Blog – Following your feet

Italy Via Francigena

Stage 19: La Storta to St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican

My last day, a mere 19km plus the 1,5 km to the stage start from the hotel. The stage ends in the Vatican City. I fear the worst regarding crowds on a Saturday in the Jubilee year, but let’s see. The day started with a good breakfast and excellent home made lemon yoghurt. I ate…

Italy Via Francigena

Stage 18: : Campagnano di Roma to La Storta

On paper it was a 22km route with almost 500m elevation. I had an additional 1,5 km to the hotel, but still managed to walk 26km without getting lost at any point. The room I stayed in last night, didn’t offer breakfast, so I ate some the cake that the host had left in the…

Italy Via Francigena

Stage 17: Sutri to Campagnano di Roma

Another hot and sunny morning met me as I left the hotel after a relatively simple breakfast and a chat with a man who had lived at the hotel for over a month now – he normally lived in Rome, but had temporarily moved to Sutri for personal reasons. I walked out of town towards…

Italy Via Francigena

Stage 16: Viterbo to Sutri

It was supposed to be 32km but I ended up walking 37km, was shattered, and when I finally reached Sutri, I was told that the place I thought I had booked to stay, was full. The day ended on a high with a spectacular firework display in a Roman Amphitheater. Viterbo to Sutri is two…

Stage 15: Bolsena to Viterbo

The first of two double stage days where I walk four of the official stages. Today was a 35km day, with more than 800m elevation. I wasn’t the only person taking two stages today, Val from Canada and Katarina from Slovakia, who I met yesterday and Fernando from Spain were doing the same. Val and…

Stage 14: Aquapendente to Bolsena

Another fairly short day, 23km and 350m elevation. Once the sun broke through the low lying fog, it was a hot and sunny, as I walk towards the medieval town of Bolsena and its volcanic lake. I stopped at the bar for a croissant and coffee, as the hostel I stayed at didn’t serve breakfast.…

Stage 13: Radicofani to Aquapendente

A quiet day on the walking front. 23km. The first 10kms to Ponte a Rigo, predominantly, but not only, downhill on a gravel road. The rest of the day was along the “dreaded” SS2, Via Cassia, main road. It is recommended to take an 8km longer alternative, to bypass Via Cassia, but at least on…

Stage 12: Bagno Vignoni to Radicofani

It was going to be a long, hot and hard day, 29kms with over 900m elevation, half of that coming in the final climb to the hilltop village of Radicofani. Also no services along the way, apart from a couple of water fountains, before reaching Radicofani. After a good nights sleep and a really superb…

Stage 11: Buonconvento to Bagno Vignoni

Sometimes you just have to give in. So far the Via Francigena hasn’t really done it for me. There have been some great stages and fabulous towns, but the predominantly stony/gravel paths, sore feet, an eye infection, spending half the night being sick in Siena have taken my focus from walking. On the rainy day…

Stage 10: Cuna to Buonconvento

Today was another short stage, ca. 18km. It was just as well as I haven’t fully recovered from my sickness. I’d slept the best part of 11 hours, but whilst feeling better, wasn’t feeling great. Really a day split into 4 parts, The first and last 6kms were spectacular with fantastic views over Tuscany, the…

Stage 9: Siena to Cuna

I had planned today to be a short stage, 15km, so I could spend the morning in Siena exploring. However, the best laid plans don’t always pan out. One thing was that it rained non stop until ca. 3pm. But much worse I had been up twice during the night, bringing up whatever it was…

Stage 8: Colle di Val d’Elsa to Siena

I had a good nights sleep overlooking the castle in Colle di Val d’Elsa. Breakfast was at 8, but I hadn’t set an alarm and slept until 7.45, so before I’d washed and dressed it was later than expected. I was further delayed by a pleasant chat with an American mother and daughter and an…

Stage 7: Gambassi Terme to Colle di Val d’Elsa

A day of two parts, a morning trip of 13km to San Gimignano and an afternoon trip of the same length to Colle di Val d’Elsa. A lot of climbing, 713m on a day that was mostly overcast, but the temperature still reached the higher 20’s at times. There was no chance of an early…

Stage 6: San Miniato to Gambassi Terme

“Only” 24km and not quite 700m in elevation, but a brutal stage, with no infrastructure, limited water supplies and a hot sun beating down all day – the average temperate whilst I walked was 27C, but well above 30 in the middle of the day. Rod and his friends were on their way by 8am,…

Stage 5: Galleno to San Miniato

I got a good nights sleep and didn’t make it down for breakfast until 9am. There was another Italian pilgrim at breakfast. She was walking for a few days, before going back to work. I was on the road by 9.45, hoping for a better day than yesterday. It was going to be hot, it…

Stage 4: Lucca to Galleno

An uninspiring stage, at least until Altopascio where most pilgrims end today’s stage. I continued to Galleno, making it a predominantly flat 26km day, and shortening tomorrow’s walk. I was up early, and went to a nearby laundry to wash my clothes for the first time this trip. After a later breakfast I was on…

Stage 3: Pietrasanta to Lucca

A long day. It ended up being 35km with a couple of steep hills with almost 700m in elevation, and a steep downhill on a track that could barely be called a track. It was beautiful weather all day, if anything too hot to walk. I was up early and had finished the ultra-processed breakfast…

Stage 2: Avenza to Pietrasanta

Avenza is a small town close to Carrara, in the Apuan Alps. The town is world famous for its marble, an almost white marble that has been mined since Roman times when it was a sign of prestige and high status. Likewise, the Catholic Church used it on important Churches and Cathedrals and it has…

Stage 1: La Spezia to Avenza

It rained off and on throughout the night, but had stopped by the time I got up at 7am and was eating breakfast at 7.30 breakfast. Italians like a sweet breakfast with lots of different cakes and croissants full of cream – whilst I love cakes, it isn’t my dream breakfast, preferring cornflakes and oatmeal…

Stage 0: Copenhagen to Genoa and Voltri to Genoa

I left Copenhagen on the 9.20 flight to Amsterdam. With a very short connection to Genoa, I was hoping that there wasn’t going to be a delay. We boarded on time, but the first thing the captain said as I found my seat, was that there was traffic congestion in Amsterdam, and we would be…

Day 13: Aigues-Mortes to St.-Gilles

The pain in my ankle intensified, super irritating but mostly manageable when I walked slower than I normally would. It is good that it is my last day, as I wouldn’t want to continue walking. At least the weather was pleasant, sunny and 20 degrees. Today I continued along the Canal Sète à Rhône, leaving…

Day 12: Carnon to Aigues-Mortes

A short 19km stage, with no mistake missing turns today. However, it wasn’t plain sailing. I have a swollen left ankle/shin, and not sure whether it is an allergic reaction or shin splints. Whatever, it was painful each time my left foot hit the ground. I left through Carnon’s high rise flats, soon reaching the…

Day 11: Sète to Carnon

I really need to get my morning act together. For the second day running, I missed a turn that led to extra kilometers, and on a 30km+, sunny and warm day, they really count at the end of the day. Today I change canals. Continuing towards St. Gilles, I will be following the Sète to…

Day 10: Agde to Sète

A sign just outside the hotel said 24km to today’s destination, Sète, I ended up walking 35km. I slept until 8am, which was somewhat later than normal. At breakfast I had to give emergency help to my wife at home in Denmark, as her mobile payment app no longer worked. So it was 9.30 by…