Today is the first day of the rest of my other camino. I am settled in my B&B. I already walked in the neighborhood and found a bar (yes, I said “bar”) where I had a cappuccino and a croissant.
Without the worry of how I am going to complete this journey, (may I say “this alternative journey?) I feel much better. Maybe knowing where one needs to go can be an important part of the journey.
However I’m still experiencing camino moments. On my way back from breakfast I stopped in a little market to pick up some snacks. At the register a woman was trying to pay with a 5 euro note and some kind of paper. The cashier told her sadly, no. So I stepped up and said I’ll pay for it. I don’t usually like to talk about things that I do like this. I tell you this because I experienced grace toward me. The woman looked at me and said, “Grazie!” And I realized that I had been thanking people this whole journey for all the grace given to me and this was the first time I could say, “Prego” (you’re welcome).
If I had been walking I would have missed this moment.
Today is a watershed day. I’ll explain at the end.
My morning did not start out well. My little apartment had a washing machine (yay!) so I was able to do laundry. This is a real treat when one has been washing things out in the sink for several days. La signora even brought out a drying rack for me (another treat). So I washed and hung my clothes out. Before bed I brought in the dry stuff and left the damp stuff out.
Last night it rained 🌧️ 😢 and my clothes were sopping wet. I dried them the best I could and debated whether to walk today. It’s Sunday so no busses.
Well I decided to suck it up and rub some dirt on it. I set off…in the wrong direction.
I added two miles onto my day before I got back on track. Nonetheless I felt good, ready to conquer this day.
The beginning of my ascent
I had a three mile constant up hill. It was tough and yet I made it. Then came a good stretch of flat, great for recovery. Of course since it rained I came across a stretch of deep mud. In the mud I could see the prints of horse hooves. And you know where there are horse hooves there is horse 💩. I made it through to a large meadow studded with rocks.
And then came the descent.
Here I started a 2.7 mile descent. I know the path looks easy, but it is actually covered in loose rocks that are easy to slide on when the path gets a little steeper. The bigger stones just make your feet feel like they gone twelve rounds in the ring and lost.
At the bottom I looked up and saw a city on the hill and thought, “Surely not!” That turned out to be wrong. This was a much steeper climb (although shorter) along a series of trafficked switchbacks. About 1 km from my hotel, a time when I would normally be energized to be so close, I was completely wiped out.
The whole day was beyond challenging and even the amazing vistas were not enough to sustain me.
When I got to my room I made a decision. This was my watershed moment. It’s time to stop. I know that physically I can walk a 200 mile journey and 200 miles through the Appenine Mountains is not in my capacity. I have given this my all and now it’s time to be done.
And I’m ok. I know I did my best. It wasn’t what I hoped for and I know that there may still be another camino in my future. Just not this one.
It’s been a Buon Cammino!
A cathedral in Toffia. I would not have seen this beautiful sight if I had not gotten lost so it was worth it.
I’m sitting outside and the sun is setting. I’m on my second Aperol spritz and feeling something between content and homesickness. To my left are 5 young men. One them is clearly the father of a little girl. Who reminds me a lot of my granddaughter. And she has a new black lab puppy.
To my right are 5 younger men. At least one of them is old enough to drink. They’re playing cards and having a good time.
Farther on there’s a lady and her man/husband. She’s holding a brown poodle who barks at the puppy.
Kids are riding around on their bicycles while parents help them balance.
And my hostess and her husband are there enjoying a drink and some quality time. They look happy.
This is Italy. It feels like family. There’s music playing, everyone is drinking and eating. They all look happy.
I wish I could wrap this all up and take it back home. I wish you all could experience this atmosphere.
I think after a big day walking I want to tell you to stop and enjoy life. That little girl I mentioned, I showed her a picture of my granddaughter and she gave me a hug. Best part of my day.
A wild boar and her two piglets. I could hear dad rustling and snorting in the bushes beside me.
I guess this is the well marked sign that takes me from the Way of St. Francis on to the Farfa variant.
The arch in the town center of Toffia
Welcome to Toffia. Actually Toffia is another mile down the road.
My first look at my room for tonight. There are flashing Christmas lights all over. I thought for a moment I was walking into a high end bordello. It was actually a very nice place to stay
And my well earned Aperol spritz while I sit amidst all this family happiness
I tried to keep my days on the shorter side because walking through this part of Italy is mountainous. So the walks are shorter but the effort is greater. Yesterday would have been a great day to walk, but I miscalculated and had created a 15 mile day 😮😬🤪
Nonetheless today the walk was amazing. Partly sunny and low 60’s made for a comfortable walk. Plenty of ups and downs but not so rigorous.
That’s how you know you’ve left town. The name is simply crossed off. Ciao Monteleone
Cross
Beautiful flowers
Property Brothers can you help?
Probably not 😢
4 miles later I’m in Poggio Moiano. I stopped in town and had second breakfast and then headed to my hotel. The place I’m staying requires remaining on the Way of St. Francis for about 5 km and turning off at the sign for the hotel. Only…I couldn’t find my way back to the path. Apparently Signore Google doesn’t know the difference between Via Di Francesco and Via Di Francesco Parrochia.
I finally found a path…you can tell where this is going (pun intended) because if it was the correct path I would have written “the path”. Yes I invested almost two miles one way on a slippery downhill dirt path only to find this…
Yup that’s a locked gate with barbed wire around it and if you look closely there’s no path on the other side.
I had to turn around.
When I got back to town the sky was getting dark.
So I called the hotel to ask about a taxi. The young man at the desk said he’d come get me. Where was I?
In front of the police station just chillin’ like a villain 😎.
And that was my excitement for today. By the way once I realized where the path was and given that it didn’t start raining for 90 minutes I probably could have walked the 5 km necessary to get there.
Sometimes I really believe that I watch too much true crime. Let me tell you how the day unfolded and you can let me know what you think.
My B&B for tonight messaged to say that they had a plumbing problem and were unable to accommodate me. They added that their “colleague” would gladly pick me up in Monteleone and drive me to her place. I’m not sure how to feel about this.
My original booking was through booking.com so one would believe it’s credentialed. But what about this “colleague”? There was no mention that this is another B&B, not even the name of the place. But I felt stuck. Monteleone isn’t exactly a big burg and I had no where else to go.
A woman picked me up in the town center and drove me to her place. She speaks absolutely no English, French, or Spanish and she’s talking like I understand. When she sees my blank face she smiles and says, “ok”.
The house is clearly her private home. She never asks for my passport. Every hotel, B&B, hostel, everyplace asks for your passport so they can let the police know who’s staying there…just in case one is a world renowned art thief. So no, nobody knows I’m here.
When I take a shower for some reason I can’t help thinking of the movie Psycho.
When I come down to dinner the table is set for three people. Usually one sits alone, but I guess I’ll be dining family style. Probably with people who don’t speak English.
So it’s me, the signora, and Serge…the guy who owns the B&B I was supposed to stay at. He says he speaks Spanish, but in truth I think my Spanish is better and that’s not saying much. He’s a little odd and he and the signora spend a lot of time talking. I can’t help but wonder if they’re discussing how best to dispose of my body. It was just weird.
Finally I escape back to my room and before I go to bed I locked the door and shoved my suitcase in front of it. Ridiculous, right?
The whole thing was just a little creepy. I was very glad to leave and begin walking to Poggio Moiano.
Added on May 8…I received a text from Serge asking me for a “helpful review”. I think not.
Today I took the bus to Monteleone. Only 2.2 euros.
Much of only Rieti is under big construction and renovation. I wonder who pays for all this.
I thought Italians were fashionable but I think this guy missed the mark
Not a great picture but you can see the fortified wall around the old part of Rieti
Today I’m in Rieti. It’s cold and is supposed to rain later on so I decided to again get a ride. The signora offered to take me in to town today. She didn’t mention a price so I thought I would offer a gratuity of 20 euros and she promptly said 60 euros. My mistake I guess.
And one more thing before I’m done with Poggio Bustone. Google Translate is a little off the mark sometimes. Signora spoke into my phone and this is google’s translation…
I’m pretty sure this isn’t what she said.
I’m in the town now and have managed to get myself a cappuccino and a croissant. I’m in the old part of the city so I hope the path is nearby.
The church is right behind my hotel so I’m going to head over and see if I might be able to get a stamp. Getting one seems to be tricky. Again I compare this to the Camino de Santiago where every bar, hotel, and restaurant has a stamp. In the churches the stamp is usually on a table in the back of the sanctuary and one has to do a self-stamp. Here one needs to find the priest who keeps the stamp locked away in a desk drawer. I’m surprised they don’t keep it in the Holy of Holies along with the Eucharist. And most of the time the priest is nowhere to be found. Today I got lucky and found the priest. However he wasn’t very friendly, but he did stamp my passport.
Rieti is a beautiful town with an old section above (of course) the new section. My hotel is in the old part.
Despite the rain today I’ve been able to get out and walk around the town. I was in search of postcards to send to the grandchildren. I think that kids like to get mail. Maybe that’s old fashioned thinking. There’s a magazine stand in the middle of the square and the lady directed me to the post office. Go figger. But lo and behold there I was able to buy postcards. So in the afternoon over a Martini Rosso Spritz I wrote.
Lunch in town was marginal. I haven’t had pizza in a while so I found a pizzeria. Unfortunately during the day they don’t use the ovens so the pizza, while tasty, isn’t hot and crispy.
I made up for the marginal pizza with a gelato.
Not to be deterred I went to another pizza place for dinner and there I had a great meal.
Fresh mozzarella, basil, and half a carafe of Montefalcone wine which is becoming my favorite.
Despite the damp and the rain it was a very good day.
Yes you read that right, .57 miles, not 5.7 miles. Piediluco to Poggio Bustone is a long uphill walk and it’s raining today. So I opted to take a taxi.
Once again my B&B is at the top of the town with no restaurants or markets in sight. However my host said she would bring me lunch and dinner (for a fee). At 1:00 pm she arrived with a huge plate of pasta and meatballs (homemade pasta), a salad, a pork chop, apples, and a bottle of homemade wine.
I could only eat half so the rest served as my dinner.
Now I shall address my lack of mileage. It’s not just that I took a taxi, because of the rain it was very cold. One thing we as Americans don’t understand is that in some European countries when you can turn heat on and how high the temperature can be could be regulated by the government. I know my cousin in France could not turn the heat on until November 1 (I think) and off in April. Plus she could not turn the heat any higher than 60 degrees.
Now back to my total lack of movement…I huddled in my bed wrapped in two blankets shivering.
Another beautiful on the camino. I keep hearing g about rain, but so far it’s been dry and sunny. Fingers crossed that it stays that way.
View from Arrone
Today is an up, up days. Signore explained that I could take the path (the Way of St. Francis) or the road which is not heavily trafficked. I said I’d take the path. However I didn’t find the path so I had to take the road.
It was a moderate uphill climb. Not enough to get winded so I was able to keep going. With a series of switchbacks I had to be careful around blind curves. At one point I was walking in the middle of the road and a little grandpapa passed me on a bike yelling to get to the side of the road. Sure gramps, right where an oncoming car can’t see me. On the bright side, it was so quiet on the road that any oncoming cars could be heard from quite a distance.
Not on the path, but on the road
Another beautiful vista
My lunch eaten in a park
Piediluco is situated on a lake
The coffee maker in my apartment. Yes I hit the “big cup” button, but this is all I received.
Today my friend and I parted ways. She is going to Rome and then Sardinia to meet friends from Germany and I am continuing on to Rome. I pray she has a wonderful time as the walking portion was not the best for her. Nonetheless this was her Camino and it doesn’t make it any more or less than mine.
Every pilgrimage has it difficult moments. Two days ago it was the massive descent from Monteluco and on to Scheggino. The next day it was climbing over a rock slide. Today was the most pleasant so far. Of course it doesn’t hurt that it was only 4 miles from Ferentillo.
The path was well marked and ran along the Nera river. Peaceful sounds of birds and water moving kept me company.
Nera River
The way into town was easy. I found the church quickly and as I entered I heard singers practicing contemporary Christian music. Three guitars, a keyboard, an four singers. It was lovely. I also found the priest an was able to receive a stamp for my pilgrim passport.
There’s a soccer, sorry “futbol” game going on nearby while I drink an Aperol spritz outside and try to put my feelings into words.
Near my B&B is a little church.
15th century chapel that seats about 20. When I walked in I had an immediate sensation that “I could worship here”. What if we returned to the church home with a designated area and each week the people would give to a ministry and share the worship? What if indeed?
And then there was another surprise. Should I be ashamed to admit this? Cocktail hour has moved up to about 4:00 pm if I arrive in town early and today I got my Aperol spritz at 3:45. And there in the little bar I found another surprise.
Yup it’s Lindt chocolates filled with Sambuca. Sambuca is an Italian liquor that tastes of black licorice. You can make that face (I know I am), but Glen loves this. So I bought all 5 pieces.
Now hopefully they will survive the rest of the Camino.
My stamp
Finally I have to tell you about the place I stayed. Casa Argenti is a beautiful little B&B at the top of the town in Arrone. The bedroom was immaculate and well furnished. Someone put a lot of love into it. The owners also have a restaurant next door.
Tiramisu in a teacup
This was absolutely the best meal of my camino and possibly the best meal I’ve ever had in Italy. And breakfast did not disappoint either.
And just to round things off, Signore made me a sandwich of my leftovers from dinner so I had a wonderful lunch on my walk to Piediluco.
Today was a really pleasant walk. Yesterday I veered off the Camino to walk through a park. So today I started off retracing my way back to pick up the Camino. It was sunny and the temperature was about 62 degrees. No need for a jacket once I warmed up walking. It was really quite unremarkable until…
About 5 miles in I met an Italian man and asked if this was the right direction for Ferentillo. He said yes. All good so far. Then he told me the road was rocky ahead. Well I told him that yesterday I walked down the mountain over large rocks. Then I pointed to a softball sized rock. And he said “beeg rock”. I nodded and wished him a buena giornatta (good day).
I walked on about 50 meters and ran into this…
Yup, that’s a rock slide. Now those are some “BEEG” rocks! I was totally flummoxed about how to get through. To the right was some sort of field of plants and it looked like someone tried to forge a path so I started that way. About 6 ft in I had scratches all over my legs. Then some bicyclists came by and shouted at me to try and climb over the rocks.
Bottom line…I made it. My big adventure of the day. As a bonus I met some Americans on the other side and was able to convey that these were more than “beeg” rocks.
I made it through the rock slide.
I continued on and about 3 miles from Ferentillo I was feeling a little tired but sure that I could go for another hour. Then I saw a man standing at a bus stop. I thought that looks like the bus might go to Ferentillo. I should have an adventure and ride the bus. After all doesn’t climbing over a rock slide cancel out a three mile bus ride? Why not?!
It was great. I got on and handed the driver a ten euro note. He said, “no change”, put the bus in gear and we took off. So now I’m looking for someone on the bus who has change. Finally behind me, another pilgrim, handed me two fives. But the driver still had no change. Then the guy behind fished out 6 euro coins. And thus I was able to pay for the bus ride.
At the church in town my friend was waiting with our luggage. The apartment we rented was way up the hill in town. Beware in Italy when the hotel says .3 miles from the town center that might be straight up. Our luggage transport took the bags and my friend up but our hostess called and said she would pick us up in the town center. So the luggage transport took my poor friend back down where she was stuck with two suitcases and two backpacks, unable to get around.
Shortly after I arrived our hostess showed up and off we went up the twisty winding road to the top of Ferentillo. Our hostess casually mentioned that she would love to visit the United States but she was afraid to fly. This from a woman who was careening around corners on a road that was barely wider than her car. Go figger.
The view from our room.
I believe this symbol means the the Via Di Roma runs concurrently (is that the correct word?) with the Way of St. Francis.
One day I decided to go for a walk... 