“There is a 100% chance that I would rather hike with a dog, than without.” – me
I felt like Olga (from yesterday’s post) this morning. Achy legs, achy feet, achy back, achy all over. I got my first blister today too, dang it!! Keep reading to the end to see how I got it and how to care for blisters on a cammino. It’s a trick an old Italian man taught me years ago.
I ran into Sarah (confirmed: with an “h”) from New Zealand on my way out of the nuns apartment complex. She had her own apartment as well. She was headed to see the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e San Giovanni Battista before hiking so I tagged along. The outside was gorgeous and extremely detailed but the inside was nothing much to write home about, in my opinion.
I also have a complaint for the Vatican. The VF is a Catholic pilgrimage and not one of the Cathedrals I have been to so far have had a pilgrim stamp. What’s the deal? Is there a hotline number I can call? I have feedback.
After our quick walk through the church (that did not have a pilgrim stamp) we looked for a cafe to grab some breakfast.
Lookie lookie what I found! A chocolate croissant! The first one since I’ve been in Europe! 🩷 It did not disappoint.
Sarah and I walked through town together and at the edge of the city parted ways knowing we would see each other later at the hostel.
Video preview of today’s hike.
I bopped along down the road solo, enjoying the views, taking too many photos, and daydreaming.
I looked up and noticed a street camera. It seemed out of place. I looked in the direction it pointed, over my left shoulder, and saw a man with a hiking backpack sitting in a children’s park. He was looking back at me. I said, “Buongiorno.” He quickly rattled off a bunch of Italian words that I didn’t understand. I walked into the park and we started chatting in English.
He introduced himself. Alessandro from Rome. Born and raised. “Ahhh, a true Roman man,” I said. He laughed.
He said his wife had forgotten her charger and took the bus back to the hotel to retrieve it, so he was waiting for her. Then he told me that I was headed in the wrong direction. Ha! Not the first time that has happened. I had been so in the moment that I forgot to check the map for a while. I should have made a left turn just before the park, so I wasn’t that far off but I was glad I ran into him when I did. I swear something or someone is always looking out for me. I have so many near misses.
The bus showed up a minute or two later and a young woman got off. Younger looking than me. I was a little confused and thought, “Whoa, Alessandro likes them young.”
The young woman was bubbly and jogged up the stairs into the park and introduced herself as Alessia…and she had her DOG, Maya, with her!
I didn’t have the heart to tell them, but these people were never going to get rid of me. A dog! I am not missing a chance to hike with a dog. All my dreams just came true in one day. Hiking in Italy with a DOG! Be still my heart.
I don’t care if they have snacks with poison in them, or are serial killers, or aren’t even hiking the Via Francigena, I’m following them wherever they go.
Meet Maya! 🐾❤️🇮🇹
Turns out Alessia is Alessandro’s oldest daughter. And Maya is the granddog. 🐾Miscommunication and language barriers can make for some funny storytelling sometimes.
I loved hiking with this father-daughter duo. They are absolutely lovely humans. They are dog people, what’s not to like? They are both incredibly intelligent, interesting, and worldly. They are kind, considerate, and overall just good company. Their English is perfect (minus the tiny wife/daughter mixup) so we talked for hours. I apologized for not being able to speak Italian fluently – I’m still working on it.
Alessandro is retired and was a physician. He lived in Philadelphia from 1978-1980 to do research. He told me about his time living in the US and how much he enjoyed it. He was quite accomplished in his career. And from what I’ve seen so far, he is a loving and devoted father.
Alessia is amazing! She was a researcher as well in the medical field. She is having a career change and has just accepted a new job at the United Nations. (She is now the second person I’ve met on this trip who works for the UN.) She starts in a little over a month, so they are walking a section of the VF for a week before that begins. Such a beautiful way to spend time together.
Today’s hike was a tough one. Lots of ups and downs in the mountains and it was h.o.t. The first really hot day I’ve experienced. To keep Maya cool, she got to swim several times in the streams and water tubs (no idea what they are called) along the way and we took a few breaks in the shade. Alessia is a good dog mom.
Alessandro had some homemade snacks in his bag. I assumed his wife made them but, no, he makes his own energy bars! He took such good care of us girls throughout the day making sure we were okay.
We walked together for several hours, and I really enjoyed their company but decided to take a rest and soak my feet like Maya. I wanted to give them their alone time to enjoy their father-daughter trip. I was a little sad to say goodbye but wanted to be respectful.
So, I copped a squat on the side of the road and put my feet in the freezing cold mountain water! It felt so good. I wanted to lie in it like a bathtub. It’s amazing what a few minutes in the shade, a drink of water, and a cold foot soak will do for the soul. It rejuvenated me and put a little pep back in my tired step.
If figured they were long gone by the time I was finished, but when I rounded the corner, I saw Alessia soaking her feet just a little upstream from me and I found Alessandro and Maya relaxing in the grass. Ha!
We carried on together and the views continued to be stunning! Being on the trail just above the cities with the mountains in the backdrop was like walking through a magical fairytale.
The descent into Nus was a steep one (watch the video, yikes!) but we made it. Our accommodations were about 10 minutes apart in opposite directions. Before we parted ways, Alessia and I swapped phone numbers so we could meet up later for dinner.
I finished the short walk into town alone. It was too early to check into the hostel so I found a bar (cafe) on the way and when I walked into the patio area, I saw another friendly face, Sarah from NZ.
I immediately took off my shoes at the bar and noticed I had a blister. Dang it. I never felt it and then I realized how it happened. I didn’t let my feet dry completely before slipping on my socks and shoes after soaking them in the stream. It caused some friction. So I did a little surgery at the hostel. I’ve found that the “needle and thread” technique works the best for me. I learned it from an old Italian man on one of my previous Caminos. If you want to see the surgery and current update, click here.
I also noticed that I have the start of hiker’s rash. Caused by my feet getting too hot. Basically, your body starts cooking from the inside and the blood vessels pop leaving red splotches. It is not painful, it’s just ugly…and probably isn’t good for the body. I’m a little surprised I have it because even though it was hot, I’ve been taking my shoes and socks off at breaks and soaking my feet in cold water. Aren’t self-inflicted wounds fun?
I met another American when I checked into my hostel tonight! Can you believe it? A really cute and friendly guy from Texas named Cameron.
The owner of Alessia’s Airbnb recommended Pizzeria Strapizzam so we met up for dinner and Sarah joined us. The waitress recommended we start with Pampanelle con lardo di Arnaud e Miele. Which is lard, fried pizza dough, and honey. Sounds wild but it was delicious! ❤️ This is something I never would have tired without a local encouraging me. I’m so glad I did!
And for the main meal, I ate an entire sausage, mozzarella, and tartufo (truffle) pizza. It was amazing. I LOVE truffle on just about anything. I have a little jar of truffle flakes at my dad’s house and sprinkle it on salads, burgers, etc. Yummy! Oh, and I also ate a small slice of Alessandro’s pizza. It had beetroot on it and he wanted me to try it. What a thoughtful gentleman. It was delicious!
You can’t beat a homemade pizza with truffle for €10.50. 🇮🇹❤️
Today was a great day! I went to bed physically tired and with a full stomach. What more does a person need?
Hiker stuff:
Day 3: Aosta to Nus, Italy
Mileage: 8.4 miles (13.5km)
Difficulty: Challenging
Much love & gratitude. Namaste 🙏
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I look like a cartoon character in this hat.
