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 scenic aspects of Tuscany; they are also one of the oldest agricultural features. Historians assert that the Etruscans cared for vineyards as early as the …
Continue reading 134. Tuscany Vineyards, Orchards, Workers, and Owners
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 Center." After hours of walking, one can have fresh fruit, croissants, eggs, juices, coffee, and more. Although it is a donativo, everybody that I see …
Continue reading 133. Resting before Siena; Resting in Siena
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 villages and towns. Sometimes I scratch my head. The markers are complicated; the signs are hard to locate; or the signs become confusing because multiple …
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 ankle or knee. Other pilgrims may have red or black backpacks; I have a blue backpack. Most of us find a hiking pole helpful; there …
Continue reading 131. San Gimignano: A Typical Pilgrim and 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 Lucca. A day for exploring though! At first, I walk the massive, Renaissance city walls. The city walls, 2.6 miles in length, are the second …
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 the price is right! As I walk down the corridor to the restroom, I meet an Italian who already shouldered his pack and is heading …
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 smooth as silk. I arrive in Rome from Atlanta easily enough. I find my convent lodging not far from either the Colosseum or Termini Station. …
Siegeric is famous for his return trip itinerary from Rome to Canterbury. As a newly selected Archbishop of Canterbury, he, like other newly named Archbishops before him, travelled to Rome to receive his pallium, a "Y" shape stole marking his office. The contemporary Via Francigena generally follows his itinerary. However, who was he? Debra J …
Continue reading 127. Who is Siegeric of the Via Francigena?
I'm back home. Yeah! I love traveling, but returning home is especially comforting. No more finding a new hostel, hotel, or bnb. No more wandering around trying to find a convenience store or restaurant that is open. No more wondering who I'll meet today. I love traveling but the hidden stress of so much change …
Portugal has statues honoring individuals who were colonizers. Like Kolkata's Victorian Memorial, these statues and memorials always seem a bit out of place. A few words about Portugal's colonizing history, some examples of Portugal's visual remembrance of that past, and a few judgments about that past. Some scholars claim that Portugal became the first European …
Continue reading 125. Portugal Remembering Its Colonial Past
Journeys: Explorations in Body, Mind, and Spirit 