{"id":3716,"date":"2017-07-03T18:53:23","date_gmt":"2017-07-03T18:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/2ndcupoftea.com\/?p=3716"},"modified":"2017-07-03T18:53:23","modified_gmt":"2017-07-03T18:53:23","slug":"as-i-walk-out-one-midsummer-morning-the-via-francigena-to-rome-see-you-in-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/2ndcupoftea.com\/?p=3716","title":{"rendered":"As I Walk Out One Midsummer Morning… The Via Francigena to Rome (See you in September)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWell when I write my book, and tell the tale of my adventures – all these little stars that shake out of my cloak – I must save those to use for asterisks!\u201d <\/em>
\n\u2015 Edmond Rostand, <\/em>Cyrano de Bergerac<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I<\/strong>n 1352 a wealthy London merchant paid a man twenty pounds to go on a pilgrimage in his stead. So, complete with a small fortune, off the medieval equivalent, not perhaps of a body, but surely a\u00a0soul<\/em> double, set. His destination; Mount Sinai…<\/p>\n

In 2017, having postponed for many years, and for many reasons, I have no desire to pay anyone to walk for<\/em> me. My<\/em> destination; Rome, and each and everyone of the intervening 1900 kilometres from Canterbury along the ancient Via Francigena. The time has finally come for me to do this. And to do it alone. Two months, 31 kilometres per day (I think), one tent, one backpack, one heavy heart, one confused mind, two feet.<\/p>\n

I am not bringing anything with me. Anything technological that is; no wifi, no phone, no email, camera, nothing. Just a guide book and a compass. Oh and pen and paper of course.<\/p>\n

This therefore is my farewell<\/em>…<\/p>\n

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I could not be writing in greater contrast to what lies ahead, typing these words as I am in the simply sumptuous, splendid Hotel Danieli in Venice. But come Friday luxury ends…<\/p>\n

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Lubricating my thoughts, as I write, is a double figured prosecco (the price, not the quantity I hasten to add) sipped in luxurious medieval surroundings. Medieval, but complete with the most civilised of nods to the 21st century, air conditioning – keeping at bay the plus 30 degrees that await\u00a0outside. Here the olde worlde revolving doors separate the exclusive from the mass.<\/p>\n

Speaking of revolving doors, I once read that the definition of a parasite is someone who walks through such a set of doors on someone else’s push. If I make it across the channel, down through France, Switzerland, across the Alps and down the spine of Italy to St Peters in Rome, it will be entirely off my own push. My own, and that of the ‘push’ of life.<\/p>\n

\"Via-Francigena-Signposts-In-Italy-2012\"<\/p>\n

Once when I was a younger guide than I am today, I lead tours to Vezelay Cathedral in Burgundy France. I used to tell my guests that from below its imposing walls, here the first crusade was preached. What followed were centuries of pilgrimages. From somewhere (no google or wikipedia back then) I had even dug up the fact which I eagerly shared that even murderers would set off for the the Holy Land, as by completing their journey in chains, even they could be forgiven.<\/p>\n

Why am I doing this? Forgiveness comes into it. In fact forgiveness, is a big big part of it. Religion does not (yet). Time to think, to escape, the physical challenge, meditation, sore feet, the nature – yes, surely the nature and the hours and hours of solitude that awaits on the paths of Europe. But the world has changed and these days do a little research into modern pilgrimages and you’ll likely come across references to people walking in order to forgive others,\u00a0<\/em>rather\u00a0than themselves being forgiven.<\/p>\n

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I planned this walk, following in the hoof steps (he did not walk) of Sigeric, archbishop of Canterbury who kept a journal, recording where he stopped, in AD 990. As I did so a few years ago it was merely with the purpose of this forming first hand experience for my historical novel about Medieval pilgrimages. If you are going to write about it, you must do it. But today, I acknowledge that, from somewhere, this early memory from Vezelay and its link to forgiveness has stayed with me.\u00a0There is nothing hypothetical in something as wrenchingly difficult as forgiveness, and the, albeit medieval, idea that one can actually do<\/em> something – one can act, change ones fate, destiny and, even if I don’t believe in the heavenly, then at least the earthly, possibility of forgiveness through a jolly long walk is a notion that inspires me to act, to walk.<\/p>\n

In answer to the question I have been asked most frequently, when explaining my journey to people, close to 200.000 people a year walk the ‘Camino’ through Spain. Two hundred thousand. \u00a0And that’s<\/em> why I am not. In a ‘good’ year around 1000 walk the Via Francigena – and indeed most of those, only stages. I hope to be as alone as possible.<\/p>\n

People set off for so many reasons. All are by definition walkers, but could it be that though I too will set off as a walker, I might arrive as a pilgrim?<\/p>\n

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\"francigena-map\"<\/p>\n

Recent events have left me more confused and hurt than ever by my fellow human beings. It is fair to say, however dramatic it may sound, that I feel with every day that passes I feel literally less and less ‘good’ at living. At life. ‘This life, well it’s slipping right through my hands. These days turned out nothing like I had planned…’ I have added at the end the song that will accompany on my walk (I have bought a small mouth harmonica for company) – it says, better than any others I know, how I feel. And though the troubles and accusations that have now been aimed at me, will still lie waiting for me upon the conclusion of this walk, I hope, somewhere along the paths I will tread, I will find the strength and wisdom to face them. To understand how one is supposed to live<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As a priest once told me, just to want<\/em> to forgive is a great beginning. Today I received today an email from another priest. It read as follows:<\/p>\n

We will be delighted to welcome you to Canterbury Cathedral on Friday.\u00a0They will be expecting you at Christchurch Gate. Just tell them you are coming to collect a pilgrim\u2019s passport.\u00a0If you would like to meet our chaplain and perhaps have a blessing please do ask when you collect your passport.<\/em><\/p>\n

I would<\/em> like to and I will<\/em> ask at the time of collecting my passport. I’ll take the blessing, any blessing.<\/p>\n

It’s time to go. On Friday I finally set off. What awaits I have no idea, but as the wonderful Laurie Lee said;<\/p>\n

‘As I walked out one Midsummer morning…’<\/p>\n

(…to be continued…. insha’Allah<\/i>)<\/em><\/p>\n