Day 23 La Storta to Rome St Peters

21 kms to Rome
19 kms walked today( I'll explain)
520.5 kms walked!!!!! Finito

Today was a messy walk

The first 7 kms was along an arterial road, swapping from side to side to get a footpath or shade. This can be a scary process. Then we entered a Regional Park for about 5kms. Don't think manicured lawns or walking track through nature. Think derelict buildings, dumped rubbish, blackberry brambles and wasteland. But also think 🦊

A flock of 🐑 with shepherd, one border collie .

and two maremma's

We then entered city streets, past a few gypsy style appartment buildings then up an extremely steep 50metres to a working class area and a welcome bar stop surrounded by the always present old men sitting and chatting (without drinks).

We then entered more affluent areas with cafes and shops in chaotic streets. We passed the Scottish women at a cafe and pressed on as it was already HOT.

It was here that we made our biggest error of the walk 😂. We were meant to enter Monte Mario Park for about 6kms but by missing a turn we descended through the park on a busy road with no footpath (walked in by wire fences) and surrounded by litter of all types and sizes. We then had to navigate across a highway and slip roads to get back to the Via Francigina. So we missed the views of Rome from the park and saw Rome's underbelly.

The silver lining in all this was we saved over two Kms of expected walking. We then navigated about three kms of suburb to arrive without further incident.

Alive, uninjured highly satisfied and tired but

Still smiling

No one game to guess eh!

Hint
The ancients would have turned it off

PS I would love to know about our American readership. Do we know you? If not happy to do introductions and answer any questions.
Leave us a comment!
Ross

Day 22 Campagnano di Roma to La Storta

41 kms to Rome
23.1 kms walked today
501.5 kms walked so far

Nearly there and a photo to prove it.

Today was the last of the rural walking as we finish in an outer suburb of Rome. The walk was uneventful. No sign of any of our earlier companions. The only walkers we saw were a group of 4 Scottish women, walking the last 120kms which is the minimum needed to get their certificates.

Our room for the night was in a convent attached to a school and another large building in a complex with high walls. We entered with a little uncertainty as it was not signposted well. In the reception a tiny nun sat behind a huge counter. She telephone someone and advised that dua Pellegrini's (pilgrims) were here. She immediately returned to other duties and we waited, and waited and waited. After ten or fifteen minutes another tiny nun arrived.

She smiled warmly and spoke English fairly well. What followed created the longest check in in history. She asked us where we were from. Her sister lives in Bankstown. She showed us the best route into the city, she endorsed our pilgrims passports, she made us a coffee and tea, gave us water, told us about breakfast and after close to an hour, showed us to our room.

Several times she said finito before remembering something else and apologising for her English repeatedly. She was very welcoming in a very natural way.

The room was clean neat and cool in a hallway that reeked of silence and tranquility. 

When we left the grounds and went into La Storta we found the opposite.

We were assaulted by heat, traffic and garbage. This was a most untranquil suburb, dominated by cars and garbage.

The Italians do rubbish like experts. They usually don't have household bins but community ones. This is very efficient but a disaster when capacity is overloaded as it is seen as the towns problem as rubbish piles higher and higher. We frequently saw very large (metres high) piles of small plastic rubbish bags.
I wish there were less humans but
Still smiling

Day 21 Capranica to Campagnano di Roma

76 kms to Rome
16.8 kms walked today
478.4 kms walked so far

Leaving Capranica used a method of travel that may not exist in Australia.
But I'll drop that crypic line of conversation. I walked in sandals and socks today and felt closer to Clare's pommie relatives. It worked well to protect my blistered toes but needed to much concentration to avoid stones from the path.

We passed more deserted farmhouses.
These have been a constant companion. Some are quite substantial buildings deserted recently whilst some may be decades or possibly centuries old. We have thought possibly casualties of wartime depopulation or possibly farm consolidation.

We had nearly fifteen Kms today with no villages and so we went to an Alimentation to buy some food for lunch. They clearly like their wine.

Still smiling

Guess, help and more

Clue - this was our next photo

Also

Guess what you get in a Dill Salad

       

Dill

Animals

A deer and a wild boar ( for •5 sec) each.
Two live and 3 dead snakes.
A stoat - possibly a baby.
Many cuckoo sounds
Two hares
A woodpecker hole with chicks

Capranica - Deliverance or Deliverance!

We arrived at our B&B about a kilometre out of town. Right at the deserted factory, up the dirt track, passed the enormous piles of rubbish in individual plastic bags.
The gate was closed, an intercom button at the side almost covered in weeds. The gate began to open so we hesitantly, walked in. Three cars were randomly parked in the dirt. One may have been derelict, they were all past their prime. A young man walked from the house and greeted us. He was obviously a little uncomfortable. He gave an order to a teenage girl who disappeared around the house.
A dishevelled older man hovered in the background.
What were we in for!
The property looked like it had been decaying for twenty years.
Once a proud country residence, now clinging to a memory. Down crumbling steps a large swimming pool had a hose running. It would be full in about a week. Statues of gods surrounded the pool, moss covering the marble.

Our room was up a narrow staircase, our packs just filling the available gap.

The room was Spartan but airy, towels threadbare, air conditioner without a controller, duress button near the door.

After ✋ ing over our passports we collapsed on the bed (our usual, exhausted, practice).

We had originally arranged to eat dinner here as the walk back to town seemed somewhat daunting.

Now I had visions of being drugged by the deranged father or handed food that would send us to a bad place.

Instead being Deliverance the movie, it turned out to be deliverence the reality.

We emerged after our hot refreshing showers to the offer of beers on a courtyard overlooking the pool. The young man (son) had disappeared and our host was the father who spoke French happily with Clare.

Dinner was a home cooked feast.

The daughter and father cooked in a large outdoor clubhouse. We were offere beer or wine and asked to sit to a plate of Bruschetta and a plate of soft white cheese and sliced tomatoes ( both delicious). A basket of bread was also on the table.

Next came a large bowl of pasta.

Spaghetti with basil and hazelnut pesto. Was this "prima", we had eaten to much with a set menu at the festival the night before, so we were cautious. Yes, secondi arrived in the form of grilled pork steak and green salad. Next came a bowl of 🍑 and coffee. All delicious - Wow!!

Our host was clearly delighted to help us. Breakfast was plentiful and personal, the bill was a very pleasant surprise, and then he drove us to a great spot directly on the route. We parted with handshakes and photos. Happy all round.

Still smiling