Francigena try to maintain trail markers. Or, sometimes there are more noticeable markers in the… Read more

In my past long-distance walks, I blend into the pilgrim scene. Some pilgrims walk further and faster. Other pilgrims walk fewer miles and more slowly, often because of a bad… Read more

Lucca, a Roman founded city, is an unanticipated gem. A city that simply allows one to feel as though one is living centuries ago. I have a rest day in… Read more

Pontremoli! My nights lodging at the Church and Convent of the Cappuchins is sufficient. A bit minimalist with no heat and no breakfast coffee. Still, the kindness is appreciated and… Read more

Rome. It is amazing when the first few days of a trip proceed as smooth as silk. No hitches. No train flubs. No health issues. Ideal. Well…my start isn’t as… Read more