Via Francigena: Rome’s seven pilgrim churches

St. Paul’s Outside the Walls

Via Francigena: Rome, Italy. The Seven Pilgrim Churches
San Pietro, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, San Sebastiano fuora la Mura, San Paolo fuora la Mura, Santa Maria Trastevere.
Pilgrims throughout the ages have walked to or visited the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome as have popes, several [...]

Via Francigena: Martigny to Orsieres

Suddenly the mists parted, revealing the valley

Via Francigena: Martigny, Switzerland.
After a filling breakfast we donned our packs and walked out into the wet, overcast weather which was rather pleasant after the past few hot days. We arrived at a park where there was a fork in the track. Decisions. Decisions. One track zig-zagged up a [...]

Via Francigena: St Croix in Switzerland

Baud Brothers Mechanical Museum

Via Francigena: We arrived in St. Croix which was situated on a terrace sheltered by the slopes of Mont Chasseron. It was an attractive centre for skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer.
While Canterbury and Kent had been shielded from the most uncomfortable weather of this hottest of summers, the [...]

Road to Aghavannagh – an Irish walk

The Irish road to Avagannagh

From the diary – Monday: Glendalough – Aghavannagh
Glenalough Youth Hostel. 8.30 am, quick wash, breakfast. The four of us leave the hostel to go our separate ways. Me – off to Aghavannagh; about 10-12 miles down the road. It’s a clear day and I feel good about being healthy when a [...]

Cotswold Way: Hills, cheese rolling and monks

The unusual Prinknash Abbey, hidden in the Cotswolds

We had overnighted at Painswick on the Cotswold Way. Being a Sunday morning, we breakfasted and then were off to experience a local church service. A pleasant service at St. Mary’s with the minister giving a sermon about the evils of transnational companies such as Nike. After the [...]

South Downs Way – Frogs and White Horses

The lovely Cuckmere River on South Downs Way

Some time ago….
From London’s Victoria Station we board the bus and head off to Eastbourne, a 3 hr trip to the south coast. Most of the time was snoozing time. At Eastbourne, we then walked the 1and ½ miles to the Beachy Head Youth Hostel (no longer operational). [...]

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