What incredible weather to begin this long awaited trek! Brilliant blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds .....just a touch of breeze..... as I headed out, a tad later than I had planned, to make the 20 km. Walk. Last night's sunset was truly magnificent....early evening light tinged the surrounding hills a golden hue, skies opening pink with splashes of bronze as the sun set over Lucca. An omen to the lovely day ahead!
Today not one fellow pilgrim in sight, which I semi expected, but I still feel a bit surprised at that reality. It was a day of kilometers of tarmac making for extra tired feet. A highlight came shortly upon leaving the outskirts of Lucca at the small local church of Ste Michele. Two women and a chatty local gentleman made sure to inform me that I could stamp my passport right there outside the Chiesa doors. Pleased to be chatting, I told them where I was headed and that I had walked the Camino Santiago de Compostele last year ( they were impressed.) One of the woman, a locale who now lives in New York, gave me I an English speaker to translate. Perfect!
Magic moment of the day: walking into Altopascio I spotted the local priest, rosary in hand, taking an outdoor fresh air break on the steps of famed San Jacabo Chiesa. Seeing my backpack, he smiled as I passed. Later this evening, in search of my timbre ( stamp) for my pilgrim passport from this town, I wandered down to the church and caught him just before locking the doors. Holding my passport, just forward enough he would see it, he smiled in recognition and asked " Timbre?" He guided me back to the rectory where he asked where I was traveling and stamped my passport.
A warm smile and " Buon viaggio" sent me on my way into the evening light.
Tomorrow, San Miniato......if I decide to go that far.....we shall see....no hurrying!
I will be following your experience. Buen viaggio. Glad you had a fabulous first day. Enjoy meeting the local people and history along the way.
ReplyDeleteI'm following your walk. Can you tell us where you are staying each night and how far you walk. Buon Viaggio
ReplyDeleteHi Katie, So happy for you gathering up such lovely memories and sharing them with us. Just found a fun book for Larry called Strangers Have The Best Candy - how talking to strangers leads to a life of crazy adventure and lasting friendship. Those are some of our best memories on our travels. But you know that Larry has never had a problem striking up a conversation :))
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