Day 48 La-Storta to Saint-Peter's Square, The Vatican - Roma 17 km

Sunday 27th October    Day 48
Arriviamo! We Arrive! 
Our final day of walking the amazing Via Francigena!

we catch the 8:10 am train from La Storta to San Filippo Nero, then walk along the Strada to 

Monte Mario, where pilgrims first saw Rome. The first 8 km or so from La Storta is along a very busy four lane main road with no pedestrian walking area - we decide to avoid this section by taking the train, it would be a shame to be squashed on the road when we're so close to Roma! We still have some sections of roadway to walk along with limited pedestrian access before we get to Monte Mario park.

At Monte Mario! We catch our first glimpse of Roma and the Vatican, St Peter's Square!

View through the mist to Rome and St Peter's Square from Monte Mario
We descend down Monte Mario along the rough cobble stone path and walk along towards St Peter's Square. 

Its a shame there's so much rubbish, and the park is so unkempt.

We decide to stop for a break and lunch at 12, about a block from the Basilica, St Peters square. We're strolling along today, not walking fast, just absorbing the sights and sounds of Roma. 

As we get closer to the Vatican, there's more people everywhere, it gets very crowded! It's Sunday, and apparently the pope "Pappa" is conducting a special mass. We arrive as it's finished and people are leaving.

Here we are! Arriviamo, 

we sit for a while, just soaking up the sights, people watching, 

taking in the surroundings, 

so full of history, religious significance and art

and processing the fact that our Via Francigena walk is complete... 1,000 km from the Swiss border, Martgny to Rome!

After rereading the information on the Internet and our guide book, it seems that the office where we get our testamur isn't open on Sundays, we'll need to come back to the square on Monday morning.

Patrick has a chat with the Swiss guards at the portal we need to enter to get more information about the procedure for getting our pilgrimage testamurs tomorrow in the Vatican.

off then to find our accommodation in a convent, Via di Genovesi, 11b Trastevere

We find it withou too much difficulty, it's in a convent, opposite a school, within enclosed walls complete with a peaceful garden.

Just beautiful with the bell tower illuminated at night.

We're greeted by volunteer host Marie Lisa, from the Dolomites in Italy.

At 7:30 pm the three new pilgrim arrivals, Patrick, me and Jürgen from Austria have our feet washed in the traditional Confraternity of St. James pilgrim welcome ceremony.

Jürgen has walked all the way from Austria to Rome, mostly creating his own path, including through Slovenia, where he walked up to four days at a time between villages, and came face to face with a bear!

Delicious Pilgrim dinner prepared by Marie Lisa, it's wonderful to complete our final day of walking with a communal dinner with other pilgrims! We haven't met with other pilgrims along the way for about three weeks. And we finally meet up with Philippe who I've been corresponding with by email during our walk. It's been so  helpful getting tips from someone a couple of days ahead.

Tomorrow we'll return to St Peters Square, and go into the Vatican to receive our pilgrim credentials!

Our accommodation tonight and tomorrow
OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL OF SAN GIACOMO AND SAINT BENEDICT LABRE - ROME : recommended by Linna and Tom and Yvonne

Address: Via Galvani, 51 - Rome ? changed address, now at Via di Genovesi, 11b  open 3 pm- 7pm to receive pilgrims
Phone: 327 2319312   064959590
Email: info@pellegriniaroma.it
Type: Religious Structure
Independent: Managed by volunteers of the Confraternity of St. James of Perugia
Open from Easter to September (at other times you need to call to ensure availability). Only pilgrims with credential.
Hours: 17-22
Price: Offer
Number of places: 40.
Use of kitchen: YES. They offer dinner and breakfast

another option, same group as the Convento de Giglia in Bolsena

via Della pigna 13/a 00186 Roma

06 6795077 www.ctg.it

PILGRIMS COUDERC CENTER SANTA TERESA - ROME

Address: Via Vincenzo Ambrosio, 9-11 - Rome
Phone: 06 35401142 - 393 3595070
Email: reservation@cenacolopellegrini.it
Type: Religious Structure
Open all year
Price: Discounted prices for pellegirni with credential
Number of seats: 96.
Use of kitchen: NO. Breakfast included in the price. Possibility of half board.
 

Day 45 From Viterbo to Sutri 33.4 km

Thursday 24th October   33km 

We take an alternate route, mapped out by the local Viterbo via Francigena group who hosted us last night. The path goes up to the village of San Martino, around the rim of the volcano and lake, then into Sutri, missing out the towns of Vetralla and Capri....

We walk out of Viterbo nice and early at 7 am

Through the impressive portal out of town.

Clouds fulfill their destiny, and start to deposit a light misty rain, that soon turns into real rain! on with the wet weather gear! It's still a pretty rural walk, even though a bit damp!

San Martino, a lovely looking village, even in the rain.

The Abbey looks worth spending more time investigating, except we need to keep going, its raining and we have 33km to walk... 

We have a Caffé doppio and toilet stop, after peeling off our wet weather gear outside. The bar is crowded with locals avoiding the wet weather, but still socialising!

today turns into "a walk in the clouds part three" As we climb steadily upwards to the rim of the volcano 911 m altitude

It would be a glorious walk in sunny weather!

 We walk through woodlands, Hazelenut groves, chestnut forests.

The rain and fog makes it difficult to see the markers

My gorgeous Teletubbie outfit below!

My feet are squelching in my wet shoes and socks! "water resistant" shoes only cope with a certain quantity of H2O . I love the chestnut forests, I get the feeling that people have lived harmoniously with this environment for thousands of years. harvesting nuts, fungi and timber as needed, and taking care that enough of the trees remain, regenerate and stay healthy.

We arrive finally in Sutri at 4:25 pm and walk through the old town portal, our accommodation is only about 20 m inside the portal.

Arranging our accommodation this afternoon proves to be a very bizarre experience, we buzz the bell of the Carmlite and announce "due Pellegrino", the door clicks and we're let in, there is a timber gadget in the wall in the foyer - we communicate through the timber mesh, we hand over our passports and pilgrim credenzas, the round thing spins around so the nun can get out our documents- 

she's on the other side, in another room, we can't see her. it's €30 for the both of us, the room is a couple of doors up the street, she gives us a key on the round thingy that she spins around so we can collect the key and our passports.

Out we go into the rain again, walk about 15m use the key to open the door- there's a stairway, it's dark, by the time were at the top, of the stairs the light has gone out... I get my phone and put on the flashlight app, find the light switch - then try and find our room... all the rooms have names on them, I think Saint's names...none say pelligrini... we find the door with the name that matches the key, it has two beds in the room with a message to leave the key in the mail box the next morning. Quite a contrast to our warm friendly welcoming experience yesterday!

After our shower and rest we head to a trattoria in the piazza for dinner, inside there are photos of the Piazza covered in snow! seems hard to believe it can get that cold, when we are walking in shorts and T-shirts in October! the waitress tell us it gets cold in January -February  and snows every couple of years.

a long day of wet walking in the rain!

Our Accommodation tonight;

Monache Carmelitane Di Clausura

Via Garibaldi 1

PH: 0761609082

€15pp

other options

Sutri

Seminario bed and breakfast,  in the middle of the town at 37 piazza del comune.  

 30 Euro pp
Francescane Oasi di pace  Via Delle Viole, 1501015 Sutri +39 0761659175  http://oasidipace.it/ 

MONASTERY OF OUR LADY OF PEACE - VETRALLA

Address: Via del Giardino, 4 - Vetralla
Phone: 0761 481519
Type: Religious Structure
Open all year
Price: 25 €. Breakfast included. 30 euro breakfast and dinner
Number of places: 30
Use of kitchen: NO.


 

Day 41 From Aquapendente to Bolsena 22.1 km

Sunday 20th October  22.1 km day 41 of walking!
"Meandering gentle up and down paths on farm and sheep tracks"

We're up and heading out of Acquapedente by 8am - Caffé and pastry on the way out of town (not as nice as yesterday..) As we head out of town we can see Lake Bolsena! The lake looks silvery today under the overcast sky. 

walking through fields of freshly ploughed earth, the occasional hunter booming away

We phone ahead to Bolsena and book our accommodation at

Convento Santa Maria del Giglio

Via Madonna del Giglio, 49

€22 each 

PH: 0761799066 Sabrina speaks English 

We have a chat with the kiddes at home on Skype  while we're walking along.

pass by a house crying out to be explored and rescued...

we arrive at San Lorenzo Nuovo  at 11 am, have a delicious toasted focaccia with prosciutto

I love the fruit shop produce display!

I have a lovely afternoon wandering along the quiet country paths alongside the lake, getting into the rhythm of easy, dreamy walking, letting thoughts drift through my mind like clouds drifting through the sky. Quite meditative. More tiny cyclamens pop up everywhere

I'm actually pretty tired this afternoon- my ankles and feet are a bit sore and stiff, particularly my right foot bones... I think my body is complaining about the two consecutive 30km+ days with so many hills...

Thankfully the walk this afternoon continues to be delightful! (distracts me from my complaining body)

olive groves, full of ripening olives!

glimpses of the silvery magical looking volcanic lake and a couple of islands

alternating rows of grapes and olives, this is my kind of countryside! 

an olive grove for sale!

approaching Bolsena... didn't think the day could get any dreamier, but... yep... there's a Castello!

We continue around the high points of Bolsena  

Along the stone walled lane ways - I'm walking very slowly by now... my right foot is really not happy...

to find our accommodation Convento Santa Maria del Giglio...

 It's amazing! the church is incredible, Santa Maria del Giglio

inside Santa Maria Giglio church

and our accommodation is in the lovely old convent, complete with walled garden. 

We're the only guests

a maze of rooms - the dining hall / refrectory

There's an incredible ancient marble topped stove in the kitchen

The courtyard - cloister

is full of lovely frescos

vineyard in the garden creating shady walkways....

Sabrina and her family live here and are volunteers to manage and run it, 3 kids, two German shepherds, a friendly cat... I feel like I should get in and help with the gardening! But I need a shower, to wash some clothes, and get my feet elevated! 

We wander down the street to get some dinner, and pass Guiseppe in his wine cave - I say in my fabulous Italiano "buonasera..." we get chatting and he invites us into the cave to taste the wine he's pressing! most of the houses and families have these caves or cellars around this area. The temperature stays approximately an even 15 deg all year round, perfect for storing wine, and all sorts of produce - there are jars of tomatoes - pomadore on the shelves lining the walls 

I can tell Patrick's planning his rock cellar at home!

Bolsena's Basilica of Saint Christina - there's a service on tonight, so I can't go inside.

 One of the portals of Bolsena 

We've decided to,stay here in Bolsena for two nights, to give my ankle and foot time to rest and improve. Tomorrow we'll catch the 6:45 am bus from Bolsena to Orvieto to have a gentle wander and explore.

Our accommodation tonight

Convento Santa Maria del Giglio

Via Madonna del Giglio, 49

PH: 0761799058

€ 22 each

other options,

SISTERS OF THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT - BOLSENA 

Address: Piazza Santa Cristina, 4 - Bolsena
Phone: 0761 799058
Type: Religious Structure
Open all year
Price: 15 €
Number of places: 15
Use of kitchen: NO. The price includes breakfast. 
 HOSTEL OFFICIAL - LOC. OFFICIAL (Bolsena)

Address: Loc Official
Phone: 0761 798753 - 333 4375473 - 320 0738496
Email: ostellogazzetta@gmail.com
Type: Youth Hostel
Open all year
Price: under 20 €
Number of places: 21
Use of kitchen: NO. The price includes breakfast and dinner

SISTERS OF THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT - BOLSENA

Address: Piazza Santa Cristina, 4 - Bolsena
Phone: 0761 799058
Type: Religious Structure
Open all year
Price: 15 €
Number of places: 15
Use of kitchen: NO. The price includes breakfast.