Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened. ~ Dr. Seuss

Today we went the office of the “Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi” in St. Peter’s Square for our Testimoniums (certificate for completing at least the last 100km of the Via). The pilgrims who started Canterbury get the same document.It’s just like the Camino de Santiago. Walking the last 100km (62 miles) gets you a Compostela.Chappy, Bill and I weighed ourselves. Bill was the winner at losing the most.Bill and I hoofed it to our new luxurious hotel where we will veg for the next three nights. Soft sheets, a bathtub and a huge TV with English channels. Not sure if we’ll get out of bed tomorrow. Chappy, Darrell and Roxanne stopped by to check out our new digs and we all walked to see the Trevi Fountain (along with 1,000,000 other people) to hug it out and say goodbye.Chappy is heading home tomorrow and Darrell and Roxanne are off to discover Italy by train.

Roxanne’s post and photos:

Campagnano to La Storta – Saturday October 13th – 14.4 miles in 6 hours 45 minutes – climbing 1443 feet.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own (and with friends). And you know what you know. And you are the one who decided where to go (Rome). Dr. Seuss

It feels so good knowing that the Fab Five will be walking into Rome tomorrow. We’re smelling the barn. I think we’d gallop if we had the energy!

Hotel Cassia is where we will rest our heads tonight. Twin beds in a private room. Clean.

It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe. Robert W. Service

Roxanne’s post and photos:

Ladies and gentlemen, The Fab Five are now on final approach into Rome. Walked from Campagnano di Roma to La Storta. This last stage before Rome took us through pastureland, shady woodlands, 6th century BC Etruscan burial sites, a waterfall and an ancient water mill. Gluten free eating is easy in Italy!
There’s an APP called AIC (Italian Celiac Association) that shows where Gluten free meals and products are sold and those options are everywhere in Italy even in tiny villages.

Sutri to Campagnano – Friday October 12th – 13.1 miles in 6:10 climbing 897 feet. Shorter is not always better. To save 3.5 miles we walked along loud busy roads. My umbrella warded off evil cars until we safely made it to a quite path that lead us into town.We’re staying at  Hotel Ristorante Benigni.

Two more days until Rome.

Seven more days until we meet the new love in our lives – Graciella Faye.

Roxanne’s post and photos:

Leaving our Sutri apartment.Roman Amphitheater from 
1st-2nd century BC. Which way?After walking to Campagnano di Roma, we sat down to a fine late lunch and reunited with our fellow pilgrim from Denmark. 

Vertalla to Sutri – Thursday October 11th – 16.8 miles in 8:40 and we climbed 1375 feetHard to believe that a day that starts with a rainbow turns out to be nuts literally and figuratively.If we weren’t walking through a slippery, muddy rain forest with lots of obstacles we were walking thru miles of nut trees.Bill twisted a muscle in his back so we hired Bags-Free to transport his pack from hotel to hotel. Chappy quickly decided that was a great idea and signed up too. I have to admit I loaded Bill’s pack with my clothes so that I could carry a lighter load.There were spills and thrills today – not all for the faint of heart.

Darrell – Don’t drink the water here or you’ll get Giardino.

We’re staying at B&B Caseta di Vicolo Corto. The beds are so comfy and the place is beautiful. We actually have our own apartment and it’s new, clean and fabulous.

Roxanne’s post and photos:

Walked from Viterbo to Sutri.Snack at the base of a Roman tomb near Capranica.

Viterbo to Vertalla – Wednesday October 10th – 11.2 miles in 6 hours only climbing 874 feet.Fun day walking through an Etruscan Via Cava which I’ll translate as a road with tall lava walls.Followed by lush farm land – a Clydesdale horse and super friendly donkey – nut trees and olive production.

We’re staying at Alberto da Benedetta. We’re happy to announce that we’ve ditched Ostellos (hostels). We’ve opted for more restful sleep.

Four more days to Rome!

Roxanne’s post and photos:

Humane Italy ♥️Walked from Viterbo to Vetralla.Gear off.Fellow German flip flop pilgrim.BreakfastOlive harvest comb.Picnic lunch.

Montefiascone to Viterbo – Tuesday October 9th – 12 miles in 6 hoursWe said goodbye to Lake Bolsena. The largest volcanic lake in Europe and considered to be the belly button of Italy.Bill and I had an off day. Our packs didn’t set well. We walked down from Montefiascone and then became weary with the level shadeless terrain. Just one of those days…Highlight! Roman road dating back to 150 BC.Tonight we are staying at the Palazzo Riario. The gentleman that checked us in ran over to meet us at the hotel in his chef’s clothing. Often times hotels are not manned 24 hours a day. After checking in we promptly dumped our packs and followed him to his restaurant. It was fantastic!Baby alert hence grandparent alert! Congratulations to Troy and Yessmy. Late last night Graciella Faye was born. She is absolutely beautiful and we can’t wait to meet her. Yay! Bursting with love.

Roxanne’s post and photos:

“Coregone” fish caught out of Lake Bolsena. 
The Fab Five walked out of Montefiascone and walked to Viterbo the center of Italy’s military aviation. Roman RoadMorning SnackBelt Modification Lunch breakBaby Announcement Grocery store bulk wine

Bolsena to Montefiascone – Monday October 8th – 12 miles in 6:09 hours – climbing 2079 feet

Lago Bolsena the largest volcanic lake in Europe and the belly button of Italy.

Another beautiful day. Today – my easiest. However, we all swatted swarms of bugs throughout the walk. We’re not sure if there was a hatching after the rain or what….

We are within 100 kilometers of Rome – which is a big deal. Within a hour and a half period we saw 3 different signs that said we were within 100 kilometers to Rome. What’s up with that???

Here’s what we saw between signs…

We’re staying at the Hotel Urbano V. Super place! Bar, terrace and sunny places to dry our clothes.Roxanne’s post and photos:

South end of Lake BolsenaOur Pilgrim passports daily stamp

Made in Italy

Acquapendente to Bolsena – Sunday October 7th – 14.2 miles in a little over 7 hours climbing 1161 feet.

Pixie dust rained down on us today.

We had packed away our gear before bed last night only to be awaken by pouring rain.Rainbows follow rain…The clouds, mist and a dampened horizon were our first dose of pixie. Freshness.Look below at the tiny people on the horizon.

Roxanne discovered pixie – potato fields. The next pixie was in the most enchanting forest covered with ivy and these tiny purple Shooting Star flowers. It was magical – as if Tinkerbell herself rolled out this delightful carpet.

Beyond the forest our next sprinkle of pixie was white butterflies which delicately danced and frolicked.Porcipine quill.Followed by Lago Bolsena – silvery and calm with reflections of white puffy clouds.Tonight we were staying at the Hotel Zodiaco. Super clean with balconies perfect for drying our clothes.All this pixie followed by cheeseburgers and gelato.

Nights always end with wine.“All you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust.”–Peter Pan

Roxanne’s post and photos:

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” -Sir Ranulph Fiennes.The Fab Five’s excellent gear-on gear-off techniques. Field is French fries Lake BolsenaWalked from Acquapendente to Bolsena and Bill leads the way.

Radicofani to Acquapendente – 11 miles in 6.5 hours. The last 5k we hitched a ride. The road was wet and super dangerous so we begged a woman who spoke a bit of English to help us out. She called a friend who reluctantly and kindly drove us and saved our lives.

There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo. Even a bicycle goes too fast. ~Paul Scott Mowrer

We woke up to rain. The gentle kind without wind. It was one of my favorite mornings. The views were breathtaking – fall colors and misty rolling hills. It was like a religious experience. Photos can not do it justice.

We’re staying at Eco Albergo Monte Rufeno and the heat is on… Heat is good after a long rainy day. Just like that – two weeks ago it was hot!Roxanne’s post and photos:

The Fab Five walked through rich color and rain from Radicofani to Acquapendente. 

Le Briccole to Radicofani – 9.20 miles in 4.75 hours and climbed 1920 feet.

“Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn — that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness — that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.” — Jane Austen

Chappy stretching his calves.This is our last day in Tuscany. However, the terrain changed so dramatically we wouldn’t know – gone are the vineyards and olive trees.It definitely feels like fall. The colors are captivating. Mother Nature decided to cloud up and rain. She didn’t listen to the weather forecasters – a woman after my own heart.Our Via books told us it would be a relentlessly uphill climb today. We got all cocky when the trail had some ups but not too bad. Then all of a sudden, somewhat like Mother Nature, the relentless climb began.

Yes, (for those who have noticed) sometimes Bill wears his Sketchers if rock-hopping or rainy weather look they would pull out the thong out of his flip-flop. Today was one of those days. Not sure what kind of devise you use to look at the photos but in many you will see a tower at the top of a hill far, far away (on a cell phone you’d have to zoom in). Well, it happens that often we climb to or from that spectacular thing in the distance. Hence, the climbing.