September 14th 2023, it will be a day which I will never forget. What a rollercoaster of emotions.
The day before after a long day of hiking, I arrived in the Roman suburb of La Storta. The car-oriented town along the Via Cassia doesn't really have a central square. It is a collection of houses and businesses. The sun had set and I was looking for my last hotel when Caat jumped from behind a building. What a great surprise to see her again after two months. Suddenly I also realised the end of my hiking adventure was really near. When I woke up on September 14th, I was super excited. That night, I would be arriving on Saint Peters square after 1136km. I almost forgot it was also my birthday. My thirties were over, I was 40 years old now. I put all my gear in my smelly backpack for the last time. When I came down, my good friend Tairrie and her mom were already waiting for me. A bit later, a taxi stopped and more friends and colleagues jumped out. It was just waw. I would walk the final 19km in good company. My sister had ordered t-shirts so we even had a special outfit. The weather was perfect, a bit overcast and not too warm. Suddenly, I didn't have to talk to myself anymore. The first stretch of the walk was along the busy Via Cassia. There was a safe sidewalk and with so many nice conversations, the 5km were behind us before I knew. Then the path entered the Insugherata Nature Reserve. This undeveloped park makes you forget you are close to a busy city. Suddenly, we were surrounded by trees and bird songs. When we stopped for a little break next to a creek, we had a fascinating encounter. An American couple came from the opposite direction. The woman had spent her childhood in Rome. Without any warning, she popped out the ashes of her father who passed away in 2006. She asked us to say ciao to papa and seconds later, threw the ashes into the air. The man had found his last resting place and we had been part of this special moment. This only happens on a pilgrimage. When we all left the park, the sun came out and there was a steep climb. At the top, we were all in for lunch. We stopped at a little snack bar and almost bought all there was. When I stood up, I was only 8km from my finish line. In between sits the Monte Mario Park. From this green hill, you get stunning views over Rome. Here, I got my first view of the majestic dome of the St Peter's basilica. I had been walking to this place for 2 months. What was left, was a steep descent towards the city center. Everybody of the group did great. I couldn't have wished for better hiking partners. Once down, we came to the wide and green boulevard Viale Angelico. Following this street would lead me straight to St Peters square. It is hard to describe what I felt during these last 2km. I got some flashbacks to the hardest and most intense moments. Very soon, it would all be over. But yes, I was ready to arrive. My friends let me walk ahead through the Porta Angelica and onto the gigantic square towards the world famous obelisk in the middle. Mathis, the son of my sister came running towards me. There were so many more people, friends and family. And balloons and champagne. Waw! I didn't know who to hug first. So grateful that so many people came. I had made it. I had been convinced I could do it and I had been sure it was impossible, but in the end, I did it. It was so overwhelming that for a while, I forgot to drop my backpack. I definitely have the best friends and family in the world. To recover from all emotions, we went to a bar nearby for a drink. No more walking the Via Francigena in the next days, I had crossed the finish line. Later when I arrived in The Bricks guesthouse where I would stay for a couple of nights together with family and friends, the people at reception had found out about my long hike. They gave us a warm welcome, took pictures and offered us a bottle of prosecco. We opened it for a little celebration on the rooftop terrace. That night, excitement and emotions were too strong to sleep. Over the next days, almost 40 people would be in Rome to celebrate with me. On Friday, Caat had organised a walk through Rome. There is no place like this city. History is everywhere. In three hours, we saw world famous places like the Trevi fountain, the pantheon, the Spanish steps and the Colosseum. Rome was extremely busy and hot. The air pollution made it sometimes hard to breathe. I would not be able to live in Rome, but for a couple of days, it is just amazing. There was something really important I still had to do on Friday: receive my testimonium completion certificate. According to my guidebook, I had to go to the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi. That's a tourist office close to St Peters square. The lady at reception could put a nice stamp from Rome in my passport, but couldn't give me my testimonium. According to her, I had to go inside the Basilica. Problem: there was a queue with hundreds of people waiting to enter. But what I didn't know was that pilgrims don't have to queue. With a pilgrims passport, you can go to a special entrance. There, you pass in front of everybody. You just have to go through security. I managed to take Caat with me, but once inside, we still had no clue where to go. After asking several times, we ended up at the desk where you can store your luggage while visiting the basilica. Security agents asked us to wait. Suddenly, a guy with a nice uniform showed up, checked my passport and wrote my certificate. It all happened in a matter of one minute, but for me, it was the official end of a two month hike. Caat and I decided to visit the basilica now we were there. The artworks in this massive church are stunning. We saw Michelangelo's pieta behind glass. The basilica was built above the tomb of Saint Peter. At 17h, a mass started in a corner of the basilica. We decided to join for 10min, but that was not ok for the security agents present. Once inside, you had to stay until the end. Only after the priest had been taken to the sacristy by three security agents, we were allowed to leave. Afterwards, it was time to celebrate with friends outside on a cosy terrace. On a sunny afternoon, Caat and I decided to cycle the first part of the ancient Via Appia. This is an old Roman road leading you away from the busy city center into the Roman countryside. It is a must do when in Rome. We rented bikes at one of the rental shops and off we went. Along the road, there are lots of things to discover from churches over catacombs to old Roman ruins. We cycled the first 16km. The bumpy cobblestones add a bit of adventure to the trip. It is just incredible to realise that people have been using this road for thousands of years. The old road is also the start of the Via Francigena south which leads from Rome to the southern tip of Italy. Another stunning 929km to walk. Maybe a new challenge for me in the years to come... Time passed by so quickly and before I knew, it was Saterday evening. To thank everybody who came to Rome, I had organised a private dinner for everybody on a special location. With taxis, we all went to the house of Debora at the top of Gianicolo hill. It is one of Rome's most romantic places to visit and it provides stunning views over the city. Debora made us amazing food and her husband turned out to be a great singer. The biggest surprise that evening would be for Caat. She did so much for me behind the scenes while I was walking. We have been together for 15 years. And so I decided earlier this year that this would be the moment. During my hike, I had hidden an engagement ring in my backpack. That night, I went on one knee and asked the big question. I have to admit, I was nervous. But she said yes and it was the most magical moment of our life. What made it even more special, was sharing it with so many amazing people on that beautiful location. The end! Not at all, rather a new beginning. I walked to Rome, I turned 40 and I'm engaged. Now I can't wait to see what the future will bring. But I can already say, more adventures and beautiful moments. Thank you to all the people who joined me in Rome. Thank you for all the messages and support. It is impossible to describe what it means to me. I walked to Rome by myself, but I couldn't have done it without my family and friends. In the end, my fundraising for Make a Wish reached the incredible amount of 1.815 euro. That is more than 1,5 euro for every kilometer. Thank you to everyone who donated. I will contact everybody in the days and weeks to come and I will also follow up with Make a Wish. But one thing is 200% certain: the money will be used for beautiful things which will make a huge difference in the lives of children with a life threatening illness. On September 20th after 6 magical days in the eternal city of Rome, Caat and I started our camper which was parked next to The Bricks guesthouse. We drove the busy Via Aurelia until we reached the highway and waved goodbye to the stunning capital of Italy. The end of another incredible adventure, but also a new beginning. I plan to make a book about my road to Rome. So as I said, no end, but more to come. Live your dreams! Nothing is impossible if you believe in it and fight for it. Don't worry too much, sometimes you just have to jump and see where you land. Because one thing is certain: life is short. You can always earn money, but you will never be able to buy extra time.
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AuthorMy name is Dimitri and I'm turning 40 in 2023. Through the years, I have tried to live my dreams. Everything is possible, the sky is the limit as long as you believe in your dreams and work hard to make them happen. Do what you never did before. Go where you have never been before. It will be scary, but it will also be worth it! Archives
July 2024
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