I’ve learned a few things about weather forecasts in my last few trips. I used to let a bad weather forecast torment me even before the bad weather arrived. I would think to myself, “This the last nice day we will have for a week.” In some cases I wouldn’t even enjoy the nice day. I would only be happy when we had that narrow ...
Seeing the land of Cezanne as he saw it. In the early morning light that transforms the sugar cube houses into peach and orange and the pines into umbrellas sporting every possible shade of green. Cooing doves form the morning soundtrack but as soon as the afternoon heat rises the cicadas begin their loud electric cha cha cha. They’re silenced only if we come too ...
I must be tired. Things are bugging me and I’m feeling grumpy. The “Welcome “ book at the campground where we have rented a bungalow has more rules and warnings about fines and consequences than any real welcome. In order to use their pool I had to buy Gord a clinging French approved bathing suit, because the shorts style are strictly forbidden. We knew this ...
This is now Gordon’s longest walk ever. We passed our previous record of 1700 kms yesterday. We both have been so focused on our journey and the logistics of finding and booking accommodation and deciding upon routes that we missed our 20th wedding anniversary. We will have to make up for that at the end of the mont when we celebrate our anniversary of 33 ...
I’m never really alone, you know. As I started my climb out of Cesana, I heard a plaintive cry, “Wait! I’m coming with you!” After turning the first bend my shadow caught up to me and took the lead. “Is it going to be steep?” Giving a pointed look towards Grandma Friday, I replied, “No, not too steep.” On the next turn my shadow hung ...
Tomorrow I climb up to the pass at Monginevro and say good bye to Italy as we cross into France. I do want to point out that although the Tour de France also climbs up and over the same pass, the cyclists take the less steep direction and let their sag wagons carry their suitcases. Grandma Friday and I have also heard that some of ...
Not long after Turin everything begins to change as we wind up and into the Susa valley. The riding is only a gentle climb at the entrance to the valley, but we have clearly arrived in the Alps. The mountains rise up on either side of the valley, jagged and majestic. The treeless alpine areas are just above us. Yesterday Gord mentioned that it’s like ...
“We are going to be crossing the Alps, Ruth,” Gord announced with surprise. Where was he for the last week when I was talking about the climb and worrying about how steep it would be with the trailer??? I am always surprised to realize how amazing he is at tuning me out! Yesterday our proximity to the Alps became real when we could see Mont ...
Two days ago we arrived at Piacenza, and a crossroads in our pilgrimage. We have made the decision to say goodbye to the Via Postumia, which goes south to the coast at Genoa, and instead cover a bit of the Via Francigena in reverse. We walked and cycled the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome (and beyond, on the the Via Francigena Sud) in 2012 ...
Normally we find our accommodation through the Booking app. Occasionally, however, the app does not have properties where we need them, so we have to consult other sources and make a phone call. This isn’t a problem for us in Spain or France, but our Italian is almost nonexistent. So when we made a recent reservation at Agroturismo Lo Stagno we didn’t quite catch the ...