Day 13, Via Francigena: La Storta to Rome

Guidebook mileage: 19 km (11.8 miles)

Garmin watch mileage: No idea because I was so happy to arrive I never looked at my watch.

La Storta to Rome/Vatican

Lucky #13.

The End.

That’s a wrap on the Via Francigena for me. I never like to say never but I presumably won’t be walking another Camino for a while. Five is plenty. I’ve loved all my Caminos and still think it’s one of the best ways to explore a country and learn about the people, culture, history, and food. But at this point, I’d like to try some other things that life has to offer.

The first part of the walk out of La Storta was boring and full of car/bus fumes. The path was next to the road for a long way. Ewww.

Let’s move on…

Once I made it to La Giustiniana, I stopped for a macchiato and what will probably be my last chocolate croissant for a while. No walkie. No pastry. I took a photo for a memory of the good times. Sigh.

What happened next is the most wild and fated event. I love this kind of stuff! I was exiting the cafe and walking toward the street when I heard a familiar voice screaming (loudly but not in a mean way) BELLA!!! BELLA!!! IL DESTINO!!! IL DESTINO!!! BELLA!!!

Well, who would have thoughts in a million years I’d run into this guy again. It was my old pal Stefano. You remember? The guy on the bike who flagged me down a few days ago and insisted that I visit Lago di Vico (Lake Vico)…but I didn’t go.

Well, Stefano was my official Welcome Wagon into Rome.

This guy has so much energy. Good Lawd. He speaks so quickly and with gusto! He kept saying over and over “Il destino che ci siamo incontrati.” He said it so much I made him say it into Google Translate (see photo below) for you guys. Haha.

He was so excited to see me again and wanted to tell me ALL about his life. I misunderstood him during our last conversation…my Italian is not fluent enough to have a deep conversation yet. I was correct in saying he does live in Rome but he wasn’t on a bike tour around Lazio. I completely missed that he is retired and actually owns a vacation home near Lago di Vico and cycles back and forth because it is being renovated. He wants to keep an eye on things. I’m sorry but that is a long bike ride to just “keep an eye on things.” I wish I had half of his energy and enthusiasm…and I consider myself to be pretty energetic.

I love it and feel honored when people, especially strangers, want to share their lives with me. Stefano did just that. He enthusiastically showed me photos of his family, many (many) pictures of his vacation home renovations, but when we got to the images of his trip to Dubai, I finally had to tell him, “I’m sorry (again), but I have to keep walking to make it to The Vatican before it closes.” Otherwise, he might have started to share baby pics and the university years and I just didn’t have the time.

We shared a big sweaty hug. He scolded me one last time and told me to go see Lago di Vico. Then he rode off in one direction and I started walking in the other. Kismet…destino.

After my reunion with Stefano, the trail headed through a nature reserve. It felt so good to be back in the quiet simple surroundings of nature and away from all the noise and chaos. Such a relief…but it didn’t last too long because I was quickly in the next suburb outside of Rome.

It’s tradition (maybe just mine) to stop prior to reaching the final destination to have a celebratory beer. I chose a little bar/cafe about 25 minutes from The Vatican to toast my accomplishment. I’ve heard a statement multiple times recently stating that as humans, especially women, we don’t celebrate ourselves enough. We downplay our accomplishment but that serves no one. We can remain humble but still be proud of ourselves for doing or overcoming difficult things. So cheers to me!

Along my final walk to The Vatican, I must have been radiating happiness. I was given a flower from a florist as I walked by…which was perfect because in all the excitement, I forgot to pick a backpack bouquet for the day.

Then, I met this fellow who offered a marriage proposal…I think. The video is hilarious. He was blowing me kisses and saying some things I am not allowed to repeat in writing. Ha! Oh, the Italian men…

I could feel my excitement building as I looked at the Google Maps and could see I was within just minutes of reaching Saint Peter’s Square.

Of course, upon arrival I had to do my signature moves. I found a nice lady, Monica, from Hungary to take the photos. Interestingly, Saint Peter’s Square was practically empty. I had a hard time finding someone to help.

The great thing about being a pilgrim is, you get to cut the line. You have to go to the entrance of the Basilica, go around the line to the security guards, show your pilgrim passport and they let you cut into the line at the bag scanning machine. They even let you wear your big backpack into the church. Once through security, they send you to an entrance for the bathroom and coat check, lovely. This is where you can pick up the Testimonial certificate (similar to the Compostela on the El Camino).

I was honored to have Taras fill out my certificate. He is originally from Ukraine and he has been in Rome studying and working since Jan 2022. When I pointed out my clothing (blue shirt, yellow shorts), he smiled a big, happy smile. Ignore my face, I was extremely hot and tired by the time I arrived.

Once I received my certificate, I was so excited to enter Saint Peter’s Basilica and view the Pietà. One of Michelangelo’s masterpieces. Breathtaking. I’ve seen it before but this time was different. The whole place and experience were different inside the church. Not because the church or its relics have changed but because I have.

I walked around the church for a little bit before making my way to the gift shop/post office to buy a postcard for my dad. The Vatican is its own country and has its own stamps and zip code so it’s a fun place to send a postcard if that’s your thing.

Next, I went to the Airbnb to shower and then buy pair of shoes. These are cute, don’t you think?

I walked around the city and enjoyed my evening. I went by the Spanish Steps and my favorite spot, the Trevi Fountain. A kind lady took my photo but she clearly has a very different view of the world than I do…and I kind of like it!

Rome is packed with tourists. Thankfully, I’ve been here many times and plan to come back again so I wasn’t too upset that I didn’t have time to be a typical tourist.

When I left the Airbnb this morning, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. It’s very weird to be wearing my dress and backpack instead of hiking clothes.

I’ve already left Rome and I’m at my friend Tony’s (not pictured in the photo) house in Abruzzo. We went to a dinner party at his friend’s house as soon as he picked me up. We ate and ate…plates and plates of mussels with different toppings, pesto, tomato & onion, mixed with pasta, etc. Plus dessert and a digestive drink. I’m going need to go hiking tomorrow to work off all these calories!

One last story before I go. While I was waiting on my laundry this morning, I walked around the area and found a great little shoe store. At the last minute, I thought it might be wise to buy some nice sandals instead of always wearing my flip-flops now that I’m mixing with civilization again…also I needed something to go with the two new lightweight dresses I bought in Rome as well. I digress.

I LOVE, absolutely love people who are good at what they do. I don’t care what you do for a living, but be good at it. Become the best. Learn your craft and give it all you’ve got.

Let me tell you about Guido. Guido, is hands down the best shoe salesman I’ve ever met. He was a calm and patient man…kind of blended in with the walls of you know what I mean. He was subtle. Another salesman was helping me look at shoes but I wasn’t really finding what I wanted and I could tell he didn’t really care what I bought it as long as he got the money. Guido nonchalantly walked over with a pair of shoes and said, “Why don’t you try these.” In a non-pushy way, he went on to say, “The color looks good with your skin, the leather is super soft, and these will look nice on your long feet (i. e. “Big feet”).” He was right! I loved them immediately. And they were everything he said…especially soft!

I knew he knew what he was doing so I kind of drifted away from the other salesman to ask Guido about the tennis shoes I just bought..and not from him. After all the walking, my feet (not the skin but the nerves) are a little sensitive. These new sneakers don’t have a ton of cushion so I asked him what I could do. He pulled out a pair of €4 regular insoles (not gels or anything fancy) and showed me how to use them. So, listen closely because I’m only sharing this tip once. He said, the secret to adding more comfort is to remove the original insole, place the extra padding at the bottom and reinsert the original insole on top. That way, the one that is designed for the shape of the foot will still be comforting your sole but now you have extra padding and cushion.” BRILLIANT!

Earlier, I actually looked at gel insoles in the pharmacy but they were €30 and I was sure they would work. So for €4, I not only got the insoles but a clever tip on how best to use them. I thanked Guido immensely for his help and advice and I love my new shoes!

I’m so happy I walked part of the the Via Francigena. I had some wonderful experiences and met so many lovely people. I hope I was able to convey the beauty of this pilgrimage. Thank you for walking with me on this journey. 🙏 I hope you got a little something positive out of it too.

Goodnight and much love & gratitude from Italy! 🇮🇹