Despite the tiredness of yesterday the walk today went well. As I left my accommodation I saw the pilgrims I met last night having breakfast overlooking the view of Holy Valley, which I have to admit was rather beautiful this morning - way better than in the rain of yesterday!
It was almost as tricky getting out of Poggio Bustone as getting in but once I'd found the right stairs with some help from someone I was on my way.
I've now practiced a new phrase: "Mi dispiace ma non parlo molto Italiano" - I'm sorry but I don't speak much Italian. Useful when you ask where a road is and you get a flurry of Italian directions!
I made good time through to a little town called Candelice where I stopped for a cappuccino. It was nice to have the time to take a moment with a coffee before carrying on with the walk as I knew the sanctuary where I was going was closed between 12 and 2.30pm so I was not in any particular rush. And that helped me do the walk today in a different frame of mind. Yesterday was more about getting to the end in one piece but today was about the journey. And I was able to appreciate the views, the parts through the forest and the stunning cloud formations a lot more than on previous days.
However, no matter how beautiful this cloud was, it was a precursor to one of the most spectacular thunderstorms I've ever experienced. Thankfully the rain was just spotting as I arrived at the Santurio Delle Foresta and I was able to go inside before the heavens opened and the thunder and lightning began.
As I arrived what was truly lovely was hearing some acapella singing coming from the chapel beside me. I did try and record it but whilst you can hear some of the singing the predominant sound is my breathing as I'd just climbed a short sharp set of stairs to get there and with the rain on its way and my coat still in the rucksack I'd gone quickly and this meant I was now breathing rather heavily!
What was lovely was how much the singing sounded like the brothers at the Franciscan Friary in Plaistow all those years ago and it took me right back!
The singing turned out to be a group of young people there on a visit but they didn't stay long and almost straight away I was shown round with an American chap, Ken, by Raphael, one of the residents.
In the chapel there is an altar that is original to the time of St Francis:
I wonder what of our churches today might remain after 800 years?!
Then Raphael took us around the centre. Showing us yet another cave that Francis prayed in for 4 months - why did he have such a thing about caves?!
Praying in caves is not something I'm thinking of taking up any time soon! But having somewhere special to pray can be helpful to focus the mind, but then the process of walking has helped me over these past 8 days and I'm wondering how I might continue to incorporate that on my return from this pilgrimage.
Interestingly Ken shared that he'd started the pilgrimage in Florence but had given up part way as his idea of pilgrimage included time in nature and he'd found the relentless nature of walking day after day, arriving exhausted and starting again hadn't worked out for him. I have to say the exhausted thing resonated with me, but for me, the being outside and not having any agenda except to get to the end of each day has been incredibly freeing!
After Raphael had shared that he is part of a community called Mondo X - an Italian non-profit association that runs various communities, particularly for people struggling with drug addiction or facing other challenges - he and just three others live a self-supported lift on site at Santurio Delle Foresta, hosting visitors and looking after the place without internet and only limited communication with family.
Ken then did a lovely thing. He asked Raphael what his favourite food was and he said mussels. As Ken is now driving around visiting the places he would otherwise have gone to on foot and he drove to Rieti and bought some and brought them back as a gift! What a generous thought that made me consider just how I might have responded if I'd not been on foot!
When Raphael had shown us around and Ken had headed off for a second time, I waited whilst the rain fell and the thunder rolled - hence getting rather chilled! But Santurio Delle Foresta is a beautiful place even in a storm so I didn't really mind too much - but I was glad when my taxi arrived to whisk me down the hill to my hotel. I did spend some time thinking as I listened to the loud thunder and watched the bright flashes of lightening about Elijah and how God wasn't in the earthquake, wind or fire but was a still small voice and how I've heard that voice as I've walked and thought these past days perhaps in a way I've not had the opportunity for in quite a while due to life just being busy. And I did also think of the pilgrims heading north and hoping they made it though to Piediluco without getting too drenched!
I continued my thinking as I popped out to explore Rieti briefly to visit the Duomo and managed to find the centre of Italy too!
I ended the day with some delicious pizza and now I'm resting my tired legs ahead of the walk to Poggio son Lorenzo tomorrow. I'm also hoping the weather will be ok - if it's anything like this afternoon I might be considering finding a bus or a train!
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| A beautiful evening after a dreadfully wet afternoon |
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| There's snow on the mountains! |
Oh - now I'm in Rieti this marks the end of the second stage of my walk. I've just checked my spreadsheet (of course I have a spreadsheet!!) over the past 10 days I've walked approximately 170.44km/105.9 miles! The final stage begins tomorrow and in a way, this feels a bit sad because this time will soon be over, but on the other hand, I am also joyfully not only because of what I've already achieved but because my destination of Rome, whilst not yet quite in sight, is definitely getting closer!!
