Author: Wanderer

Camino to Rome or Via Francigena is an ancient trail that takes pilgrims on an epic journey from Canterbury, England; across the channel to France and through Switzerland before crossing Italy on their way to Rome. Like the Camino de Santiago, this is a historic medieval route and takes walkers to some of Europe’s most stunning regions such as Champagne in France, the Alps and Tuscany.

The route was known in Italy as the “Via Francigena” (“the road that comes from France”) or the “Via Romea Francigena” (“the road to Rome that comes from France”). In medieval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route for those wishing to visit the Holy See and the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul.

The Via Francigena trail might not be as well known as the Camino de Santiago but it has been a path taken by pilgrims across Europe for centuries and the Camino to Rome, can be explained in 12 interesting and simple facts:

1 – The Via Francigena covers 1900kms from Canterbury to Rome.

2 – It is one of the many routes taken by European pilgrims on their way to Rome since the Middle Ages.

3 – The Via Francigena or Camino to Rome crosses four European countries: UK, France, Switzerland and Italy; and areas of spectacular beauty and historic interest.

4 – Sigeric the Serious, Archbishop of Canterbury, walked the route to Rome and recorded his travels in a journal in the 10th century. This can be considered the first ever Via Francigena ‘guidebook’ and the route today follows Sigeric’s trail as much as possible.

5 – Slightly different variations have emerged in sections of the Via Francigena route, to avoid bigger roads or areas not suitable for walking/cycling.

6 – It is pronounced: Francheegena (with accent on the ‘ee’) but to make it easier you can also call it the Camino to Rome.

7 -The Via Francigena route is a Council of Europe European Cultural Itinerary since 1994 and Major Cultural Route since 2004.

8 – Once in Rome, you can request your Testimonium, certificate of pilgrimage to Rome. Once again I will be carrying a Credential or Camino Passport to collect stamps from cathedrals, museums and visitor centres as proof of travel.

9 – It is not very clear how many people walk or cycle parts of the Via Francigena each year but it was estimated there were 2,500 in 2012 (Source: Cicerone Guides). * Compared to over 240,000 who reached Santiago de Compostela in 2014 for instance.

10 – The Via Francigena is still very much at a development stage in terms of way markings. Those will vary greatly depending on the countries and regions. It is important to have a good guidebook or route notes and maps with you.

11 – Accommodation particularly in rural areas can be limited.

12 – It will take approximately 3 months to walk the full length of the Via Francigena, the Camino to Rome all the way from Canterbury. It should take a month and a half to cycle the route.

The Via Francigena is arguably the pinnacle of pilgrim walks in Europe. It is a journey across half a continent and four countries – England, France, Switzerland and Italy – with the pull of the Eternal City as a goal. Starting in Canterbury, the Via Francigena follows the North Downs to Dover and from Calais in northern France winds through the WW1 battlefields of Picardy and the Champagne region before entering Switzerland over the Juras.

The way then skirts Lac Léman to approach the Alps, which are crossed by the Grand St Bernard Pass, descending into Italy down the Aosta Valley to Piedmont and Lombardy, and over the Apennines and the hills of Tuscany to end in Rome.

It takes around 90 days to complete the journey on foot, though some have done it in less than 60. While well within the reach of an average distance walker, it is a tougher undertaking than the Camino Francés.

There is less infrastructure in terms of pilgrim hostels and affordable accommodation, distances between places to sleep and shops and bars, especially in France, are far longer, and the route can be lonely and in parts it is rugged.

Although the Via Francigena is growing in popularity, the numbers walking it are only a fraction of those on the Camino Francés. It is still possible to walk for several days without meeting another pilgrim. There is not much of the fraternity of the road that exists along the Camino Francés, where you get to know people as you go along. So you need to be self-reliant if you to walk to Rome.

You also need to be reasonably fit before you set out. While the first part of the route through Kent and northern France is relatively flat, pilgrims then face a succession of stiff climbs – the Juras, the Alps, the Cisa Pass, and the hills of Tuscany.

I first started planning for this walk in May 2020 but it all came to an untimely end with the outbreak of Covid 19. However, its now 2022 and the world is opening up again so I am heading back to Europe to pick up my adventures again. Walking or Cycling the complete Via Francigena is on hold in a post-covid world, for this year at least and mostly pilgrims are walking just the Italian route from Lucca to Rome.

I am not planning to walk the entire Via Francigena trek but have given myself the challenge of an 12 day, 225km walk.

First week is through the hilly Tuscany region of Italy before jumping ahead to the historic town Viterbo in central Italy.

The last section 114kms from Viterbo to St Peters Basilica in Rome is enough walking to receive the official testimonial.

Below is my itinerary through Italy:

Day 1	01/09/22	Paris to Pisa	Flight
Day 2	02/09/22	Pisa to Florence	Train
Day 3	03/09/22	Florence to Castelfiorentino	Train
Day 4	03/09/22	Gambassi Terme	Walk	16
Day 5	04/09/22	San Gimignano	Walk	18
Day 6	05/09/22	Colle di Val d’Elsa	Walk	18
Day 7	06/09/22	Montereggioni	Walk	18
Day 8	07/09/22	Siena	Walk	22
Day 9	08/09/22	Siena to Viterbo	Train
Day 10	08/09/22	Vetralla	Walk	18
Day 11	09/09/22	Sutri	Walk	24
Day 12	10/09/22	Monterosi	Walk	18
Day 13	11/09/22	Formello	Walk	18
Day 14	12/09/22	La Storta	Walk	18
Day 15	13/09/22	Rome	Walk	18
Day 16	14/09/22	Rome	Rest Day
Day 17	15/09/22	Rome	Rest Day
Day 18	16/09/22	Rome to Porto	Flight

This a hectic schedule of flights and trains to get to the start of the Via Francigena and typical of me, as I like to cram in visits to as many of the highlights as possible. I am very excited to be walking again after being halted from travelling to Europe for last 2 years.

I arrive in Pisa on an early flight from Paris so I can enjoy another day getting over jet lag and use the day for sightseeing.

Next day is a short morning train ride to Lucca, which is now the official start of the Italian part of the Via Francigena. The quick stop is to get my Official Pilgrim Passport (The Credential) stamped at the Cathedral of San Martino before continuing on the train to Florence for the night.

The walking starts the following day with an morning train journey to the small Tuscan city of Castelfiorentino where I can pick up the Via Francigena trail. The plan is to get there early enough to start walking that afternoon to the ancient town Gambassi Terme. The undulating terrain continues 5 days over the hills of Tuscany before arriving at the historic city of Siena.

A night in Siena and another early train ride to the ancient city of Viterbo in central Italy and continue walking 6 days along the Via Francigena to Rome.

Phwee, I can hear you say that’s racing through a few iconic Italian cities however, I have been to these places a few times and all I can say is, ”its the journey not the destination”.

28 August 2020

The day has arrived at last and heading back to Europe 2 1/2 years after last Visit. I am on a direct flight to London, via a transit stop in LA. The first leg of 11 hours went well and as usual I slept most of the way. The short layover in the US is often challenging with lots of bureaucracy, everyone is treated as a visitor to the US so gets processed through US customs and then back through security again. Lots of lining up and showing my passport but I have 5 hours to fill in so not too bothered.

I am travelling with only a carry on bag to make logistics easier so all went surprisingly well. There was a fair bit of queuing but the line moved smoothly and was was back in lounge with only few hours to wait before boarding my Virgin Atlantic flight to London.

Heathrow Airport was much the same queuing and lining up but the Irish Passport works wonders and I am whisked through and out in no time into the sunny late afternoon day to catch the express train to Kings Cross Station. I am staying nearby the station at the Hotel Crestfield as I am back the next morning to catch the Eurostar to Paris.

It’s a quick shower and change then off to the underground to catch a train a few stops to Leicester Square to join the bustling crowds and find a real English Restaurant for dinner. Those people who know London already understand there are no real English Restaurants left however, there is Chinatown nearby and it’s a very pleasant evening to sit outside and soak up the wonderful ambiance of this crazy, busy city and watch the mass of humanity go by.

That’s the first day over with and I have even made it to 9pm without collapsing. I found that staying up as long as possible is best way to get over Jetlag. So it’s an amble to the nearest Underground and back to my hotel.

It’s a 6am start in morning to catch the 8am Eurostar to Paris. I know why don’t I stay longer in London, well there is no good answer to that, I’m on a “go where the mood takes me” kind of tour.

29 August 2022

I am packed and out the hotel door by 5.30am, not really a problem as I am awake already with jetlag. I anticipated would be awake early so had booked an early Eurostar train and besides you can always catch up sleep on trains or planes.

The Eurostar is genius really, just over 2 hours and you are whisked from the centre of London to the centre of Paris and without all the bureaucracy of airports. The train stops at Gare de Nord station and everyone just gets off the train and walks out into the bright, 25deg Paris morning.

I am staying a short distance across the city in St Michel, directly opposite the tragically damaged cathedral of Notre Dame. It’s such a great day and I am early to check-in to my digs at Albe Hotel, so amble the 2 kms across the city from the station. I am in no particular rush so take my time walking in the general direction but wandering through the maze of streets. You cannot really get lost these days as Google Maps is foolproof.

The great thing about Paris, well Europe anywhere really is the myriad of bars and cafes everywhere. So when I get close I park up under an umbrella at an outside table and assemble my tragic French and order a Coffee Americano with a side of Latte. I really gotta practice some basic French, this is getting silly now.

I have 2 days in Paris and keen to wander around looking at the sights. I still have the app on my phone for Velib Bikes which are the share bikes and the hire stations are everywhere. Paris has been taken over now by these share bike/scooter/motorised skateboards and they are a manic swarm everywhere. This is stark contrast to when the share Green Bikes were first introduced and Parisians showed French disdain and dispatched them into the canals.

After a quick check-in I rent a bike at the station on corner and a slow cycle around the city following the Seine River down to the Eiffel Tower and back. No cycle is complete till you take in the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Élysées where the Tour de France finishes and a quick trip through the Place de La Bastille. Then back to the hotel and find a restaurant with a shady umbrella and great view of passing crowds to settle in for an early dinner.

A great first day over. No dramas or disasters, so far so good.

30 August 2020

Today is a free day in Paris and I have booked a few activities. If you want to avoid queues and visit any major attractions in Paris you really need to join a tour so I have booked a trip to Louvre Museum at midday. Afterwards will do the sightseeing bus and meander around the city listening to the history lesson. Not a lot of things todo in one day I know, but I have a very short span of attention so is just about right amount for me.

That means a relaxing morning and breakfast at my favourite cafe, Le Depart, in front of the hotel, then a wander around the myriad of quaint shops in the neighbourhood. I am on the Left Bank of the Seine, which is The Latin Quarter and quite close to Sorbonne University. This is the stuff of legends.

The midday tour to the Louvre was brilliant, the tour guide was a young Nigerian Student, Obanni who is studying at Paris University completing an engineering degree and masters in business. Talk about overqualified. Well anyhow, what a fabulous guided tour and just about the right mix of walking, talking and sitting in air conditioned room studying magnificent artwork. Did I mention how hot it is outside.

The good news is the Hop On/Off Big Bus stops nearby so I stagger through the hot afternoon and up to the open top deck to be driven around the city sights.

As luck would have it one of the bus stops is Notre Dame Cathedral, where my hotel is, so an easy drop off. I am deposited outside my favourite cafe, Le Depart for an early dinner of the house special with a glass of Bordeaux.

It’s another spectacular day. The temperatures are climbing every day and today was a shade under 30deg which is quite a shock from the decidedly inclement Wellington winter.

One small problem has developed though. I rented a Velib bike and cycled to the Louvre to meet the small tour group however, the bike station was full where I dropped off and I did not lock (de-hire) the bike correctly, so no “returned correctly emai”. A quick check of the Velib website indicated I could be up for a huge charge if the bike is lost. Remember the canal thing. A nervous day but turned out Ok as whoever picked up the bike finally retuned it and I was let off the hook. Now that’s a let off right there.

Relaxing start tomorrow and off to Orly airport for 1pm flight to Pisa, Italy…..I can hardly wait.

01 September 2020

Relaxed start today as I am on the 1pm EasyJet flight to Pisa. So it’s breakfast at Le Depart Cafe then check-out of Albe Hotel. I am back here in few weeks for another stay so good the get the cafes and restaurants sorted.

Another of the great reasons for staying in this district is I am close to St Michel Metro station and direct line to Orly airport. The key to flying EasyJet is pay the extra and get the exit row, the cabin baggage add-on and fast boarding. Works well and flight is on time and I land into a warm afternoon Pisa. Short train ride and an easy amble and at my hotel located a short distance from the Tower.

a serious question but who doesn’t like Italian food, it is spectacular. On that note restaurants in Europe are all outside, the weather is wonderful and seating is arranged to look out and watch the world going by. The last time I was here was 2016 with Bev and friends Greg and Sue. The world had just weathered another once in a lifetime melt down, The Global Financial Crisis, and tourism was hit particularly bad. The world has emerged from another crisis and tourism has exploded everywhere. Not a bad thing really but does make for a mass of humanity everywhere.

2nd September 2020

The last time I was in Europe 2020 I made a big effort to master the train system. This is not a difficult thing really but coming from NZ we don’t really have the concept of just how convenient and widespread the train system is in Europe. Today is first of many train trips I am planning in next few weeks, in fact the they are just as much part of the adventure as the walking. Forget flying, pay extra get a really comfortable seat and sit back and enjoy the train.

So today is another relaxed start, up for breakfast and check-out of hotel at 8am then 30min walk to train station for short commute to the next city of Lucca.

The cathedral at Lucca is at preset time the start of the Italian section of the Via Francigena trail so will stop there for a walk around and get the first of my Pilgrims Stampa in the passport. Not staying too long just quick walk around before heading onwards again to Florence where I am staying for the next few nights.

It’s back to the station and settle in for 50min ride to the Santa Maria Novella station in the centre of Florence. I am really happy with the light pack I have bought with me, it’s easy to pack, easy to carry and store on planes and trains and makes for easy clothes selection each day. So pack on and another 30 min stroll through Florence to my hotel which is next to the main cathedral in the historic centre of the city.

I did spend quite a lot of time planning this itinerary and paid attention to where I should stay in cities and towns. I am very pleased with accommodation so far and the apartment in Florence is wonderful. I am a short walk to the cathedral, main piazzas and attractions. Florence has a huge amount of the art and culture and it’s everywhere, from statues of David, the Ponte Vecchia, Uffizi Gallery and endless churches and museums.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the walking part of the adventure. first a short train ride then a walk to the wonderful historic hill top town of San Gimignano.

4th September 2022

There has been some serious rain the last few days with impressive thunderstorms passing overhead sending everyone dashing in doors. The local street vendors are incredibly savvy and before the first clap of thunder disappears they are on the streets selling umbrellas and rain capes.

One of the best days of the trip so far. I wish I could admit it was because I visited on the amazing museums or cultural exhibits but no, I sat under an outside umbrella in the rain watching the All Black v Argentina match online. It was morning and the waiter seemed to understand my anxiety and kept me topped up with large Cafe Americano con latte freddo. Bellissimo!

however today is a beautiful morning and promises to be another 30deg plus day. I am off to the station early to catch the train to the unexciting town of Poggibonsi. It’s only significance is that it intersects the Francigena trail so off the train, pack on back and start walking.

Tuscany is spectacularly beautiful but also one of the more hilly walks you can under take. This section is not the most undulating but does have a fairly long and steepish hill in the last few kilometres to San Gimignano. Does make sense I guess these town are historically fortress citadels and tended to be built on the top of hills.

Great day walking, the weather was hot and the last hour slogging up the hill was challenging however, all in all and brilliant day.

This is another big tourist destination and during the day was bus loads of tourists everywhere. However the evening was quieter and went to main square to have dinner and listen to a wonderful duo that had set up outside a restaurant and treated everyone to an amazing concert. What an absolutely wonderful way to end the day.

Tomorrow is on to the little village of Colle Val D’Elsa.

5th September 2022

Last night in San Gimignano was quite spectacular and like many of the tourist towns are packed with sightseers during the day and empty out in the evenings. I am up early, packed and down to the town square early to get a very Italian breakfast of coffee and croissant. I love mornings the best as are very peaceful, in this country restaurants open later and nothing really happens till lunchtime.

A quick check of the forecast and it’s going to be another very hot day, well over 30deg so sensible plan is on the road early and under a cafe umbrella before the afternoon.

I am keeping the walking distance to about 15km a day as the Tuscany countryside is very hilly and days are hot so not overdoing it and making it fun to walk through this spectacular countryside. I am finding that these pilgrimage trails have lots of road walking and in Italy is a little more than most. The official trail out of San Gimignano is direct to Montereggioni but as I am diverting to Colle Val D’Elsa I am basically on the road for quite a while this morning. The Tuscany roads are hilly, windy and narrow so walking along the shoulder is somewhere between terrifying and exhilarating. Fortunately it eventually diverts of the main highway and over the wonderful Tuscan countryside.

There is no getting away from the 35deg heat and I was giving real consideration to the very Englishman abroad approach of walking with the umbrella. The key thing is to drink heaps and I have armed myself with 2 bottles of water. It was with merciful relief I arrived at my destination by midday and found a shady cafe to relax at till my hotel was ready. The days are shorter than I usually undertake but hills and heat are a real challenge.

Colle Val D’Elsa is another historic, hilltop village and is an alternate destination for lots of Francigena pilgrims who often take a different path and go direct to the castle town of Montereggioni, which is the next destination. The good thing is there are not the procession of tourists that have been such a feature of my previous nights stays. Italy gets something 65million tourist visited a year and the main cities of Tuscany are where most of them head to.

Tomorrows destination, Montereggioni is one of my favourite places in Tuscany to visit and ever since Bev and I first discovered it on our first visit 20 years ago I never pass by without stopping for a visit. This time I am staying at an apartment inside the small town and can’t wait to sit in the square tomorrow having lunch and enjoying the end of that days walk.

6th September 2022

There comes a time when you start to get into the walking routine and become a shuffling pilgrim on the road and today is it. I have got over the Jetlag now and starting to get into the routine of packing, breakfast then on the road walking and arriving to the next destination. You stop worrying about the distances and how long to go and just start walking.

I am down to hotel breakfast as early as they open and take my coffee outside into the already hot day to FaceTime Bev and Lisa/Sophie before heading out of town. This is going to be another hot as heck day and best idea is to get under that umbrella by lunchtime.

The road out of town has a quite beautiful scenic diversion and dips into a valley to follow beside a river for the first 5 kms before heading through a few villages and out into the spectacular Tuscany countryside.

Mercifully it’s a relatively short duration day of 3-4 hours walking and I am in sight of the magnificent circular walled citadel of Montereggioni. This walled medieval town is located on a hill, of course and has been here since the 12 century. It lies between Sienna to south and Florence to the north and was a strategic fortress during the many territorial battles that were fought over the centuries. I arrive just on lunchtime and settle under an umbrella to cool off and have a well earned lunch.

These days it is spectacular tourist destination with wonderful restaurants and accommodation and masses of daytime tourists bussing in for lunch and walk around the souvenir shops and walk through the historic church and castle.

I Have thought ahead and booked accommodation here at the wonderfully names Wine and Food Accommodation. By chance in the afternoon a stage was set up in the main square with seats and band equipment for a night concert. I have the best seat in the house in my apartment window facing out over the square.

I reserved a seat in a restaurant and sat outside in the warm evening sipping wine and enjoying a fabulous private concert. Doesn’t get much better than this.

What an amazing night to spend in this wonderful place. The concert went in till midnight which meant a late night to sleep but that’s Ok. A small feeling of trepidation though, as tomorrow’s walk to Siena is a step up at 22km and with hills and temperature the smart thing would have been an early night and early rise to get going before sun gets up. Can’t be helped just have to take my time and drink more water.

7th September 2022

Ok, I did try for an early start but was a late night so was 8am before I was dressed and packed and found a cafe open to have a leisurely wake-me-up coffee in the square. The place is deserted in the morning and the place doesn’t really come alive to mid morning when all the tourists busses arrive. It’s going to be another hot day, 35deg and I have a long walk so it’s a quick walk around the deserted streets to take a few photos then on the road to find the Francigena trail to Siena.

Although today is a small step up in distance it is a relatively easy and fast walk and overall not as undulating as previous days. The trail leaves the town to town walks behind and hikes along the unpaved roads in the Sienese hills to the medieval village of Cerbaia. The trail continues through the woods as far as Chicciola Castle and Villa Castle where I had been advised was a wonderful stop to get breakfast.

There were already a few pilgrims sheltering under umbrellas from the warm morning sun, even at 9.30 was 30deg. A great place for a sandwich and top up water before getting on the road again.

These pilgrim trails like Via Francigena and Camino de Santiago have been around for centuries and are historically the trail for Christians making a pilgrimage to Rome or the Cathedral of St James in Spain. They are also ever evolving these days as local tourist organisations make more off-road pathways and take in more villages. This part of the Via Francigena through Tuscany now has some wonderful rural trails which showcase the spectacular countryside of this part of Italy. However be warned there is a bit of road walking on the narrow windy country roads which as I have said before is both exhilarating and terrifying. It just all adds to the adventure though.

In Tuscany all roads south lead to Siena and it was with much joy I arrived early afternoon to this magical city of narrow cobblestone streets. It’s no different to the other cities I visited and is bustling with hoards of tourists weaving through the narrow streets and linked up in queues to visit the historic building and museums.

It’s a bit of pushing and dodging through crowds as I am heading to the historic centre of Siena, the famous Il Campo, to find a shady restaurant and have lunch with a cold beer. I have chosen well and got in early this year and reserved 2 nights at an apartment close by. Tomorrow is a well earned rest day as the walking and heat can really take its toll.

What a spectacular day walking and after a shower gathered myself for a big explore around the city. The crazy weather has returned with sudden late afternoon thunderstorms drowning the city. Fortunately I found a restaurant with an outdoor seat under an umbrella. It’s the craziest thing even though is torrential rain it is still very warm.