Tag: trekking
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The Way of St. Francis: What Keeps Us Going?
There’s no doubt this is a difficult Pilgrimage, filled with highs and lows of all kinds. Yesterday we arrived at our hotel so wiped out that we couldn’t help but question the wisdom of walking The Way of St. Francis. So, what keeps us going? Mornings like this one! When I asked at our hotel…
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The Way of St. Francis: Which Way Do We Go?
We’re always a little unsure of finding our way when we begin a distance trail. With so many trails converging from La Verna (where we began) and leading to Assisi, markers can be a little confusing… Armed with our guidebook, and for the first time, a satellite trail map to follow with Galileo Pro, we…
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The Way of St. Francis: Hanging Out In Gubbio
We were afraid we’d miss touring the Basilica of St. Ulbaldo, perched high above the city of Gubbio. On our rest day we had no intention of conquering another peak on foot. However, when an alternative presented itself, we were first in line to hop aboard! Seemingly hanging from a thread, the baskets of the…
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The Way of St. Francis: Wildflowers Are Blooming
Spring is in full bloom on The Way of St. Francis.
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The Way of St. Francis: Italian Trekkers Lift our Spirits
Fresh from a wonderful stay at Le Rasse Country House, just outside of Citerna, we joined fellow Italian trekkers for a quick photo before setting out on our rather grueling (see last post) day of ups and downs. We’d see them several more times throughout the day. A herd of cattle paused briefly when we…
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The Way of St. Francis: Snapshots of Our Day
Our journey today was a short on miles but the change of scenery could not have been greater. After a leisurely breakfast, we left the bustling city of Sansepolcro behind. With just eight miles ahead of us, we set our compass towards Citerna, a quaint village perched atop surrounding valleys. A quick stop for that…
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The Way of St. Francis: The trail is closed
Today we faced a new trekking challenge: a closed trail. Still many miles from our destination, we stood before a sign threatening penalties (arrest?) if we crossed the tape strung across the Way of St. Francis. What should we do? Turn around and go back? A 15-mile day loomed, so we had set out from…
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The Way of St. Francis: Chiusi della Verna
The sleepy village of Chiusi Della Verna awoke to brilliant sunshine today, Friday. We started with pastry, strong coffee (yum!), tangerines and packaged toast and jam downstairs in the hotel Bellavista, in photos above. Our room’s small window shows a burst of early spring. We are pausing in this village, dating to the 13th century,…
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The Way of St. Francis: Feeling his spirit
When he walked this part of Italy nearly 800 years ago, St. Francis reached out to all life, especially the most needy people. Today, at the Santuario Della Verna, the spirit of St. Francis touched all of us who walked the stunning grounds where he left his mark. Believers or not, visitors felt his presence.…
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