Day 17 ~ Arrivederci Roma

The apartment in Rome that we have been staying at has been fabulous. It's a full size unit with a kitchen and it is in a perfect location. Less than a 4 min walk to all the shops and restaurants yet quiet at night. Julie was happy with the bed but I'm still dreaming of my bed at home. Perhaps the only thing missing for me to have a good night sleep is a big chocolate lab hogging the bed. The shower was great at this apartment, like Niagara Falls kind of power but hot. We ate toast and drank espresso then off we went to conquer Rome. Initially, we headed south and ruins would randomly present themselves before us. Ancient columns still standing but next to buildings from today's world. 

Ruins existing in the centre of an intersection protected by a fence and all the feral cats of Rome. 

We passed numerous grandiose building with stained glass ceilings  and frescos and columns everywhere. 

We stood before the Pantheon, entered in awe then sat and listened to a choir in amazement. From there we went to the Piazza Venezia and climbed a million stairs and from the top we had panoramic views of Rome.

We could see the Colosseum in the distance and nothing but magnificent ruins in between. We were slowly making our way there but needed to stop for fuel. We found a patio and stopped for coffee. Our coffee break turned into salads for lunch and that had to be washed down with a glass of wine and an Aperol Spritz.

 Fully fueled we walked on to the Colosseum. The line to go inside was easily a 3 hour wait... and for us that was a big NOPE. 

We circled it and took it all in but eventually made our way back to our hood. We stopped at a restaurant to use the facilities and paid for it by doing Limoncello shots.

 

Julie needed a shopping fix so we seperated and I went to church. Interesting how after all these years, I feel more comfortable in a church than in a mall. The intricacies of the decor and commitment to the ornate design and artistry within each and every church will never cease to amaze me. I passed through security and entered the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. 

I have been to some pretty spectacular churches over the past few years and this one ranked up there with Burgos and Leon. We met up, bought some trinkets and made our way to the Spanish Steps. We climbed to the top and after two days of exploring here stood at the top and were still amazed at the amount of people in the crowded streets.

 Funny enough we seemed to retrace our steps from our arrival when we escaped the metro. This time, bags free, we were able to better enjoy the sights and the shop windows. It's uncharacteristic for me to get excited about over priced designer clothing but even I got a little inspired as we passed the Vera Wang Bridal shop. 

Despite being mortified at my chubby little reflection in the fancy store windows, I vowed to take my diet and fitness to a whole new level when I get home and then went and bought another Gelato. 

We strolled back to our apartment struggling to find anything worthy of the high prices to bring home to our loved ones. The beautiful things were simply unaffordable or at least no where near a price I would ever pay for fashion. The pilgrim life is more my style. A storm was closing in and after a few minutes of rest, I could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance. First I went to check the bedroom to make sure it wasn't Julie napping. This time it was not her. The rumble grew louder and within minutes we witnessed a very aggressive hail storm. We opened the windows and enjoyed the sight and sound of it as it ran it's course. It reduced itself to the pitter patter of soft rain and we thought we best get packing for home. We opted out of our reservation at a fancy schmancy, historical eatery and went instead to a beautiful but much closer restaurant. We didn't hold back and ordered all that we craved. I went with grilled veggies and cacio e pepe... my new fave. And Jules had pasta with clams. 

We shared a pizza for dessert but couldn't fit it another bite so we brought it home and planned to make panini sandwiches in the morning. 

The night was chilly and damp but our apartment welcomed us back and we both felt ready to go home.... to our real homes, where our hearts are.

Arrivederci Roma xx

Grazie!

Day 16 ~ Rome

Well that was a rough night. The bed was only one level better than sleeping on cement. The shower had zero pressure and the heat came  and went like my youth. We opted for the 11am train to Rome so we wouldn't need to rush. Breakfast was included and the host said he would pick up something gluten free. I tried not to have high hopes. The only truly important part of breakfast was the coffee. 

We went downstairs to the dining area and were greeted with a smile. There was a basket of prepackaged toast and a muffin for Julie. The hostess went into the kitchen and came back with 2 prepackaged gluten free items for me. A package of gluten free chocolate wafers and a package of gluten free tea cookies. Neither of which I would eat at home or ever. I appreciated the kindness but didnt open them. I had healthier snacks in the room and would prefer fruit and yogurt to packaged sweets. The coffee was great and a basket of fresh cake and croissants were brought out for Jules. I had juice and a yogurt with my own granola. The host now came over to greet us and questioned why I hadn't eaten the treats and I was strongly encouraged to try them. He was so proud of himself for making that special trip to the store for me. So I had a side of guilt for breakfast. I opened the package and took a couple for the train ride. We walked 2 mins to the train station after breakfast and I made a classic rookie mistake. I stood there looking at the screen and saw that the 2 train tickets I bought online for train 4101 were for Florence not Rome! So we approached the ticket booth attendant in a panic and the old guy looked at us like we were idiots and said "that's the arrival screen, try looking at the departures next time". Then he made a gesture that my Dad used to make where he pointed at his eye and pulled it down a bit as if to say "use your eyes!!" 

After a short wait we were on our way. 

The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. It was mostly an uneventful train ride and it was not crowded so Julie's, as well as my own anxieties, were in check. That is until the train went into an underground tunnel and stopped. Our ears were popping to the point of feeling uncomfortable. Julie as some of you may know is claustrophobic. This has kept her from climbing narrow stairs and towers on this trip. So I said, "I wonder why they haven't made an announcement yet" and Julie said, "please don't talk about it... you need to distract me" we had no signal on our phones so we looked through our pictures. Then Julie noticed my dirty boots (again). We both bought new hiking boots for this trip and Julie wiped hers down daily refusing to accept the trail dirt into her life. I, on the otherhand, wear my boots with every bit of trail dirt like a badge of honour. So to satisfy her, I let her clean my boots with wipes on the train until they almost looked new again. 

This seemed to do the trick and we eventually started moving again and arrived at Rome-Termini. It was a very long walk from the platform, through the station and eventually into the light of day. We made a bee line for the taxis and the first taxi driver said why don't you just take the metro, it's only 4 stops. He told us to buy a ticket at the newspaper stand and go down the stairs. Sounded easy enough. Keep in mind, Julie still had her Monster on her back and I wore mine plus a tote bag of our extra stuff.  We bought tickets, made our way downstairs, then down a long hall, then more stairs, then  the escalators were broken so more stairs, people were multiplying, corridors were narrowing, noise was increasing and when we reached the tracks that we thought we would never get to, people just stopped. They clustered at the bottom of the stairs and made it impossible to proceed without forcefully pushing our way through. We found a clearing and went for it and after all that effort, Julie said "I can't". She had a panic attack and in front of us stood two policemen. She said "I need to get out of here, is there a way out?" I looked behind us and knew there was no way in hell I was going to fight my way back through that crowd. The policeman was trying to calm Julie and just get telling her to breathe while she was digging through her bag for her Ativan. He directed us away from the crowd to the end of the track where there were far less people. Julie calmed herself but I was still feeling apprehensive about getting her on to a packed subway. The train came about 10 mins after the initial panic attack and now here we were stepping on to it.

 The doors closed and Julie stayed right beside it for an easy escape when it opened again. Beside us, a Peruvian made an announcement and then proceeded to play a flute. I can only assume he was working the crowd for cash. What he didn't know was that his soothing music was working wonders for my own anxiety. The stop suggested to us from the taxi driver was Spagna but the stop prior said Trevi Fountain. It was enough of an excuse for me to get off one stop earlier. Julie didn't need convincing either. The down side was now we had to walk farther with the monster on her back. The streets of Rome were packed with people walking and cars honking and it was a bit of sensory overload after being alone on the white roads of Tuscany for two weeks. Walking through Rome with baggage was a challenge. We were hungry, cranky and now the Ativan kicked in and Julie had no fucks to give. She was so chill that she wasn't laughing at my jokes or even excited by shoe stores anymore. 

We were feeling pressured to drop off our bags at our new apartment because we had 330pm tickets to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. We took a taxi for 10€ and saved our strength for the walk back. We bypassed the massive lines waiting outside the Vatican wall for people without tickets. We lined up to trade our vouchers for tickets after clearing a security check. It was already after 3 and we still had not had time to eat. I quickly made a granola bar disappear as we manoevered our way through the thick crowd. It was pure chaos. The entire experience was a walk through that never seemed to end. We passed paintings and frescos and tapestries.

 Hallways and stairs that led from exhibit to exhibit. Julie still in her Ativan cloud was not phased by the chaos or crowds but I was dying a little on the inside. 

The signs continued to indicate that we were on the path to the Sistine chapel but it took at least an hour to reach it. It was a beautiful place and one of the most impressive Museums I have ever been to. Despite the chaotic crowds and the overwhelming anxiety of having my personal space invaded constantly, it was so worth it. Yes I took pictures and no they aren't allowed. 

After many halls and stairs and turns and of course the famous stairwell, finale we made it to the almost fresh air.

 It was noisy and busy but so was every street in Rome.

The Ativan was wearing off and I was finally getting my friend back. We also found a place to eat and that always makes us feel better.

We found a patio and they had gf pasta so I went with spicy arrabiata and a side of asparagus. Julie had cacio pepe with porcini mushrooms and we shared a caprese salad.

I dared Julie to taste a spicy tiny pepper from my plate and bravely she did. He eyes started to tear and because we had no water she had to chug her wine. 

I thought she was joking and being dramatic but she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and I wasn't sure if I was safe to keep laughing. Then made a note to self: 'don't dare Julie with hot peppers'

The dinner was great until Jules ordered an ice cream for dessert that never came. Dont these people know this girl needs her fix? We walked back to our hood and beyond making it to Trevi Fountain for sunset. 

It was stunning and crowded. I managed to get some good pics but also took pictures of the reality of the situation. In fact I did that most of today so I wouldn't forget the crowds. 

We went to church as we did whenever the opportunity was presented. 

We also went to a grocer to buy some essentials... wine and chips, mortadella, cheese and bread. Then a stroll through the streets until we made it home again. Julie passed out. I had a glass wine then also passed out. It was a long and busy day but we really covered alot of Rome. One more full day and then we head home.

Buona Notte x

Day 15 ~ Radicofani to Chuisi-Terme

If ever you go to Tuscany I very highly recommend you plan on staying at La Selvella.

 The service we received while being guests was truly special. We were invited to feel at home and as part of the family and we did.  The accomodations were so comfortable. The grounds were beautiful and the food was fabulous. Fresh and handmade and for me, gluten free and also made fresh in house. We were fortunate to be the only guests at the time and as a result were treated like Royalty. We slept in. Well Julie did. I was up since before 6 am trying to catch up on my writing. I hobbled to the window to see if I was a gifted a sunrise but it was cloudy, windy and cold. Marina suggested we take our time in the morning so I crawled back into bed. I could hear a soft thunder rumbling in the distance. No wait, sorry, that was Julie snoring.

We really didn't want to leave but we had a 2pm bus to catch and check out was at 1030. Breakfast was from 8am to 10am but we were praying we would still be able to have a coffee. We put our bags outside and scrambled down the steps to the dining room.

I walked in and Marina revealed a huge breakfast on our table. She even baked  gluten free bread and a biscuit just for me. She offered us eggs and bacon and of course we said yes. We had an amazing cappucino... actually I had two. The entire time we were there, the dining room fire was burning and the 3 dogs were gathered around our table. We expresssed the utmost gratitude and Marina hugged us both when we left. We had already been promised a ride to Radicofani by Marina. She volunteered her husband Giuseppe to drive us the 5kms into town to catch our 2pm bus. Instead he drove us up the steep hills and gave us the grand tour.

 It was very foggy and visibility was poor but we could still see the tower peeking through the clouds at the top of the mountain. He circled the town twice and then parked in the center. He let us store our bags in a small property in town that he also owned. He instructed us to hide the key and enjoy the town.

We wanted to and we tried to but Julie and I got seperated and the medieval town became like a maze. It's an absolutely gorgeous town and I will definitely return here to spend at least an overnight.

We found each other and then went to retrieve our bags, hide the key and find the bus stop. We killed an hour with our phones in hand. I was playing with a cat and photographing random things to pass time in the cold.

Just before 2, a whole bunch of pilgrims showed up for the magic bus ride to Chuisi Terme. Julie wanted to get on last so she could talk to the driver and ask him about our route.  I stayed behind Jules and let her do the talking. After a few quick words, Jules looks back at me and says "ok, we're good". We couldn't buy tickets on board but he was letting us ride for free. I followed her on board and just as my pack cleared the door, it closed and the bus started to move. It didn't slowly crawl away, the driver basically floored it. Most passengers had time to make it to a seat but not us. Julie had put one of her bags down on a seat in the 2nd row but still had her monster pack on her back. The monster weighs easily 35 or more pounds. The aisle was narrow and again Julie's legs were not listening to her brain. I just wanted to get passed her to get to a seat and safety but could not move. There were people in the first couple of rows and the rest of the bus had a perfect view of the show about to unfold. There was a  step up to each row of seats and handles at the top of each seat that I was holding on to with a death grip. Keep in mind we were at the top of a mountain with the road bending every 50 feet. The bus driver clearly fantasized about being Mario Andretti as a child and was now accelerating at a ridiculous speed. Julie managed to get one leg up but was laughing and losing strength quickly. She put her head down thinking this will somehow create enough space for me to pass but instead gets herself wedged in her row. It was tempting to just push her into the open seat head first but I knew for certain if I did that she would still be stuck there today. So without letting go of my grip on the seat, I put my extra bag down and used my free hand to help her. We are still facing the back of the bus, the top part of her is in the seat but her butt and legs are still blocking the aisle. Neither of us has stopped laughing and I am trying to somehow squeeze myself passed her. I was still wearing my backpack and as a result was not very agile. I'm not sure how I managed to get passed her without hurting anyone but I did. When I got to an open row I turned to look at Jules and she had released the monster but was still twisted up like a pretzel. I was still laughing as I tried to wedge myself into a seat. I decided it would be best not to release my backpack but just sit with it on. The problem with that was I had to do a plié squat to slide into the space sideways as my girth was triple that of the average human. My legs were bent and one knee pointed west and the other pointed east. The good part was that I was so tightly wedged between two seats that I didn't need a seat belt. My face was so close to the kid's head in front of me that if he turned around we could probably kiss. I looked over at Julie (because the only part of me I can move now is my head). She was sitting to my right and one row ahead of me and was finally sitting upright holding on to the seat in front of her with two hands. She turned to me and with the excitement of a small child she said, "Look, I feel like I'm driving the bus".

Not sure if it was the heat and stale bus air full of teenagers and pilgrims,  the laughing or the stricture of my mid section or perhaps the twisting mountain roads but I was starting to feel nauseous.

I don't get motion sickness ever but all I could think of was my friend Taya back home and how she would have either died or killed me if she was with us on that bus.

It was a 20 minute ride spent trying to keep my huge farm fresh breakfast inside my body.

Luckily when we stopped to transfer to another bus, the fresh air did wonders of good. Julie had removed her backpack on the bus so now she struggled with her luggage. She asked for help putting her backpack back on and let me remind you, this is a two man job. I helped her lift it on to her back but used too much force and it swung around to the other side of her hunched over body. This sent me again into a fit of laughter. Julie's head spun around like a scene from the Exorcist and with daggers shooting out of her eyes, she said to me, "I guess that was alot funnier for you".

Before I could respond the second bus arrived. It was a city bus so it had more room for movement and was an even shorter ride to the train station. The other pilgrims disappeared as soon as we arrived and Julie was wondering if we should buy tickets. I questioned her and said "for what? That ride?" Sweet Julie just wanted to do the right thing. So we entered the station and within 30 seconds we were  approached by two police officers and they demanded to see our passports. So I said to Julie, "it's because we didn't pay for the bus... Ask him why"  So she questioned him and he said it was a standard security practice. Seemed invasive to me but I'm a good girl (mostly) and had done nothing wrong. We got our passports back and started the very short stroll to our next hotel. I looked over at Julie as we walked. 

She had one pack on her front and the monster on her back and a bag in one hand with her hiking boots that she curses at daily. It was a comical scene and I took pictures and video taped her and was laughing. She was smiling but it could of been because she was plotting my untimely death. 

We arrived at our place and though we had to climb 8000 stairs, we were happy to have a balcony, fresh air and nothing but time to chill. I had some wine and did some writing and Julie relaxed scrolling on her phone. We decided to go for a walk and start looking for a place to eat. We saw a carnival type ride at the end of the street and went to check it out.

There was a bouncy castle for the little ones and all the teens were on the spinning swings or as Julie remembers it " La Giostra". She told me stories from her youth as she watched the teens here.  I could see in her eyes she was lost in her memories. It was sweet and heartwarming. 

We later found a restaurant near the train station and had a steak dinner with wine and chatted until we were ready to retire.

 Unfortunately the bed feels like a marble slab and as I tried to get comfortable all I could hear was Julie muttering "horrible, these pillows are horrible" and she was punching them into submission. They must have conceded because the room fell silent. 

Tomorrow..... ROME!

Buona Notte! xx

Day 14 ~ 23 kms San Quirico D'Orcia to Bagni San Fillipo

I woke up to a beautiful sunrise today. It was subtle and turned the sky into shades of peach while the morning fog blanketed the hills. As I prepared for the day, Julie woke up, stared at the ceiling and said, "I want to walk today" I was happy to hear those words and a little grin of satisfaction was difficult for my face to hide. Our 'pack up to leave' routine is quite effortless although I have either lost or forgotten something everyday. We walked through the old town in search of coffee but nothing was open. We eventually found an interesting place in the newer, much younger section of town. I vowed to return to this town someday and explore every little lane. We each had a much needed cappuccino and Julie bought a pizza lunch and water for later. It was unfortunately a late start for such a long day. We walked along a busy street to leave the city in search of the white road to Rome. Behind us I heard a familiar voice call out, "Hey Luigi!". It was Stefano and Wiski. He caught up to us and we began our walk. After a bend in the road, the asphalt disappeared and the road turned to gravel.

 Together we tackled our first big climb of the day. I walked ahead since Julie and Stefano were talking in Italian again. From behind us came a pilgrim from Holland that we had met briefly the day before. He was very tall and big. His English was excellent so as a result we had a nice chat to distract us from the big climb. My little legs worked double time to match his giant strides. His name was Marajn (in Dutch) or Marino (in Italian) which translates to 'Sailor' . With his accent and voice, he sounded exactly like "Joust" from Amsterdam in the movie "The Way". If you haven't seen the movie, please do. Perhaps it will inspire you to walk your own Camino.

The white road crested in a little hamlet called Bagno Vignoni Alto. 

An ancient village with a friendly dog to greet us. He became friends with Wiski and walked with us a short while. 

The view from the top, as the sun was shining on all of Tuscany, was incredible.

It was a very steep, toe busting and knee busting shuffle down to the bottom.

 There, waiting for us, was a river to cross. I pointed out a pedestrian bridge before Julie could push the panic button.

Unfortunately, the bridge was closed. We had to back track and take the very busy and dangerous road over the river and then all the way back up another mountain. We were all running out of fuel so as soon as we reached near the top, we stopped for a picnic. Stefano decided this was as good a time as any, to say goodbye and return back to where he parked his van. 

We would not see him again as he had a boat to catch back to Sardinia and this was actually goodbye.

After snacking, we left the road for a farm track and we were gifted incredible views.

Although we had already climbed for what seemed like forever, there was more climbing ahead.

We passed a farm and chatted briefly with a farmer. He reassured us that the climbing would continue for only a small section but it  would soon level out. He was right. The farm track turned to gravel and it went on forever with no end in sight.

The scenery was stunning. The green hills and blue skies with the contrast of the white roads was enough to have me smiling. I let my hair down and enjoyed the spring breeze and though my feet are blistered and raw, I felt joy. Pure joy and freedom and success. 

We had walked 20 kms and still had 11 more to go at least. It was already late in the afternoon and I knew we wouldn't complete the trail that we had originally planned. It was time to make a new plan. We weren't out of fuel but I knew we soon would be. We came to a crossroad. Do we walk into the unknown for what would likely be a long,  slow painful walk and potentially arrive close to dark OR veer off course by less than a km and take a taxi at least a portion of the way. We had 2 destinations to choose from. Straight to our next hotel or to the hot springs and then find a way from there. We called a taxi and were told it would be an hour to wait and would cost 60 euros. We both thought the price was obscene considering it's only to travel 10kms. So we walked down to a town called Gallina.

Julie found out that a bus was coming in 10 mins and would pass through Bagni San Filippo. Problem solved. We canceled the taxi without any protest. The bus cost 5€ for 2 and was a short ride up a winding road. We found the access road easily on foot.

It was a steep descent to the hot springs but it was worth the extra effort to get there. The sulphur smell of egg was noticeable but surprisingly tolerable. The rocks were white and the water was  a beautiful shade of pale blue.

 There were many people enjoying the baths but without being prepared, we chose not to get wet. We still had 7kms or more to walk to get to our new home. We really didn't want to walk anymore and Julie was ready to hitch a ride. Instead we called our accomodations and asked if they had a service for hire to pick us up. Without hesitation the owner said "no problem, I will send my brother". Within minutes Max, our hero showed up. Max was tanned and tattoed in a skull cap and jeans. He was gorgeous and I thought to myself, "Is this a mirage? Have I had too much sun??" Turns out his heritage is Russian and Korean...now toss in a little Italian and wow... delisioso 🤣

The drive from the baths to our property was insane, switchbacks at an intense incline and Julie and I both agreed we would have died for sure. It would have been a half days walk. Asphalt roads without a shoulder, twisting and turning down from the baths and then back up again. We approached a metal security gate and as it slowly opened I thought, ooooooo fancy schmancy. We are staying at an agroturismo property. It is a working farm and everything is grown here and made fresh.

Our room is gorgeous with a fireplace ready to burn with the strike of a match and a crazy beautiful tub.

Julie tested out the tub first and though it looks gorgeous, its tough to navigate and shower without a curtain. I was having wine and writing in the other room, being completely entertained by the sounds of Julie trying to manoever in and out without slipping. I'm fairly certain her legs are still struggling to do what her brain tells them to. I've seen this phenomenon happen at river crossings or while she is shoe-tying when she just sort of gets stuck. 

So I could hear her swooshing around, and I heard the word "Ow" alot and mixed in was her sort of laughing and cursing at the same time. And then she said, "I'm stuck and I probably shouldn't have locked the door" So of course I'm dying laughing knowing she is clearly in a compromising position and may need rescue.

She managed to save herself and eventually it was my turn. Far less eventful although I did manage to spray water everywhere as the shower head got away from me. I had a hot and therapeutic bath and no one was harmed. 

We are the only ones here and we are getting VIP service. 

We had already agreed to a set menu for dinner and were greeted by Marina, Max's sister and the creator of this paradise. A 300 year old farm that she renovated into an Agriturismo Resort. 

The dining room we shared with 3 adorable dogs was warmed by a wood fire and I picked a fabulous wine from Montalcino. 

We had a 4 course meal followed by shots (Julie had 3 hahaha) and an amazing conversation with our Hostess Marina. She is such an inspiration and this place is a gem. What an enriching experience this has been. 

I lit the fire before bed and fell asleep by its warmth listening to it crackle. 

A part of me is ready to go home to my fam and seeing those dogs made me miss my Jake SO MUCH. Another part of me is ready to move on to Rome or at least be brought in on a horse drawn carriage. My feet really are a mess BUT a few days spent on this farm with might be enough to convince me to actually walk to Rome instead. 

We all know if I had more time I'd walk right into Rome. You can walk anywhere if you just have the time.

Next time... and there for sure will be a next time.

Tomorrow is a travel day but I will probably have something to share about the day 

Til then,

Ciao x