Category: Walk Updates

It has been a rather busy week of Rome-ing (finally being done with roaming), of travelling, graduating, and much more. Without beating about the bush, I must confess that I’ve not finished my reflections on the walk, and so the final final instalment of the blog will be delayed to next week. Sorry! A little… Read more

Months ago, in the Cathedral of Laon, there was a little exhibition explaining the history and significance of pilgrimage to visitors. They described the pilgrim staff as keeping pilgrims “steady in the way, and in the faith”. In some ways, I’ve come to disagree. I think that for me, the staff has rather been a… Read more

From talking to other pilgrims, it’s clear that many people setting off on this kind of journey are hoping for a single moment of epiphany – a simple and clear answer to the questions they either faced before setting out, or found along the way. My experience has been rather one of numerous little conclusions… Read more

I mentioned yesterday, that there have been few constants on this journey; every day is a new town, new scenery, new opportunities, and more often than not, a new group of people (at least on the last Italian stretch). Firstly, this makes the constants in the pilgrimage more special – the people who you do… Read more

The last three months have been, without a doubt, a truly incredible experience; not least because of the challenge (physical, linguistic, strategic, etc.), the opportunities for introspection, the company, the food (“and the wine!”), and ultimately because of the four wonderful countries I’ve had the privilege to walk through. The result has been a religious,… Read more

I’m very much aware that this is the beginning of the end for the walk – and it’s not going to be a clean, or particularly dignified final stretch either. Almost everything around me is falling apart. My clothes are patchy with bleaching from sun and sweat; they’re worn, and my pair of trousers is… Read more

Distance Walked:  1402 milesCurrent No. Blisters: 7 Tuscan hilltop hopping. If I had to describe the past week in a phrase, that would be it. The journey continued from Lucca, at the end of last week. I’d just finished with the Apeninnes and Apuan Alps, and indeed with a few touristic sights in the city… Read more

Distance Walked: 1150 miles Current No. Blisters: Could still be 2, but again I’m not actually sure! The first thing to mention on this update is that thanks to the hard work of the team at St Wilfrid’s, we now have a working JustGiving page for the Vestry Project, which this walk is in support… Read more

Distance Walked: 1071 miles Current No. Blisters: Maybe 2? Not sure! I didn’t notice until sitting down to write this entry that I’d crossed the 1000 mile marker, probably somewhere after the Abbey of Saint Albino, and mostly likely at five or six in the morning. But in any case, it’s something to celebrate; i.e.… Read more

Distance Walked: 962 miles Current No. Blisters: 0 I’ve been back on the trail three days now, having flown back to Italy on Tuesday, and slept another night at the same campsite in Saint Vincent. They seemed surprised to see me back (and shaven)! I left Saint Vincent at 06:00 on Wednesday, having already packed… Read more

Distance Walked: around 910 milesCurrent No. Blisters: 0 A week ago, I was writing from the Hospice of the Great Saint Bernard Pass. Indeed, my early afternoon arrival at the pass successfully raised the population up there by around 10%. The Hospice has a capacity of around a hundred and eighty people, if I remember… Read more

Distance Walked: around 875 miles, now going by the guidebook.Current No. Blisters: 1 [Sorry for the delay – I’ve now descended into Italy enough to find some phone signal! I can also say that I’ve joined Napoleon, and the illustrious group of people to have made part of the descent on my bottom.] It’s now… Read more

Distance Walked: 652 milesCurrent No. Blisters: 0! (Not zero factorial!) It was an early morning, starting in Gy last Saturday. And thank goodness too, because the walk to Besançon was rather punishing: constant climbing and decending on never ending hills (for the whole day, even something so small as a glimpse of Besançon was “always… Read more

Distance Walked: 537 milesCurrent No. Blisters: 1 It’s now been just over a month since I started this journey, all the way back in Sussex. That idea is somewhat incredible to me; only a month! At present, drinking a cup of tea, in Gy, on the approach to Besançon, and after that, will be pushing… Read more