A continuation of the blog series documenting my journey along the Via Francigena pilgrimage route to Rome. Part 1 available here.
15 AUGUST: Camaiore – Lucca (23.7km)
40,000 steps
Our wounds patched up and our feet feeling much more rested, we set off in high spirits (despite the somewhat ominous sight of fire burning atop a nearby mountain). We were ready once again to tackle the trail!
Much of the day ended up being a pleasant mix of woodland track—which is much easier on the feet than tarmac—and smaller roads through largely residential towns. Though there were a couple of inclines that left us winded and panting, the day overall felt very manageable and we arrived in Lucca sore but in good spirits. A notable highlight of today, as well, was that I found the perfect walking stick—a fallen tree branch, light but sturdy, of the right height and mostly smooth already—not far from the entrance to Lucca. Acquiring it felt a bit like leveling up as a pilgrim, and it would undoubtedly help on downhill stretches where I had to favor my problem toe.
Once we settled and unpacked in the pilgrim hostel, I left Adam to do some work (ah, the holidays of a grad student…) and ventured forth to see a bit of the city, preemptively snag some more supplies from a pharmacy, and pick up groceries for dinner (because, wonder of wonders, we had a little kitchen to ourselves!). Making my way through the dense, cobblestone streets, I took opportunities where available to dive into churches, duck down side streets, and stroll through the Piazza Napoleone. 
I ended up at the Duomo di San Martino, possibly my favorite part of which was the labyrinth (12th–13th century) carved into one of the stone piers of the outdoor portico. Labyrinths were sometimes understood to be analogous with the winding but directed path of pilgrims, and coming across one here felt most appropriate. As the early evening approached and buildings began to close to the public, I found myself wishing that we had a few days to explore the gorgeous city, rather than just a few hours.
Errands and church explorations complete (with some gelato along the way for sustenance, of course), I made my way back to our room. Over a cheap but delicious dinner of pasta and wine, we reflected on a successful day. Wanting to keep up the trend, we made sure to get to sleep early, but were somewhat surprised to find out that we were in fact sharing the room, when three other pilgrims arrived around 10:30 that night. It was a disorienting experience to wake up to, and since we hadn’t been expecting anyone else to arrive we were inflicted a somewhat more disorganized and noisy packing process on them in the early morning hours than we would have otherwise. Still, the private room had been nice while it lasted, and our day in Lucca left us feeling very recharged.
16 AUGUST: Lucca – Altopascio (18.4km)
28,000 steps
We woke up early this morning, eager to test our newfound sense of resilience and readiness. Munching on bread, apples, and sausages purchased the day before, we enjoyed an easy day of smaller roads that alternated between quiet, residential neighborhoods and golden wheat fields. Though our feet were sore by the time we arrived in Altopascio midday, our muscles seemed to be recovering faster and we weren’t as spent as other days had left us. Progress!
The town’s official pilgrim hostel (registration for which takes place in the communal library) was full by the time we arrived, so we opted instead to stay at a B&B promising discounts for pilgrims. The chance for a private room and strong wifi was most welcome (particularly after our surprise roommates the night before), and we had a relaxed afternoon spent in the luxurious path of a high-speed fan. One challenge facing us was that, in the course of examining our foot injuries it became clear that one of Adam’s blisters was quite possibly infected. The problem would be easily remedied with a quick trip to see a pharmacist, but the only pharmacy in central Altopascio was closed for the week (of Ferragosto / the Feast of the Assumption).
Mulling over the best course of action over a dinner of pasta and wine, we came to the conclusion that it was probably best if Adam not continue to walk before someone could look at his foot and, if necessary, prescribe antibiotics. Since that wasn’t going to be possible in Altopascio in the near future, we decided to take the train ahead to our next stop of San Miniato. It’s a larger city, so chances were good that we’d be able to find at least one open pharmacy and get an answer about how to proceed from there.
It was a bit disheartening to have to take another day off, just as I was starting to feel my body adjusting to the daily distances. Still, as the trip keeps reinforcing: sometimes the best laid plans go awry and there’s nothing to do but adjust.
17 AUGUST: Altopascio – San Miniato [by train] (–km)
One obvious benefit to deciding to take a day off from walking is the opportunity to sleep in. After the past several days of being up consistently between 5 and 6am, not responding to an alarm until around 7 felt like complete decadence.
We breakfasted in town on incredibly dense pistachio/nutella croissants and then embarked on our saga of two trains and a bus to San Miniato. The city is built on a significant hill and as our ambitious bus driver whizzed over speed bumps and careened through the winding streets, we counted our blessings that we were not outside in the heat, slowly plodding our way up to the city’s entrance.
Once in San Miniato proper, we quickly located the nearest pharmacy. Thankfully the pharmacist confirmed that Adam did not have an infection, although when asked if it was ok to keep walking, he shrugged and offered something along the lines of: “hey man, they’re your feet.” That resounding confirmation in hand, we then made our way up the hill to the convent of San Francesco, which hosts a pilgrim hostel. The friendly hostel staff welcomed us, showed us around, and told us that a communal dinner would be available for pilgrims that evening. Given that most of the restaurants we had passed in San Miniato also looked closed for the week, and the €10 price for a full meal was hard to beat, we gladly accepted.
With a few hours to kill we got cleaned up, then washed our clothes and hung them out to dry in the cloister. While Adam spent some time writing, I went to explore the town a bit more (though this didn’t yield much except for a coffee, a brief spot of wifi, and a gelato). Once back at the convent, we enjoyed a most generous dinner of unlimited pasta, wine, meat, bread, and fresh fruit. Even more bountiful than the food was the conversation: eating communally gave us the chance to meet some of our fellow pilgrims, including Tomas (a German who was enjoying the chance to “feel more fully European” as he put it) and Dominique (the elderly Frenchman who liked the long-distance walking for the exercise and the meditation). Everyone commented on the fact that this experience was a truly unique way to see a country and, for those who had walked across national borders, to get a better sense for how people and cultures shifted or remained similar from place to place.
Though we were offered a tour of the convent after dinner, Adam and I were both exhausted and opted to turn in early. What I’m noticing (confirming impressions from a previous trip to Florence) is that Tuscan mosquitoes are RELENTLESS. After the past couple of days we both had legs that were increasingly spotty and itchy, and our room seemed to be full of bugs that were particularly hungry. We both slept doused in bug repellent, and even so woke up covered in more bites. It wasn’t the most restful night, but at least it made sleeping in the next morning a less attractive option.
18 AUGUST: San Miniato – Gambassi Terme (23.6km)
32,000 steps
How our guidebook described this section: “can be challenging in the summer heat.”
How our guidebook should have described it: “Make sure you’re carrying at least 2–3 liters of water if you don’t want to end up a desiccated husk of a person beneath the ferocious August sun on a trail in the middle of nowhere.”
To say it was hot would be a gross understatement. Italy is going through a particularly warm summer at the moment with droughts having affected large swathes of the country. Nowhere was this more palpable for us than today’s hike. Acres of fields in varying shades of brown spanned out on either side of the dusty trail, which wound through the landscape for miles without much civilization in sight, and often for long stretches with no shade covering. There were three public water fountains along the way, and each time we reached one it wasn’t a moment too soon. By the early afternoon we were stopping to rest almost every time we passed a shady tree, sometimes every few hundred meters. If we were in vulture territory, I was convinced they’d have been circling above us.
Staggering into the hostel just outside of Gambassi Terme felt like a minor miracle, as did the fact that they offered a communal dinner and we wouldn’t have to walk any further that evening. Exceedingly relieved, we claimed our bunk beds in the shared dormitory, took showers (today I opted for a cold one), and relaxed until dinnertime. It was a very convivial atmosphere amongst the group of pilgrims assembled that evening (all of whom had suffered through the same hellish ordeal, which maybe fostered a bit more camaraderie than there would otherwise be). We met another young couple who hailed from Milan and were doing about a week’s worth of trekking to Siena. Over a substantial meal of pasta, meat, salad, and dessert, we swapped stories and talked about how amusing it was that people generally seemed to be so baffled whenever they encountered young people walking the pilgrimage route.
The general consensus was to make it an early night, and we retired full and content, having conquered another difficult day.
19 AUGUST: Gambassi Terme – San Gimignano (13.4km)
28,000 steps
We greeted the cool, dark morning feeling surprisingly alright given the difficult day before. After a very generous breakfast set out by the hostel, we embarked on what ended up being an extremely enjoyable walk, largely past fields and vineyards. Though it was hilly we made great time and arrived in San Gimignano well before lunchtime and in great spirits.
Accommodation in the city proved hard to come by (we were trying to find space in a major tourist destination on a weekend, after all), but we decided to pay a bit extra and reserve a last-minute apartment through Booking.com. It ended up being close to the center, spacious, clean, and had a kitchen—well worth the extra euros. Once we had our sleeping arrangements sorted out, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the city.
San Gimignano attracts many tourists for a reason: it is adorably picturesque with its preserved medieval towers, it has lots going on (restaurants, churches, museums, etc.), and the main thoroughfare seems ideally configured for shopping. Everything you could possibly want (from delicious locally produced food and wine, to jewelry and clothing, to kitschy faux medieval weapons) is available as you walk into the center of the old walled city. It’s a good thing we were passing through as pilgrims, since the incentive of not wanting to carry extra stuff on our backs all the way to Rome meant we spent a lot less money than we were tempted to.
Where we did decide to splurge was on food (since we decided to make dinner at home and save on restaurant prices), and the wild boar sausages, ash-coated cheese, and local Vernaccia wine did not disappoint. We also treated ourselves to large cones of gelato at Gelateria Dondoli. Encouragingly, there was a consistently long line out the door comprised of both tourists and locals, and once inside we learned why: not only was the selection staggering, but the place apparently won the gelato world championship (yes, this is a thing) a few years in a row. I’m still not over the grapefruit/prosecco flavor I tried.
Once again, we were sorry to say goodbye to a city with so much to offer and only a few hours in which to experience it all. It was heartbreaking to have to leave without even having had a chance to see the Ghirlandaio frescos in the Collegiate Church. One more for the bucket list of places to return to and see properly…
(to be continued…)
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