“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” Amelia Earhart
All I could think about today was how badly I wanted this hike to end.
Nine hours. Thirteen miles (21 km). Two mountain peaks. Endless climbing and descending. A rainstorm halfway through. By the end of it, every step felt like I was walking barefoot on a pile of Legos.
I’m toast and ready for bed.
So this one will be short… well, shorter than usual.
It wasn’t all bad.
The views were gorgeous, the forest smelled incredible after the rain, and I watched a deer burst through the trees before effortlessly leaping over a fence. It was one of those moments that reminds you why you put yourself through days like this.
Some hikes go better than others, and this one ranks among the most difficult I’ve experienced in eight years and more than 4,500 miles of hiking.
Annoyingly, but also impressively, Massimo seemed to glide up and down the mountains like he was wearing ice skates. He wasn’t nicknamed “The Legend” on the Via Francigena for nothing.
The best part, though, is that he’s an incredible hiking partner.
He always has your back and never leaves you behind.
On one particularly brutal climb, he reached the top, dropped his backpack, turned around, and hiked all the way back down just to offer to carry mine.
I politely declined, but what a gentleman.
One of the other hikers laughed as he passed him on the way back down.
“So…was it so easy you wanted to hike it twice?”
Massimo was also back to his usual self, teaching me about the local flora and fauna.
He pointed out mushroom after mushroom.
“This one you can eat!”
“Please don’t,” I replied. “I don’t have cell service to get you Life Flighted out of here if you’re wrong.”
Then came the rain.
I do not recommend hiking steep, muddy mountain trails during a rainstorm.
I nearly wiped out more than once.
Zero stars.
0/10.
The hiking was so demanding that everyone on the trail stopped frequently
to catch their breath, refuel, and give their feet and legs a break.
During one of those stops, we came across a local family’s home that welcomes hikers.
The woman who greeted us was named Donna. She spoke excellent English because she had lived in Ireland for seven years.
Children were running all over the yard, laughing and playing.
She casually mentioned she has eleven children.
One of the youngest boys filled my water bottle and carried it back to me using both hands because it was almost too heavy for him.
Meanwhile, many of us had spent the last several hours discussing bear spray and bear bells.
So I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched her children disappear into the forest wearing pink dresses and hair bows without a care in the world.
When the rain really started coming down, we happened to be passing another home.
The family invited us to wait under cover until the storm passed.
We were only there for about ten minutes, but before we left they insisted we try homemade cheese and a glass of local moonshine produced on their farm.
Romanians have been incredibly generous everywhere I’ve gone.
Just before reaching town, the trail crossed a pasture filled with cows.
The biggest obstacle wasn’t the cows…
…it was avoiding the cow pies.
Along the way we also made friends with the cutest little dog…and one very curious cow.
Tonight we’re staying with two locals, Virgil and Mihai.
Several hikers had recommended staying here because of their incredible hospitality.
They were absolutely right.
Virgil is a firecracker.
He speaks Romanian and Italian and was beyond excited that Massimo was staying with them. In the five years they’ve hosted hikers, this is the first Italian guest they’ve ever had.
When he picked us up in town, I honestly thought he might kiss Massimo because he was so excited.
Virgil, who works as a mechanic, and his wife lived in Sicily for many years before returning home to Romania. Their love for Italy has clearly never faded.
The accommodations are outstanding.
The rooms and bathrooms are spotless, and tonight’s home-cooked dinner was fantastic.
We started with ciorbă, one of Romania’s most beloved soups. This version was made with smoked meat and vegetables.
I’ve had it several times now, and every bowl has been delicious. If you visit Romania, put it on your must-try list.
The main course was rabbit, beef, polenta, and fresh cheese.
Five stars.
Dessert was another Romanian classic: papanași.
Imagine a warm fried doughnut topped with sour cream and fruit preserves.
Absolutely out of this world.
Even though today was one of the hardest hiking days I’ve ever had…
I still wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Travel has a funny way of balancing the hardest moments with the most unforgettable ones.
Today gave me sore feet, muddy boots, incredible food, generous strangers, new friends, and another reminder that the best stories usually come from the toughest days.
Much love & gratitude. Namaste 🙏
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