Tag Archives: Apennines
Marble Quarries and Not Much Else
First, a statistical note: we have been on the road 50 days now, and today is 10–10–10. In the morning Andrew, Zeke, and I walked through a silent La Spezia to the camper and then we all rode back to … Continue reading
First Glimpses of the Mediterranean
Yesterday morning we headed out of Aulla, this time with Jed, Andrew’s older brother, keeping us company. It was an induction into the pilgrimage life not for the faint of heart, or faint of calf muscle! We did nearly half … Continue reading
Grape Must and Whiffs of Vinegar
It was a harrowing exit from town. I remain astonished at what is considered a legitimate hiking route on the Via Francigena. The Alpine club routes are great, but the highways-with-no-shoulder are a nightmare. On the other hand, fear for … Continue reading
The Mycological Wonderland and Other First Impressions of Tuscany
We pulled out yesterday morning at 7:40 a.m., our earliest departure yet, under blue skies but headed toward a massive pile of clouds squatting over the mountains peaks. Our ascent was quick and steep up to the first pass, the … Continue reading
Wild Plums and Tame Peaches
A fierce wind blew through last night, washing away the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof of the camper. We woke up actually able to see the scenery around us—and it was gorgeous! We are up in the Apennines now … Continue reading
Italian Rain is Just as Wet as German Rain
Last night we had a powwow and this morning we made the final executive decision to skip ahead a day on our schedule. Looking to our planned route we realized, from our errors in the Alps, that we had not … Continue reading
