We, Doug and Ruth Sparkes, are keen walkers from Brisbane who were looking for a challenging trek that would mark the end of our working life and the beginning of the next phase of our life, retirement. We are both in our mid 60s and are only too aware that the blessing of being able to walk long distances is not something that everyone has the opportunity to take part in, due to illness and other factors.

Having previously walked the Way of St James Pilgrimage (Camino de Santiago) in Spain (800 km, 34days of walking) in 2016, we were looking at other pilgrimage walks, found the Via Francigena, and decided to walk the Italian portion, a 1000km journey from Aosta(just over the border from Switzerland, in the north west of Italy) to Rome, over 44 walking days and 8 rest days. We are self-guiding with an adventure company and have our accommodation pre booked and large baggage moved each day.

Parkinson’s disease has affected our family and friends, so we decided to make this walk an opportunity to raise awareness of and funds for Parkinson’s disease, with the assistance of Parkinson’s Queensland. We will be writing a short blog each day and posting a few photos, so you will be able to track our progress and adventures that are all part of the pilgrimage experience.

Well we are nearly at our destination to start the walk in a couple of days time! Tired after lots of plane travel but have managed a bit of rest staying overnight in Milan.Having fun navigating through Italian menus -. fortunately my Duolingo study of the last 6 months is paying off and I have even spoken a few words here and there to waitressing staff!

After a visit to the very large supermarket nearby us in Milan, it was time to get a Metro train and then a bus to Aosta. While we were waiting for the bus to arrive, \240I was visiting the bathroom and Doug had to mind all the bags. \240An opportunistic thief grabbed my 2 smaller bags and made to run off with them. Fortunately a man sitting near Doug pointed out the thief and Doug gave chase and yelled at the man who promptly dropped the bags and took off. Sad that you have to be so vigilant all the time and blessed that we got the bags back!

Once we got to Aosta we had a \240look around and what a lovely place it is! Aosta is surrounded by snow covered peaks all around and lots of Roman ruins to explore. We will be doing that tomorrow!

A beautiful day in Aosta. So much to see, taste and discover. We learned quite a bit about the Roman origins of this town and saw the ancient crypts under the cathedral.

There is a Roman arch in the middle of the town dating back 2000 years and a statue dedicated to Emporor Augustus. There are also Roman arches, bridges and the remains of an amphitheatre.

Apart from the interesting sights in Aosta, we also sampled some traditional foods from Italy: freshly made spaghetti with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese, canoli with ricotta and pistachios, pizza, and of course gelato! Just as well we are starting our walk tomorrow!

Day 1 - Aosta to Nus (16 km)

Well the day has finally arrived to \240begin our walk! After breakfast we set off walking with a lady we met at the hotel, who is also walking with the same company. We chose to climb up to a higher path to visit Castle Quart, which is undergoing repair, but it also meant we were off the busy roads and we enjoyed the quiet shady paths lined with flowers and giving us beautiful views across the Aosta valley. We had to descend very steeply down into Nus, our stop we for tonight. We enjoyed a delicious meal up the road and then got organised for tomorrow.

Day 2 25 May - Nus to Saint Vincent

What a difference a day can make! We woke to rain and it continued until the afternoon, then it got quite warm and we had our own sauna! We had a few times where we missed signs due to driving rain and the navigation system being a little different to where we actually wanted to go! We finally got back on track and as we were walking \240we heard a “cooee” from behind which was our 2 walking buddies we were meant to be catching up with at a wine place! We had quite a bit of steep up and down at different points with magnificent views of the mountains, a delightful encounter with a donkey, a narrow escape for Helen from an aggressive dog on a chain, a short stopover at a bar to sample a glass of local red wine, a visit to a health spa associated with the hotel (an extra 2.2km uphill slog to get there and back) and we finished the evening with a lovely pizza meal with our 2 walking buddies, Helen (from Adelaide) and Kim (from Korea)

Day 3- 26 May - Saint Vincent to Verres (21 km)

When thinking back on yesterday’s walk, 2 words come to mind: “Mountain Goat” and yes that was what I felt like! There were many steep ups and downs to navigate and we were so grateful to be doing it in fine weather. The scenery was spectacular and varied and there were some lovely woodland paths to stay out of the hot sun. In the afternoon the terrain became more steep and at one point we were walking on the very edge of a mountain with a huge sheer drop right next to the fence. This was followed by a steep cobblestone path down into the town. I enjoyed a tuna salad for dinner, a nice change!

Day 4- 27 May - Verres to Pont Saint Martin (20 km)

It was a delight to walk today in fine weather on mostly even terrain through some interesting medieval villages and my walking speed increased! We had time to sample some local wine, go up in 3 funiculars and a lift to the top of the Bard fortress and walk on an ancient Roman road. The weather became very warm in the afternoon and we were relieved to arrive at our hotel and have a long, cold drink with ice! The dinner tonight was included and we enjoyed relaxing with our walking buddies, Helen and Kim. We will really miss them after today’s walk as Kim returns to Korea tomorrow and Helen continues walking while we have a rest day in Ivrea.

Day 5 28 May Pont Saint Martin to Ivrea (26 km)

Today was a day of contrasts - walking close to canals, up and down mountains, through vineyards and forest paths, passing through medieval villages, glimpsing castle ruins, and all in hot weather, so the forests were wonderful to walk in with softer shaded paths. A chance find of a gelateria just made the day better and restored our energy levels! A longer day, so quite tiring on the feet. Had a delicious dinner to farewell our walking buddies, Helen and Kim, and wish them well on their travel tomorrow, as we have a rest day in Ivrea.

Day 6- 29 May - rest day Ivrea (9.5 km)

Woke early, had breakfast and farewelled Helen who is walking on today. Our host “encouraged” us to put on a traditional hat of the region, so we joined in the fun! They also have a strange festival here, the annual orange throwing festival where basically everyone throws oranges at each other! People wear protective gear and compete in 9 teams, each representing a local region.

Later we met up with Kim, our Korean friend, \240so we could tour the castle, but it was closed along with most of the other attractions! Instead we had a lovely relaxing walk by the river, coffee, \240and then farewelled Kim who is off to Milan and then home to Korea. Then it was time to tackle the mounting wash pile and we found a lavanderia (self service laundromat) only 15 mins. away. After a rest we went back to Acquila Nera, \240the same restaurant as last night, and enjoyed another delicious pizza! Back on the road again tomorrow!

Day 7- 30 May - Ivrea to Viverone (21 km)

After today we have reached the 128 km mark with 6 days of walking! I have to say I am pretty pleased to still be relatively OK and apart from a couple of heel blisters, powering on! Doug has some pain in his shoulder due to an ongoing old rotator cuff injury, but despite that, we old codgers are managing well!

Today was hot and dry with nowhere to stop for lunch so it was a long hike with few rests. We have entered the Piedmont valley now so the landscape is dominated by cropping, principally grapes, with some corn and other fodder crops grown. As usual we were “greeted” by aggressive dogs every time we passed a house, which I have to say gets boring after a while! There is also the accompanying sign, “ attenti di cane” (look out for the dog)!!

Today’s highlights were the shady, wooded paths, the fertile valley and vineyards, the church of Geduin and views of the lake. The church, dating back to the 11th century, had a small part of a fresco still visible, depicting someone carrying a Bible with them, possibly Peter.

We enjoyed dinner by the lake and a short stroll along the water’s edge.

Day 8 - 31 May - Viverone to Santhia (20 km)

A much cooler start to the day! Had light rain off and on, passing through farmland and forest, canals, crops of corn, rice and other vegetables, and churches. Today’s highlight was the church of Saint Michael Archangel, an imposing orange fronted church with towers either side and the most elaborate interior.

The weather turned hot in the afternoon and we were very glad to reach Santhia, our overnight stay, in the mid afternoon.

Day 9 1 June - Santhia to Vercelli (29 km)

A very, very long hot day. Hard going with blisters and searing heat, lots of paved surfaces on long stretches, walking along canals, dodging cars on busy roads, scrambling up and down to cross a canal. Moments of sweetness: a cheery “Buon Camino” from a shopkeeper, conversing with an Italian in broken phrases but being understood, cool breezes and trees lining the path at times - it’s all part of the experience. A street sign above the pharmacy as we trudged into town said it all, 32 degrees! Doug and I both have very tanned half legs now!

Day 10 - 2 June - Vercelli to Mortara (15.3 km)

I am going to call today’s post, “gifts”.

Gift 1 - half the km of yesterday

Gift 2 - a great snack bar open on a public holiday in Italy (Republic Day)

Gift 3 - chatting to a friendly Italian couple (the lady had very good English) on the outskirts of our overnight town which made the time pass in a flash!

Gift 4 - a free bread roll given to us by a shopkeeper when we bought a drink from him.

Gift 5 - a cool glass of water offered to us when we arrived, hot and sweaty, at our hotel.

Gift 6 - the hotel owner gifting us a 3 pin plug (we did buy one earlier but left it at one of the hotels) when we just wanted to borrow it for the night. She said, “regalo (which means gift), like Merry Christmas!” So sweet of her😊

Gift 7 - my feet behaving a little better today - not totally sorted, but bearable 😅

Gift 8 - some glorious moments of shade from trees along the way.

Gift 9 - siting of a very unusual water rodent, which I had to research- apparently it’s probably a nutria (I just thought it looked like a rat on steroids!!)

Day 11 - 3 June - Vercelli to Garlasco ( 24.5km)

Today’s post I am sharing ends with a few photos that I have titled, “ Weird, whacky and woeful” in Italy. I have chosen a variety of pics along the way that have you shaking your head and asking, why, just why??

The day began with a trip to the Farmacia as all good journeys should!🤣🤣 yes, the feet are still playing up! Doug has been a very good nurse and has helped drain blisters, apply cream, bandages, compeed dressings. I told him I think he has missed his vocation!

Another hot day with some relief on shady paths but mostly in the sun, so legs burned again! Great timing this afternoon- a snack bar opened for the afternoon just as we walked by - amazing!!(they take a siesta break from 1230-430 usually but they opened at 3! )

One of the wonderful things today was a brilliant blue dragonfly that alighted on a leaf near the path- so beautiful!

Thank you to all of you who have been sending me “ keep going” thoughts- I am feeling them, especially when the feet are acting up! Tomorrow is another day…👣👣

Day 12 - 4 June - Garlasco to Pavia (28km)

A much better day for me with my feet. Today was the first time in 4 days that I could put my foot down on the ground without pain! By the end of the day things were sore but what a difference! So pleased to be able to look around and enjoy the scenery and not grimace with every step!

A long day but some lovely new things to look at: a big river (the Tichino), a rabbit in the fields, beautiful wildflowers, vivid green crops of rice and shady woods.

We finished the day with washing, then pizza and gelato!

Day 13 - 5 June - Pavia to Belgioiso

Today’s post is titled, “ The kindness of strangers”.

We started the day with cooler weather but threatening rain, and it didn’t take long to start! Walking out of the city of Pavia felt like forever and then we changed to walking on the side of the road! When our first stop point after 2 hours walking in light rain yielded no open shops, I was feeling a little sorry for myself. Low and behold, a few km up the road was a sign saying that if you turn off the main path and divert for 800 m, you will find snacks and drinks! We did that and found ourselves at someone’s home who puts food and drinks out for pilgrims and only asks for donations to keep it going. She allowed us to sit on her back verandah out of the rain and eat the lunch we had with us, and we had a juice each and a small cake which we bought via donation. She even made me a cup of tea - such a beautiful person! This sort of thing happens on The Camino, but it was the first time for us to experience it on the VF!

We did a little variation walk after our lunch stop which didn’t turn out so well - lots of puddles and mud! Later in the afternoon, it cleared up and got warm again, actually hot! Doug and I parted at Belgioiso and I caught the train back to Pavia which was suggested for today by the company(22km) while Doug continued to finish the stage fully and then caught a train back \240(33 km)

Day 14 - 6 June - Pavia to Piacenza (17km)

Very grateful for a shorter day and the first time I have walked pretty much pain free! Wore 2 layers of socks today which worked well. Early morning was a transport to a \240ferry and due to time confusion our driver broke all the speed limits to get us there! We arrived very stressed thinking we had seconds to spare, when actually we had to wait with another walker, Giorgio, for another 25 mins for 2 cyclists to join us! The 2 cyclists, Gianluca and Riccardo were very entertaining and great company! The ferryman, Danilo,was a real character and gave us interesting info re Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, from the late 900s, who first walked the VF back then!

Our walk after the ferry ride was mostly on the side of bitumen roads, some quite busy! The walk into Piacenza was not very nice at all due to the weather being very hot. Once in the city proper, we enjoyed seeing the historic centre with all its beautiful archways and entrances, as well as some sensational churches.

Day 15 - 7 June - Piacenza to Fiorenzuola (35 km- 10 Hours of walking)

I am posting this the day after, as this was my major test day. It was the furthest I have ever walked at one go and in the heat! I was very apprehensive about the day, but we left very early and managed to put some good numbers of km in \240before it got too hot. \240The walk was very uninspiring for quite a bit of it, and was also quite dangerous as we had to walk on the edge of some very busy major roads at times, but I specifically prayed to see beauty in the ugliness. I was rewarded within minutes when we passed by 3 people who all separately gave us a very genuine “buonjourno”(hello) and a lovely smile to go with it! Then I noticed all the pretty wildflowers blooming in some of the most ugly places. Later we passed by some very big homes/ estates and a castle (with a moat) with gardens and fabulous big trees cooling down the whole area. We weren’t able to get any lunch but we did have a good snack early on and we found one place open to get a drink. When we finally arrived at our agriturismo hotel, totally exhausted, \240it was a very restful Farm stay place with a wonderful included dinner and a kind host. So many blessings today and the biggest one was making it to the destination!

Day 16 - 8 June - Fiorenzuola to Fidenza (20km)

We started the day a little later today and enjoyed a tasty breakfast, thanks to me asking if they had eggs in Italian. The host then went away and came back with 3 servings (we had a friend with us) of fried eggs- delicious!

Unfortunately it heated up quickly today so the walking, although much shorter than the day before, was hard with long stretches of gravelly road without shade. The temperature here increases right up until 6pm!

The highlight of today was at a large 12th century Cistercian church called the Abby of Chiaravalle where they were preparing for a special annual festival this Sunday. It is called the \240flower festival of Corpus Christi and involved a line of floral arrangements with greenery around the edge all the way down the central aisle of the church -fascinating! The whole church community gets involved and it takes a week to prepare.

We also met a Belgian cyclist, Dirk, along the way who was just about to finish his cycling journey and meet his daughter, having taken 10 days to cycle 1500km!

Finally arrived in Fidenza to discover that tonight is a major concert one block from our hotel(!) for all high schoolers who have completed their school year. Let’s just say, there are no decibel barriers here and we are not very hopeful of getting a good night’s sleep😩.

We did get a sneak preview of the Duomo after we arrived and it is a magnificent building! Hoping to get a quick visit in tomorrow morning.

Day 17 - 9 June - Fidenza to Medesano (with a transfer by car to Saint Andrea Bagni) 23 km

What a difference a day can make! Instead of battling traffic and trudging on endless roads, we were walking on country lanes and enjoying beautiful vistas of hills and farmland! Welcome to Tuscany! There were a few overgrown paths through paddocks to navigate and some steep hills right near the end of the day, but a much more interesting day, particularly adding in the knights Templar church we saw in the morning!

Day 18 - 10 June - Medesano to Sivizzano (19 km)

Our day started with a taxi transfer back to where we finished yesterday. The rain started not too long into our walk so it was time to don the ponchos again! We had a few more “up hills and down dales” today but a shorter walk overall, and much cooler temperatures which makes a huge difference! We are enjoying the grassy hills, the views of the mountains and the quieter country roads. Up into the mountains proper tomorrow! The region we are in is Emilia–Romagna, but tomorrow we cross over into Tuscany. So far we have walked 383 km. Tomorrow will take us over 400km!

Day 19 - 11 June - Sivizzano to Berceto (28.5 km)

Today we were well and truly tested on the VF! We had everything thrown at us: heat, extreme ups, extreme downs, rock, gravel, sticky mud, flooded paths, vines, blackberry bushes, daredevil motorbike riders screaming by close to us on the road, confusing signs, sheer drop offs just next to the path! Yet there were also spectacular vistas, amazing churches, pretty gardens and a delicious meal cooked by our host. Best part about today is that it is done and tomorrow is a rest day🎉🎉The very happy photo of Doug is due to him finally getting a large cup of coffee after 3 weeks!

Day 20 - 12 June - rest day in Berceto (3 )

How wonderful to wake up and know that there is no serious walking today! After yesterday’s battle with the serious elevations and descents and feeling like we were part of a Moto GP event, today was totally relaxed. We shared breakfast and the previous night’s meal with Helen (who has now moved on ahead to our next stop Pontremoli) and also Matthias (aged 60) from Frankfurt in Germany, who has ridden his mountain bike from southern Germany and plans to finish in Rome in 2 week’s time. Along the way he is visiting his daughter who lives in Massa, Italy - a lovely man!

The 12th century cathedral in Berceto is a wonderful space and the alleyways, doors and archways of this village help to create a medieval feel. Of course gelato was called for and didn’t disappoint! A different add on to this place is an open air art space which I took a few shots from. Another tough day tomorrow with many steep ups and downs so hoping for a good night’s sleep!

Day 21 - 13 June - Berceto to Previde (21 km)

Last night’s dinner was superb! I had risotto with porcini mushrooms and Doug had hand made ravioli with ricotta and spinach. A day of challenges and surprises today! We had altitude increases to 1100 m, heavy mist, very heavy rain, missed paths, aggressive dogs, friendly horses, busy goats, lots of road walking (for safety reasons as the forest path would have been completely filled with sticky mud), a church set high on the mountain, a very welcome hot chip, ham and cheese panini and coffee snack in a bar, corkscrew paths leading down, down into the valley we finished in. Safely at our B and B in Pontremoli, listening to heavy rain and another storm, but at least we are inside now😊

Day 22 - 14 June -Unexpected rest day in Pontremoli (5.5km)

After a chat with our helpful taxi driver on the way to our B&B yesterday afternoon, it was decided to rest our feet and bodies, dry our boots and be tourists for a day in Pontremoli! This does mean we have a double walk session tomorrow (26 km) but the weather is looking much better so it will be fine.

Pontremoli is an ancient town with many medieval touches. It is a place of 2 halves, separated by the river and spanned by 2 ancient bridges. It has a very impressive castle on the side of the hill and a Duomo in the centre of the old town which we visited. Today was market day so we enjoyed browsing and buying - fresh ripe figs and apricots - yum! Even our B &B has exposed oak beams in the room. Lovely to rest and snooze and relax, ready for another big day tomorrow!

Day 23 - 15 June - 2 stages: Previde to Pontremol (14km)i and Pontremoli to Mocrone (14.5 km)

This morning was delightful, even magical, with forest paths, waterfalls, medieval villages perched on the side of the mountain and a very special experience where a couple of hundred goats with their 2 shepherds and dogs passed us by on the way up the mountain path! Unfortunately the walk down the mountain was not quite so magical and I was in a world of pain by the time I had trudged on stones for several km on steep paths. A rest and lunch worked wonders and we walked the second leg mostly on the road with some forest paths, although the heat made walking very uncomfortable. I was super relieved to finally see our hotel for tonight and we enjoyed a delicious meal with our friend Helen.

Day 24 - 16 June - Mocrone - Aulla (23km)

A hot day made bearable by lots of forest walking. I never take trees for granted but when you are walking, it is such a difference when you are shaded! Quite a few large rocks on the paths for km and a few waterlogged areas made the going tricky, and it wasn’t until late in the day that we found somewhere to buy a drink and snack at the aptly named “Luni Bar!”

For the first time on this trip we have a suite room with a separate bed area, small couch, table and chairs, medium size fridge, kitchenette- it is wonderful! And we have a rest day tomorrow, so even better!!

Sadly, we said farewell to our friend Helen tonight who has been such excellent company for us, for most of the trip so far. We met in Aosta and apart from a week, \240have been walking buddies. We will miss her sunny disposition, wonderful sense of humour and her zest for travel and life in general😊

Day 25 - 17 June -rest day in Aulla (5 km)

Today was a great day to get washing done, relax, catch up on sleep and enjoy a really delicious meal at a local restaurant that is renowned for its seafood. We also met 2 walkers, Stefan and Alfonse from Belgium, who are walking as far as Siena.

Tomorrow it is back to the early start to try to beat some of the heat and we will see the sea for the first time (well after walking up and over a mountain, along roads and paths for 18 or so km!)

Although our accommodation was out of town we have been truly blessed by the owners who picked us up after shopping, drove us to dinner and picked us up after dinner and did all our washing for free once they found out the local laundry had permanently closed. Such a lovely couple - Paulo and Elisabetta thank you 😊

Day 26 - 18 June - Aulla to Sarzana (25.5 km)

I am going to call today “stuff ups day!”

We got lost due to inadequate or confusing \240 signs, and were directed on the wrong path twice by well meaning locals and it wouldn’t have mattered so much except we had one of the most challenging days terrain-wise that we have faced! Straight away we had to begin climbing to 600m over several km then had a number of very steep stony descents to reach our destination, all the while enjoying a balmy 30 degree + day! Narrow paths were common today as were an abundance of blackberry bushes and nettles - not my two favourite plants!!

There are always positives - the wildflowers are our constant colourful and cheery companions on the trail, there were stretches of pine forest and shaded woodland which occasionally created a softer path to walk on with the pine needles and fallen leaves, we passed through fascinating medieval villages where time has stood still, we met 2 friendly goats and we were able to rest and enjoy a drink and iceblock in a hilltop town just when we needed it! We did also get our first fleeting glimpse of the sea from high up on the path - tomorrow it will be much closer.

Finally we have reached 500km today so halfway through our journey - amazing!!

Day 27 - 19 June - Sarzana to Massa (24km)

The day started warm and we passed by the ruins of a fortress and a castle. Doug met a friendly donkey(no braying this time🤣)and a very friendly old dog and a younger one too!!

As the day continued to get warmer, we \240beside water channels bounded by sugar cane. Unfortunately the archeological site of Luni Mare was closed so we pushed on, stopping twice for cold drinks until we reached Avenza. Here we decided to stick to the road because it was a bit flatter but it meant battling the late afternoon traffic!

One interesting thing we saw today was some huge mountains on the skyline and we remembered in our notes that they said we will pass quite close to the marble open cut mines where Carrara marble comes from. \240We walked past so many blocks of marble and slabs of marble, many in air conditioned showrooms!

As we neared our B&B for the night I glanced up at the Farmacia sign and it said 35 degrees C🥵no wonder I was feeling hot!The hottest time of the day here is actually 6pm!

Day 28 - 20 June - Massa to Camaiore (28.5km)

The scene was set early this morning when, after walking an extra 3km to get to our start point (our B&B was not near the actual route of the walk) I glanced over at a farmacia sign and it read 27 degrees at 845 am!! This increased to 33 degrees by 10am, needless to say we were very hot by the time we were ending our walk after 6pm.

Today we saw more marble factories, some amazing churches, some very interesting art and sculpture, a very random sighting of a peacock in someone’s back yard, bamboo groves in the forest, steep steps up and stony paths down, the sea at a distance and towns perched high up on hillsides.

We were welcomed to our B&B in Camaiore by the lovely Nicoletta and her rescue dog, Charlie. Later we had dinner and a gelato (which I have to say I think we earned after 28.5km in the heat!!

Day 29 - 21 June - \240Camaiore-Lucca (26.2km)

We got away very early this morning to try and beat the heat, and we managed to put away quite a few km while the heat was still manageable. Sadly it heated up again in the afternoon which made the going more challenging.

The path was varied today- some fairly steep ups, steep downs, road walking, a few km with trees by the side of the road, dodging traffic with no road shoulder, following a track which seemed to be an old stream base, complete with overgrown prickly bushes and green mossy boulders, just to add interest! We saw our Belgian friends Stefaan and Alfonse at lunch time today but they are fast walkers so we usually see them after hours!

Best part of the day was meeting our daughter Caity from the train in Lucca. She has flown over from Australia to walk with us from Lucca to Rome, so that’s very exciting!

Food highlight for the day was a limone gelato in a lemon itself - delicious!

Day 30 - 22 June - rest day in Lucca (10.1 km)

We were very fortunate to have today as a rest day because the temps peaked in the high 30s, so even sightseeing was exhausting!Lucca is a fascinating city and it was great to be able to be a tourist for a day, instead of a walker. We still walked quite a few km as our hotel was outside the city wall and everything we wanted to get to was on the other side! We saw some of the main sights including the clock tower next to the duomo or Cathedral of St Martin (I climbed up the 100 steps to the second floor of the bell tower but Doug and Caity climbed up a further 117 steps to the top), the duomo itself which is breathtaking, and the museum of the main church with artifacts from as far back as the 6th century.An interesting part of the museum display is the collection of very ornate gold vestments that are put on to the Volto Santo or Holy Face of Lucca (an ancient wooden 8 feet high crucifix figure of Christ), shown lying in a room, being restored.

You can easily get lost in Lucca due to the hundreds of passageways and laneways, but what a wonderful place to spend extra time!

Day 31 - 23 June - transfer day from Lucca to San Miniato (5.5km)

A restful morning, then train from Lucca to San Miniato. Doug and Caity decided to walk from Altopascio to San Miniato as it is a missing leg in our walk. I take my hat off to both of them- a hot day and 32 km- Caity’s first walking day. Talk about a baptism of fire! I had all 3 large bags on the train, plus walking sticks, a backpack and shoulder bag, so it was interesting to say the least! Fortunately I was helped by 2 different people who truly showed kindness towards me - bless them both🙏🏻❤️ Just waiting for the 2 champs to arrive- I’m sure there will be plenty of stories to tell!

All the photos are from San Miniato after I arrived apart from the first one!

Day 32 - 24 June - San Miniato to Gambassi \240(26km)

Another very hot day today with little shade and no ability to get anything to eat. We were fine as we knew that and so got food before we left.Thank heavens there were some water points at 3 places as even though we drank heaps, I still felt quite heat affected when we arrived. Caity found it tough as she has come from winter temps in Brisbane to the furnace that is Italy at present! Tomorrow we are leaving at 7am to try and beat the heat for some of the time at least!

We did enjoy seeing the Tuscan countryside-green rolling hills, lots of grape vines, olive groves, sandy soil, wheat in the fields and a clear blue sky. As usual there are always plenty of churches!!

Tomorrow is a shorter day and then we have a rest day - can’t wait!!

Day 33 - 25 June Gambassi Terme- San Gimignano (15.8 km)

As planned we left early at 730 am and the walking was easier in the cooler part of the day. Everything today screamed “Tuscany”: green hills, cypress pines, olive groves, grapevines, villas, blue skies, medieval towns perched on hillsides, wine tasting signs everywhere!(not the best when you have to keep walking right past them all🤣)Met 3 Australian fellows today walking the trail together. It was great to have a long conversation in English!

We arrived at 130 pm and straight away we were surprised by the number of tourists in Sam Gimignano. (it is Sunday and school holidays😉).I think a good percentage of them are American, judging by the conversations we couldn’t help hearing! Funny to feel unused to a different pace of life, noise level and crowds of people everywhere.

San Gimignano is a wonderful place. There are towers everywhere, cobble stones and steep side streets, very medieval in feel. Judging by the line of at least 30 people, they must have a good gelato shop too! Later walked past the “Gelato training school” for the very popular gelato shop and it proclaimed that they were world champions on 2 occasions! Will update with further information on that tomorrow😊🍧

Felt very weary today, guess the mounting km are reminding me of that! So good to have a rest day tomorrow🤣🎉

Post script - tonight’s dinner was superb! (What a contrast to last night which isn’t even worth mentioning😩) Hand made ravioli with spinach and cheese filling and a truffle sauce, washed down with a glass of Chianti(finally got our wine tasting in😉)

Day 34 - 26 June - rest day Sam Gimignano (3.4km)

The day started with a lovely breakfast at the hotel looking out on the Tuscan countryside. We went to the Sacred Art museum and the Duomo which both had some amazing artworks and beautiful paintings and architecture. The Duomo was different to others we have seen as it had frescos covering all the walls, painted in the 14th century depicting various Bible events, both Old and New Testament. It has an almost Egyptian feel due the style of the pillars and the striped design of \240the columns. Doug and Caity once again climbed the tower but I waited below! We sampled the world’s best gelato and I \240must say it was wonderful! The mint and choc chip flavour had very finely chopped mint leaves in it and the peach flavour had tiny peach chunks!

The middle of the day was very hot so we rested and only went out for dinner in the cooler temperature of the evening. We went back to the same restaurant as last night because they have really nice gluten free food for Caity, but also fabulous food for everyone else too. The service was also very good and the view sensational! If you are ever in San Gimignano I would highly recommend going to Le Vecchie Mure restaurant. Booking beforehand is essential as it is so popular! I would also recommend our hotel La Cisterna Hotel, ask for room 80 if a double room or 79 if single.

We ended the evening with another gelato because I found out there was another world famous gelato shop and I wouldn’t want to offend anyone!! Just as well we are on the trail again tomorrow🤣

Day 35 - 27 June - San Gimignano to Colle di Val d’Elsa and then Gracciano dell’Elsa ( 19.2 km)

We crept into breakfast way before it was open and managed to get plenty to eat before leaving at 730. We made great progress with the cooler temperature, helped by forest, streams and shady tree lined paths. One highlight was looking back on San Gimignano from the other side, such a special place.We detoured to Colle di Val d’Elsa and enjoyed window shopping in a couple of ceramics stores. The Duomo was simple in design but beautifully cool, which was very much appreciated, even for a moment!

Sadly the temperature heated right up, and we passed a farmacia sign showing 35 degrees! Fortunately we had a shorter day distance-wise and the huge highlight of the day was that the hotel where we stayed had a pool - absolute bliss! This was the first place with a pool! A relaxed evening with good food and a glass of Chianti - yes, a good way to end the day!

Day 36- 28 June - Gracciano dell’Elsa - Monteriggioni (15km)

A shorter day today which was very welcome! Also welcome was the shade on the path and some interesting churches along the way. We actually reached our accommodation just before midday and stopped for a rest before walking on up a very steep hill to the fort-like tiny centre of Monteriggioni. It is undergoing some restorative work to the castle walls so you couldn’t walk the walls, but its position on top of the mountain must have been very strategic in its time!

Our initial rest when we first got to the hotel was interrupted by a shaking and rumbling noise that lasted several seconds, and we realised it was an earthquake! Quite unnerving to say to say the least! I checked on breaking news and the epicentre was only 12km away from where we are, and it was a shallow quake, 3.7 magnitude. Apparently it has forced the closure of the Duomo in Siena for a day or two. We are heading there tomorrow and we have a rest day there as well, so we hope everything is back to normal by Friday.

Day 37 - 29 June - Monteriggioni- Siena (21 km)

An early start, early breakfast, and we were on our way! We tried to cut out a bit of the really big hill going up to the top of Monteriggioni and ended up thrashing our way through a field of grape vines, walking in deeply rutted tractor tracks. Finally emerged to see a sign, Private Property-Do not Enter - whoops! It didn’t have a sign at the other end, truly!!

Today for the first time our path was shared with other walkers - an Italian walking group of about 30 people who were walking from Monteriggioni to Siena. Fortunately although it was hot today, we had quite a few shaded paths and trees to walk beneath. We were also treated to another “Punto Restoro”(someone’s home that is open outside as a place for pilgrims to get a snack, drink, cool water, go to toilet, rest and relax, all by donation) about 8km in. The two fellows running it were super organised and even made coffees! We got there after the 30 walkers so it took a while! From then on the path ran mainly along quiet roads, through forests and eventually along the outskirts of Siena itself. A killer hill was not appreciated near the end. We passed under a big arch and into the old town. Straight away we heard drum beats, chanting and lots of people chatting and eating at long tables, flags flying from many lamp posts and everyone was wearing a scarf with a motif on it. This is all to do with the twice yearly race called “Il Palio”which is due to be contested in 2 days time and involves 10 horses with bare back jockeys, each representing a different district of Siena, being raced around a cobblestone piazza 3 times as fast as possible! The people are all here staying for the race - apparently 60 000 people pack into the piazza!

We had a meal tonight with a view across to the Duomo and we just had to pinch ourselves and say, are we really sitting here in Siena. - \240amazing!

Day 38 - 30 June - rest day in Siena \240(7) km)

After a delicious breakfast we headed off to the Duomo for our visit. I have long looked forward to seeing this amazing piece of architecture and it did not disappoint! As expected, it was packed with people, but nothing can take away the utter magnificence of this building. The sensory overload was real and there was so much to look at and take in, that it’s only when you look at photos later that you can properly process it at all!

The library, which was a separate room, housed many illuminated manuscripts on vellum from the 1470s. The ceiling was beyond incredible in detail and colour. I hope you enjoy the pictures and that it helps you to see what I mean.

Later we visited the Piazza del Campo where the Il Palio race will be run on Sunday. Scary to think of 60 000 people in that small space!!There are flags everywhere with the different team mascots and people wearing the scarf of their district.

We enjoyed walking the cobblestone streets and”people watching”, \240as well as sampling more gelato (mine today was a mint/basil/ lemon and fig/walnut combo- absolutely delicious!

Day 39 - 1 July - Siena to Monteroni d’Arbia (17.5km)

We left in good time but had to return after 500m due to leaving behind our frozen water bottles. It is quite stressful checking everything every day and trying to make sure you have it all. After all we are up to our 33rd hotel and most of those are single nights!

When walking out of Siena, we walked under the Porta Romana which is a huge medieval gate and inner gate protecting the city, which was constructed in the 1300s.

Much of today’s walk was along gravel paths with views of farm land. At one stage we passed near to a fortified medieval manor house complex that dominates the landscape as it is set high on a hill.

Fortunately it was a little cooler today and we had a shorter walk day. A train transfer was needed from our finish point in Monteroni d’Arbia to get to our hotel which is further along the path in Buonconvento. This was due to the original hotel in another town being full with the horse race in Siena. Tomorrow we will get a train back to the same place in Monteroni d’Arbia and walk back to the hotel in Buonconvento and stay another night. Sounds complicated but it works and we don’t lose km! It would have been too far to walk the whole distance in one day.

We have now walked over 700km so less than 300km left - kind of exciting, but still a long way to go!

Day 40 - 2 July - Monteroni D’Arbia- Buonconvento (16.5 km)

After an early breakfast we made the short train trip back to Monteroni D’Arbia to complete the missing part of our walk from yesterday. It was very foggy as we climbed up the hill behind the town, but the sun soon burned it off and we had some great views of the Tuscan countryside as we walked along the very typical white gravel paths. We walked for several km right beside the train tracks and there was an interesting octagonal chapel near Ponte d’Arbia. Also got my first sunflower picture😊Heading back into Buonconvento from the other side allowed us a better view of the historical centre, including the castle wall built in the 1300s and the huge medieval wooden doors. Honestly if those doors could talk, what a story we would hear!

Day 41 - 3 July - Buonconvento to San Quirico d’Orcia (24km)

The Tuscan countryside is quite captivating - the green rolling hills, the fresh green of grape vines, the white gravel on the roads, the avenues of cypress pines, the olive trees gracing all the steepest of hillsides, the bright blue skies, the charming villas, the brilliant yellow of the sunflowers.

Walking through this scenery, you have to remind yourself that it is a privilege to see it up close, even though it is now very hot to walk through and the lack of shade makes it more challenging.

We had an unexpected addition to our walking group today - an Alsatian dog who decided to accompany us on the road for a km or so. A late afternoon brewing storm provided a dramatic backdrop close to the end of our walk and helped me to increase my walking speed dramatically!!

San Quirico d’Orcia is a very old town with a definite medieval feel. It has 3 ancient churches, some fine public buildings, some interesting modern art and a charming town square, filled with people eating, drinking and relaxing. It even has a model trebuchet and a walled garden filled with old and new statues.

A fter losing half an hour trying to find our BnB, we finally got settled, had an unusual but tasty small meal (oven baked Camembert cheese with an avacado creamy sauce and a small pie with eggplant and caramelised onion). We finished the meal with a gelato - tonight’s was pistachio and raspberry!

Day 42 - 4 July - San Quirico d’Orcia to Castiglione d’Orcia (12.4km)

When you are on a very long walk such as ours, you look very carefully at the km for the next day and when a day like today comes along, you think you have won the lottery! It was described as 9km, “a short walk to Castiglione”. OK so it was a 12.4 km walk with a diversion because a pedestrian bridge was closed and a very long, hot, extremely steep, drawn out climb to end the walk! We felt like we had walked at least 18 km! Fortunately our hostess was very friendly and the B and B was really charming and the view- well you can gauge that from my sunset photos!! This place is literally perched on top of the mountain and would have been a very successful fortress in its day. Doug went for a walk and took some great photos around the castle for me😊. Once he returned it was back to sunsets!

Day 43 - 5 July - Castiglione d’Orcia to Radicofani (21 km)

We made a fairly early start after breakfast, \240but not before our host insisted on us all trying her specially made gluten free sweet tart!

The day heated up very quickly and despite some cooler paths, we had to survive through many unshaded areas and it was really tough going. As happened yesterday, we were faced with a continual hill climb at the hottest part of the day and at the end of several hours battling the sun.

There were three big blessings today: a table and chair set in the shade, put there by a walking group, just when we needed it, a coin operated drink dispenser at a self serve service station which kept us going with cold water when we had almost run out 😊and a swim in the pool of the agriturismo \240where we were picked up to be taken to our accommodation after we had finished our walk. We were originally meant to be staying there and when I saw online that they had a pool, I told Doug and Caity to put togs in their backpacks and I would ask the lady if we could have a swim before she took us into town. She was happy with that and we had a fabulous cool off in the pool!!

Rest day tomorrow - \240so pleased to be relaxing instead of walking!

Day 44 - 6 July -rest day in Radicofani (4.3km)

Today was truly a rest day and after a relaxed breakfast at a bar which was included in our trip, we just rested. Well Caity and I did!! Doug wanted to climb up to the castle fortress which was about a 3 km round trip and very steep. Due to not having wifi here, you will have to wait a day to see those wonderful pictures he took. He even had to do a return trip because he didn’t realise you had to pay to enter it, so back he went in the afternoon! ( I hear you saying” why would you do that and I agree!)

The little village of Radicofani is very charming, due to its medieval heritage but also due to a great deal of civic pride. Every person has flower pots outside their house and attractive star jasmine or honeysuckle creepers trained over the entrance to their house. It is very tidy and well kept and such a pleasure to walk around. There is a beautiful avenue of mature tees that create a cool space, even in the heat of the day! Big day tomorrow, so early start to beat the heat for a while at least!

Day 45 - 7 July - Radicofani - Acquapendente (17.7km)

A shorter walk than expected - always a good outcome! Caity and I were not feeling 100% so just as well less km. Doug of course went on a variant path by himself and met up with us at the hotel much later.

The landscape changed quite a \240bit today. We started with a blanket \240of clouds lying low over the fields and valleys and walked down, down, down into the valley floor. We passed farms, agriturismo farm stays and many harvested fields of hay. As we neared Acquapendente we were passed by a group of 6 people riding horses! They are doing a small section of the VF. We also saw sheep and lambs, the first time on this trip!

As we arrived earlier than usual, it was cause for celebration - gelato of course! Today’s choice was fig and peach/ nectarine❤️

Day 45 - 7 July - Radicofani to Acquapendente- Doug’s variant route

Doug parted company with Caity and me at Ponte A Rigo and walked a longer route, through the old hilltop town of Proceno. Due to some poor signage and helpful but not correct advice from people, Doug walked extra km on top of the written km and ended up walking close to 34 km!!

He mentioned 2 major blessings: a drinking fountain with a table and chairs nearby and another drinking fountain with buckets that you \240could use to throw water over you, which he did to cool down!

Day 44- 6 July - rest day in Radicofani- Doug’s climb up to the top of La Rocca, the fortress. It is the highest point, at 1000m, of the whole Val d’Orcia area. Doug said it was very cool up there. It was apparently damaged in WW2, but repaired since then.

Day 46 - 8 July - Acquapendente to Bolsena ( 22km)

Once again an early start, this time at 650 am to try and beat the heat. We actually saw a more attractive side to Acquapendente as we left. Fortunately today’s walking was fairly easy, except when it heated right up after 12 and also when we had to battle unshaded areas, particularly on tarmac surfaces. Our first glimpse of Lake Bolsena was a sight to behold! We stayed overnight right near the lake (the hotel also had a pool-yes!) and it was very pleasant seeing the sun set over the boats in the lake and enjoying a coffee looking out over the water.

Just for fun, I looked up the temperature here versus at my home in Australia - just a bit different🤣

Day 47 - 9 July - Bolsena to Montefiascone (18km)

Today’s post is all about water appreciation. When did you last have to actually think about your personal water use, in terms of drinking water? On this walk, every single day we have to work out how much water we will need, whether we can buy drinks during the day, \240whether there are water fountains to supplement our water bottles, and of course the fact that you have to carry it with you! I use a Camelbak system as I need small sips very often, whereas Doug uses frozen water bottles that are stored on either side of his backpack. We also carry Gatorade type drinks to make sure we keep our energy levels up and there are also extra small bottles of water on hand - one in my pack and one in Caity’s pack. Caity also prefers a bottle so she has that on the side if her backpack. Unfortunately with this extremely hot weather, we have to be quite intentional about staying hydrated!

Doug’s very important job every night is to get the hotel staff to put our 2 one litre bottles in the freezer so that they gradually defrost during the day.

Today I was especially reminded of water as we had a fantastic view of Lake Bolsena while walking along the ridges. Further on, we were treated to the wonderful sound of a waterfall in a beautiful forest, which I videoed. \240It was so soothing to be in shade and in the forest again, , even for only a portion of today’s walk.

Towards the end of the walk, there were longer periods without shade and some roadside walking as well. The heat just radiates off bitumen and is very unpleasant to walk on.

Finally reached Montefiascone and we were able to walk around, enjoy viewing all the quaint laneways and arches and visit the Basilica Cathedral of Santa Margherita, constructed in the 15-17th century, designed and decorated in the Palladian style.

Day 48 - 10 July - Montefiascone to Viterbo (20km)

Today I was determined to try and soak up every bit of shade while we had some of it! We left just after 730 and it was already very warm, but apart from all the steps getting out of Montefiascone, the walk was an easy one from the terrain point of view, not so easy from the weather point of view (35 degrees and quite a few sections of gravel road with no shade, no shops along the way and only one water point which we used to wet ourselves but not drink from).

Interesting points from today:

-In the early part of the day, we were walking on the old Roman road which has been there for over 2000 years!

- we saw a large flock of sheep with a shepherd in a wheat field.

-we could see Montefiascone in the distance at the higher points on the walk.

- there were huge groves of kiwi fruit on vines being grown commercially like grapes..

-Viterbo has a huge entry gate which we walked through to get to the central historical area.

Fortunately we were able to arrive and rest before it got any hotter, but it does not cool down here until at least 9pm. The next 6 days are looking similar, even hotter the day before we walk into Rome, at present the forecast is saying 38 degrees!!

Day 49 - 11 July- Viterbo to Vetralla (18 km)

Have you ever made a quick judgement about a place and then been surprised when it showed you another side to itself? That’s what happened with Viterbo. As with many towns, we often enter through the industrial side, often on busy main roads and our feelings about a place can be influenced by that.

This morning when we were walking out of Viterbo, we saw the other more interesting side: the towers, the cathedral, the Pope’s palace, the arches, the city walls. Right after this as we walked out of Viterbo, we walked a very special part of the VF, the cave roads built by the Etruscans. No one knows exactly why they were built, but they are up to 12 metres deep and they are around \2402500 years old! They extended for several kilometres, they were beautifully cool and shaded, and inspired in us a sense of wonder at man’s ingenuity.

Our sense of wonder turned to a battle for survival in the heat. So much of the latter part of the walk was unshaded and pretty featureless, and with temps in the mid 30s the heat was radiating off the path. A true answer to prayer occurred within 1.5 km of the end of our walk. Caity saw a sign that said “Lento e Contente” 150m to drinks. We decided to check it out, even though it was off the path and boy are we glad we did! It was a pilgrim hostel run by a truly beautiful lady, Nina and her boyfriend. She gave us drinks, including ice, and chatted with us while we drank and drank and cooled down. She comes from Georgia and her boyfriend is Italian. They have walked the VF and wanted to do something for pilgrims so they bought an existing house and they have been renovating it over the last 2 years. I do wish them every success as they have such a great heart for people \240and they were definitely angels placed in our path today!!

Day 50 - 12 July - rest day near Vetralla (1 km) Day 50 - 12 July - rest day near Vetralla (1 km)

Once we had slept in and had a later breakfast, we made the decision not to go into Vetralla, as the only way in there was walking and the temp right now at 4.37pm is 33 degrees🥵

So a quiet day, resting, attending to admin, mentally preparing for our next 4 days, the LAST 4 days of this epic journey!

We would like to give one last promotion to our cause for this walk: raising awareness and funds for those living with Parkinson’s disease through Parkinson’s Queensland. So far we have raised just over $4000 and we will complete our 1000km in 4 days. It has been so encouraging to see so many of you getting actively involved in our journey, and your support and encouragement has meant a great deal! We would love to reach our target of $5000 by the end of our walk, so if you haven’t had a chance to donate yet, now is your opportunity! If you have already donated, please share the link with friends and family.

As we haven’t been anywhere to take photos, I am including another set of “ Weird and Whacky photos of things I have seen in Italy” in a separate post.

Weird and whacky things I have seen in Italy.

Day 51 - 13 July - Vetralla to Sutri (24.6 km)

We were away very early before 6 this morning to beat the heat. Our walk into Vetralla town confirmed that we were right to rest yesterday and not walk in especially to see it. Once we left the town, the walk was beautifully shaded, passing through forests of mature trees and later hundreds of orchards of hazelnuts! Yes, I think this area is the centre of hazelnut production for Italy! In fact, Italy is the second largest producer of hazelnuts in the world after Turkey, which produces 70% of them! You needed to know that, right🤣

The highlight of our walk came towards the end where we had a wonderful experience of several km of “forest bathing”. It honestly felt like we were in another world, one where any moment a small dinosaur \240might pop out from behind a giant fern or a hobbit might emerge from a cave!

Once we left the forest, we realised how warm it was and we were so grateful to have been spared that heat today!

We had a short stop in Capranica on the way and in Sutri at the end, both places full of medieval cobblestone pathways and fortified by huge city walls.

A refreshing swim at our accommodation was very welcome when we arrived mid afternoon. 3 days to Rome now, it’s getting close!

Day 52 - 14 July - Sutri to Campagnano Di Roma (23.8km)

We were fortunate this morning to be able to get the lady running the Agriturismo to give us a very early breakfast and drop us to the point where we finished yesterday in Sutri.

Sutri has a Roman amphitheatre that is entirely carved from rock, the only known one of its kind.

Once we were on the path and off the main road, it was quiet and relaxed walking but we had way less shade than yesterday and the weather soon heated up. We were well prepared with water and food, but it was still a challenge coping with the heat on the road and hardly anywhere to escape. Towards the end of our day, we did pass by the Monte Gelato falls, which sounded wonderful but not when you have got to finish your walk and get out of the sun!

Right at the end of our walk, we had to complete a steep traverse uphill to \240the medieval village of Campagnano Di Roma We met up again with Jack and Isabella, two Italian walkers from Torino who are walking Sienna to Rome,We stopped to enjoy a cook drink and gelato before going to our small hotel where we are staying the night.

Tonight there seems to be a big festival and the music is pumping - not sure how we will get enough sleep!!

Day 53 - 15 July - Campagnano di Roma to Giustiniana (22km)

The day started very early for us and we had a bit of climbing to complete and although the cloud made it moist and humid, we were extremely grateful for the shade!

As we started to descend, I spotted a cross with a number on it, possibly stations of the cross. We took the opportunity to use it as a “blessings tool” and each recounted something we had particularly enjoyed on our walk every time we passed by a cross - thanks Rhonda Stubbings for the suggestion!

Later on we enjoyed some shaded paths and forest, which kept things comfortable. We kept well hydrated and thought we had it “in the bag” but I started to feel quite unwell after a long stretch of walking in the heat with no shade around 2pm, temps in the high 30s.m I finally spoke to a taxi company and managed to get through and get a pick up. I was not concerned about this because we had already done the required km for the day and it was 5km to go to our accommodation further down the track.

After a rest and plenty of drinks at the hotel, I was OK to walk the 1.2 km to dinner but the pharmacist sign said it all, 36 degrees at 7.19 pm! Tomorrow is our walk in to Rome day, so signing off for today!

Day 54 - 16 July -Giustiniana to St Peter’s Basilica, Rome (18.5km) The end of the journey!

For our last day’s walk, we weren’t taking any chances and that 4 30am alarm bell rang loud and clear! We made good time in the early morning and even stopped for coffee and snacks along the way. I was feeling much better and I don’t think anything could have stopped me getting to the end of the walk today!

There were several surprises along the way: friendly dogs, shaded paths, a flock of sheep with a shepherd and more friendly dogs, meeting up with our Italian friends, Jack and Isabella again and walking into Rome with them, being able to get through the 2 parks which some people said were impassable, seeing St Peter’s Basilica from a lookout along the way and realising we were nearly there!

Unfortunately our entry to the square at the end came to an abrupt halt because the pope had just before celebrated mass at St Peters and security would not let anyone in to the square. So there we were waiting in 39 degree heat, having just walked 18 km! It took about an hour to actually get into the square and we had to sit in the sun first, then on the edge of the huge columns on the side and pour water over ourselves. Finally they allowed everyone to go through and we got our testimonial certificates from an officer. \240So instead of really enjoying the moment, we just wanted to get to the hotel and air con!!

In the evening we returned to attend a 6pm mass at St Peter’s, which allowed us to look through the basilica which is just incredible! The largest Christian church in the world! Later we celebrated by eating out at a gluten free restaurant which Caity really enjoyed, and going to sleep knowing there was no early morning wake up the next day!

I want to sincerely thank all of you who followed our long journey and contributed to the fundraiser for Parkinsons.If you haven’t got around to it yet there is still time! Countless times the encouragement coming from you made an enormous difference to my ability to keep going, so thank you all from the bottom of my heart❤️This walk has taught me many things but something I really wanted to focus on was to increase my limits and set new challenges for myself. I wasn’t sure I could walk 1000km but I have proved to myself that it is possible!

Thiis marks the end of my daily blog, but shortly Doug and I are going on a cruise, so I will be posting pictures up every day, just not a blog! Stay tuned!😊