Another reason I love to hike! You just never know what you’re gonna see or feel at the moment you step across the finish line. But that’ll come later in my daily digest.

When we headed out the door, we had no idea we’d be breaking out of Fort Knox! The place was locked down like a steel drum. The main gate was shut so I went through the side exit. When I came around the barn, yes farm animals like goats, sheep and cows were checking me out. The side gate was also locked. George told me, go down and see if you can get through and I’ll wait. Sure enough, it was only attached with a chain link hooked on a rusty nail and I was able to make a breakout. Then we walked the long driveway to one last obstacle, and before we knew it, we were on our way! Homeland Security needs to do a safety assessment of this place!

Our last morning of hill climb for a while so this has got to be a good one. Heart rate up, check, huffing and puffing, double check and I’m a few strides ahead of George, triple check! All was well in my world.

This was our final push to the Vatican. We dressed up as I didn’t want to find out I couldn’t get in with my knees exposed. Today was long pants and a T-shirt. It was a glorious morning with birds singing, roosters crowing and cows mooing.

We found a local Bar and had our Macchiato’s. Oh I’m gonna miss these. Our Macchiato’s at home have all sorts of sugar, caramel and whipped cream. In Italy it’s just a shot of espresso with a splash of foamed milk. Absolute perfection!

We had a bit of the dreaded road walk but being Sunday morning, there were few cars on the roadway. And we had a proper sidewalk to walk upon. No dodging cars or trucks or busses. That’s a hallelujah!

After a few miles, the trail headed through a nature preserve. It was quite thick with overgrowth and our last mucky water crossing. Some kind folks had strategically placed logs across the muddiest section so if you dared, you could walk across the wobbly wood pieces and make it to the other side with getting our shoes caked in mud. It worked, several times over.

Once out of Mother Nature, we had another quite steep, no, freaking crazy steep hill to climb. George referred to it as a 5.7 pitch. Well not really, but I did! I am absolutely amazed that the Italians don’t talk with the Swiss about engineering roads around here. You’d think they are neighbors and could share some intel. But huffing and puffing we did, up to the top of the hill and into town we went.

We stopped at yet another Cafe-Bar but this time just for Frizzente which is their version of LaCroix, without any flavoring. It’s about the only thing that was going to quench my thirst. Our final day on VF was hot and humid and I was dressed to see the Pope! He’s not going to bless me if I am disgustingly sweaty and a hot mess!

We carried on and walked through the city, found another hill to climb, just for last time sakes, and back in the woods we went. I’m quite surprised that there is still as much open spaces in the big city. There were lots of family’s walking, even Papa’s and Noni’s were out for their Sunday strolls. We finally saw our first real view of Rome. It is quite spread out and being I have never been here, I took it all in. You could see The Vatican and the entire city stretched out below us.

Our last few miles was walking through the city again. We only saw three pilgrims today. One kid who had walked all the way from Acosta which is 3-4 times the distance that George and I walked! He had a bounce in his step, even after walking some two and half months. He blew past us and we never saw him again.

Once inside Vatican City, we must have seen close to a thousand people. This place was packed with tourists guides, tourists and a gamut of people milling around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Leo. It appears he gave his morning announcement and then went back to his quarters. Must not have received the memo that George and I was enroute!

After asking every police officer, military personnel and anyone who looked official, we found our way to the Pilgrims Desk. We wanted to receive our final stamp and certificate of completion. The lovely lady dressed in a yellow vest took our information, then escorted George and I to the front of the line. She took our heavy backpacks off our backs and ushered us into the Basilica. For free!

Now this is when I lost it. There is something so spiritual about walking into this holy place that you just can’t control yourself. I was filled with awe and wonder when my eyes looked upon the glory of this mighty and awesome sanctuary. One of my dearest friend Judi told me she felt the Lords presence in this place. She was so right. There is something supernatural about standing in the midst of this creative place that has taken centuries to construct and complete. We are going on a tour next week but for today, I just wanted to let this sink in. No one telling what or whom made this or painted that. Just me and George standing in this church and knowing that this was my first glimpse of what heaven would be like. Holy, holy, holy is our Lord Almighty!

This training walk of mine has opened my heart to a spiritual awakening. I had it in my mind that walking the Via Francigena was going to physically prepare me for the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) next month. Little did I know that the sweet Lord had bigger and better plans for me. The physical activity of putting on a pack and walking miles, day after day is already ingrained in me. And let’s be certain, that was not what George came to Italy for. So with a little persuasion, Jesus led me down a completely different path, one of pruning and manicuring, one of love and acceptance, and one of pure joy. This was His intentions from the beginning. I just needed to get onboard.

Two hundred miles later, George and I finished the Via Francigena. We had some great reflections on this trail versus the France’s and Portuguese route. I will only give my perspective as George’s is much different than mine. VF to me was spectacular. It had the physical challenges that I desire, with the ever-changing weather from cool mornings to rainy afternoons to hot and humid days in the end. The humidity I could do without but I do love weather. And the food. What is there not to like? I could have fish, pasta, potatoes or vegetables. I do believe Italian potatoes are their own special food group! I loved the scenery. The rolling hills of Tuscany, the endless vineyards, olive groves and the fertile farmlands of Luzia. All had their own beauty. The churches were much more understated, which I appreciated. Obviously with the exception of the Basilica. We did not get to interact as much with the locals, which I am sorry to say. That is something I really enjoyed in Portugal. But overall, I loved this route and would highly recommend it to anyone who seeks more of a challenging Camino and does not mind daily butt kicking hills.

Would I do it again? Most likely not as there are too many other places I’d like to walk and experience. But if you are looking for something a bit off-grid, with amazing food, house wine in a carafe, and bread with the best tasting olive oil in the world, this is your Camino. Just bring some adventure and good pair of trail runners, and maybe an umbrella!

Something’s just don’t go as planned. I’ve learned much from my journey through Italy. Maybe it’s like a fine wine. It takes time to get it right. I have had some pruning along the way. Slice a little here and cut back some over there. I think Jesus is teaching me to lean on His plans and open my eyes to what He is doing, rather than me directing my own path.

Walking out of town today was such a reminder. I ran into a woman who I felt could give us proper directions. I showed her where I wanted to go and like a Tour Guide, she had us squared away. You go up the middle street, the one with the big hill. When you think you’ve climbed enough, keep going. Look for the arch that leads out of the city walls. Turn right and you’ll be set free. Not truer words have been spoken! Of course we had to go up hill, and through the archway to continue to our next destination.

Once out of the gates, we were on our way. Today was all about getting set up for our visit with the Pope. The closer we could get to The Vatican, the better our chances are to see Pope Leo XIV. We arrived in Sutri before noon and took in the sights of the city.

Sutri is such an important stop along the road. The church, which is the cornerstone of all towns, was truly a resting place for many Popes reported back to the 13th and 14th centuries. It also served Pilgrims for centuries as they came from England to Rome.

At the foot of the hill of Sutri, stretches one of the most significant rock-cut necropolises of Tuscia. Entirely carved into the tuff cliff, the necropolis bears witness to the continuity of life and death along this important communication route; which linked Rome with central Italy. Today 64 tombs are visible, hewn directly into the rock and arranged on several levels. It really brings to my understanding what Biblical scholars have written. Now I I can see what these burial sites actually looked like.

We headed up to town, and yes it was indeed up a hill. They are preparing for an upcoming festival tomorrow. The streets were lined and decorated with an abundance of flowers. We stopped for replenishments in the form of cappuccino and cookies. Then we were off to La Storta, our final resting stop before Rome.

I was getting skunked on Bookings and Hotels.com for rooms for the night. I have been flying by the seat of my pants and only reserving the night before, as we truly have no idea what we are doing from one day to the next. This was my first time I really couldn’t find anything in town. So we ended up on the outskirts of La Storta near La Giustiana.

As we were walking to our final destination, I was directed to go past the house which looked like the one I had booked, and to proceed up this steep gravel driveway. There were cars parked everywhere which I thought was odd. As we get closer, it’s appears to be a restaurant with a large party or wedding going on. I don’t think we are suppose to be here because everyone, and I mean everyone, was looking at us. They were all dressed in their finest threads and I come showing up looking like I just got off the trail. Well that’s true but not cool!

I walked inside and Giorgio greeted me and I asked if I was at the right place. He affirmed that he was expecting me and would we like to eat? I never turn down a good meal so of course, the answer was yes!

There were banquet tables set up in front of us and behind us, but then there was one empty table set for two. Is this a dream or are we really suppose to be here? Well, evidently we were suppose to be here because in less than ten seconds Robyn walks over, and sits down with us. And then he begins sharing his life story with us.

He is a Christian and has a disabled son who is twelve years old. He has a very rare case of Lynne’s syndrome which only 200 cases in the world are known. His son is severely delayed yet he has hope that God is doing something in the midst of all this. I can’t help tearing up as one of my dearest friends daughter has a diagnosis very similar to this. What are the chances that Robyn would share this with us? Only God makes these divine appointments and made sure that we would be here today, at this table so we could meet. Wow Lord, you really show up!

We had an incredible meal with very typical Italian cuisine, antipasto with fresh made cheese, white sauce lasagna that was out of this world, pickled vegetables that even George enjoyed, my most favorite thing in the kitchen these days, yellow potatoes and homemade sausage. Then we finished it off with espresso and tiramisu. As I said before, you don’t come to Italy for a diet plan!

Each day that I’m here, it seems that I am in a constant flux of what and where are we going. This Via Francigena had a clear cut path and we have managed to stray completely off course. But I don’t think I would want to do it any other way. This has been such a refreshing change and honestly, I am so glad that I’ve been flexible enough to turn left when I thought we were going right! Yep, once again the Lord has the reigns and I’m just along for the ride. And what a ride it has been!

We are constantly revolving, revising and revisiting our strategy. Today was the earliest wake-up. If we get out of bed by 5:30an, in theory we should be out the door in an hour. Pretty dang close. Had breakfast in our fine apartment minus caffeine, and we’re out the door by 6:45am. I know, no coffee? What will we do? It’s obvious. We will walk much slower! I’m not sure if we’ll make it at all. Sad day for the Baraga’s.

Of course we had a nice uphill to get to the top of town and then straight down. Literally it was a steep road that was similar to Priest Grade from Yosemite. If you’ve ever experience that in a car, imagine walking that for at least 3-4 miles. Nothing but fun on the Via Francigena!

Good news is we made it off the mountain alive and unscathed and had a fairly level path the remainder of the day. The facts are that nothing is truly flat for long around here. Just on the paper map 🤣

We met up with some Italians and their dog. It was a tiny dog, not sure what breed it was. Maybe a cross between a Jack Russell and a Chihuahua. The impressive part is she didn’t know she was a Chihuahua because that dog didn’t yip, yap, bark or make a bit of noise. She just moved around the trail like it was ready to defend her territory. She paced back and forth like a wolf, and when we got to roadways, she’d waited for her owner to pick her up and safely escort her across the street. Quite an intelligent dog and well dressed. I thought it had a bow on its harness but George had to inform me that was her poop bag. Brilliant! She even carries her own bag, per se.

We meandered around, hay and wheat fields, some all cut and waiting for the sun to dry it. Other crops were all cut, dried and rolled up with mesh around them. But the ones that glistened in the sun were rolled up, dried and Saran wrapped like they were ready to be placed under a Christmas Tree. They were meticulously arranged all over the fields, just waiting to be sold and made into something delectable to eat. Like the baked scones with brown sugar that I inhaled the last couple of days. Those were so yummy! I did share a few with George.

Today we have been talking about making a trip to Decathlon. It is the European equivalent to REI in the states. George has been putting electrolytes in his water and his drinking hose has black mold in it. No one seems to have anything to clean it with so we on the hunt to find a scrub brush made just for that, cleaning gunk out of our sippy straw. My straw is fine kind of, but I don’t pollute my water with special concoctions like my hubby does.

Ends up that Decathlon is in the town we are staying at, Viterbo. I mapped it out and it was only a mile off trail so we headed there before attempting to locate our room for the night. Sure enough, they had one pipe cleaner left and we snagged it. George also found a thin long sleeve hiking shirt and I scored a short sleeve shirt as well. Along with some new rubber tips for my poles do they don’t click and clack down the trail. I somehow lost one in the many rocks or grates that my pole got stuck in so now I have two brand new rubber tips. Yeah for me.

Before heading to the town of Viterbo, we stopped for some cold drinks and ate our lunch. I had carried it this far, and we were going to eat it. George spotted a Burger King and was wondering how much different it would taste in Italy. Hmm, really? Would Burger King taste different from one country to another? Lucky for me, it was not open till 12 and that would’ve been an hour wait. So sandwiches, olives, chips and scones had to do. I thought it was a fine meal!

So now for the rest of the story. We have walked close to 200 miles with George’s feet blistered, his back aching and too many ailments to list. But he has been such a trooper and keeps on keeping on. I have been hinting that I’d really like to see Sicily. It has been on my bucket list, especially now with all the Blue Zone reports.

So come what may, we are considering a possible diversion to parts way south. No command decision has been made but let’s just say, I’m checking with ChatGPT about options. Stay tuned for the ever changing VF with the Baraga’s. Who knows where they will turn up next. But the Vatican is still in my sights. One way or another, we will see the Pope!

Best made plans of Mice and Men. Here we go again. Sometimes you just need to make compromises. Hiking with a partner is all about adjusting to the ever changing ebbs and flows. When we went to bed last night, we planned to sleep in, have breakfast late and walk slowly to the upcoming town. It is less than 10 miles. Easy peasy, nothing to it.

George had a restless night, not too much to drink but then maybe that was the issue. We had nearly ran out of water, pretty darn dehydrated, and the humidity was fierce. Neither one of us were happy, but George was less happy.

After breakfast we decided the best choice of action was to find a pharmacy, and replenish George’s dwindling supply of ibuprofen. That stuff is gold around here. Without a prescription, they will only sell you 400 mg tablets and 12 doses. So that’ll keep him going for three more days for a whopping 7.60 Euros which is equivalent to $10. That’s nuts. We can buy a boatload at Costco, for next to nothing. Needless to say, he bought two packets.

After his purchase, I hit the grocery store and found nail polish and remover. Also, very important stuff! Then I bought us two bus tickets and we were on our way to Montefiascone. Yep, no hiking program today. But I was able to remedy that once we got off the bus.

Montefiascone is, yep, you guessed it, on top of a hill. The bus driver told us this was our last stop. Okay then, I guess we walk from here. It didn’t look like any pictures I’d seen in the book, so I imagined we had a trek ahead of us.

We were directed by an older pilgrim and then a lady from England that we needed to follow the highway up a very, very steep road. Well, of course we do! And so we did. Up, up and more up, till we finally found the Cafe Central in Old Town. The Apartment wouldn’t be ready till 3pm so we had some time to kill.

After dropping our packs at the Tourism Center, we had a sandwich and headed up to see the vista. It was quite the climb, up way too many steps to count. But it was worth every heartbeat that skipped and every labored breath that was missed. This is why you come to Montefiascone!

There is a lovely park on the hilltop. Once we arrived breathless, we had our breath taken away a second time. You can see the snow covered mountains of Umbria in the distance. I can only speculate, that on a super clear day, you might be able to see all the way to Rome! Bolsena Lake’s southern tip is right below and the fields of patchwork green are abound! I just can’t get over the beauty of this region. Tuscany is incredibly gorgeous but Luzia in its own right, is justifiably just as stunning! They are like sisters that have their own unique qualities and you just can’t choose a favorite.

After walking around the park, we headed to Rocca del Papi. It is a historic medieval castle that was the summer house for Popes who would travel through. Built in the late 12th century by Pope Innocent III, it is still a popular destination for people of all faiths. Back in the day, it had four towers but today there is only one remaining. And yes, we climbed it!

What an incredible way to see this region. I had a bit of vertigo as it was pretty dang high. But boy oh boy, I’m glad I did. So there’s that for not wanting to do much walking, climbing, or hiking today. Somehow we managed to overcome all that nonsense!

Once again, it is clear why these people in Italy live so long. It’s not the pasta or the gelato, it’s not the red wine or the olive oil! It is the constant hills, steps and stairs that makeup everyday life. So if you want to make it to 100, go find a hill to walk. It seems to work great for the Italians!

Just as we think we are at the end of our rope, God reminds us that we are stronger together. With His strength, all things, not some things, but everything is possible.