The airco kept my dorm room at a nice temperature through the night. I slept really well. In this B&B, rooms don't have numbers but names. Dimi slept in room Dina. And I had a new roommate. Her name was Ines and she was from Paris. We had a chat together in the garden. I ate yoghurt and a banana, she had a cigarette. Ines is an architect and she had been travelling through southern Italy by train. Tonight, she would catch up with friends in Lucca. The man who was working in the hostel this morning was named Luka. Amazing name if you live in Lucca. Ines and I checked out together, waved goodbye and both went our seperate ways.
I was excited to walk the streets of Lucca one more time. There is a different vibe in the morning. Restaurant staff is setting up the tables and rubbish collectors are emptying the bins. It was already busy at the piaza dell Anfiteatro. Lucca has some fascinating museums. There is one on the history of torture. Sadly, I had no time. I did take a moment to visit the cathedral San Martino. This is the first church on my walk where I have to pay an entrance fee. Honestly, I understand. It is the only way for the city to manage the crowd going in. And 3 euro is not too bad. Everything inside is stunning, from floor to ceiling. And for those with an eye for detail, somewhere on an outside wall, you can find a carved labyrinth. To end my visit in style, I decided to walk on the fortification walls for a while. It was nice in the shade under the trees. I passed the botanical garden before reaching la porta Elisa. This was the place where I would leave this beautiful city behind. It was already noon and the temperature had gone up to 36 degrees. A bit cooler than yesterday and it made a difference. As soon as you leave the historical center, the tourists are gone and the prices are lower. But you end up in a very busy residential area. Today I would do 18km of roadside walking through the busy plain of Lucca. Some people skip this stage by taking a bus, but not me. Not everything in life is fun. And to reach the best part, you often have to go through a difficult part. The same counts for a pilgrimage. So off I went or not. After 500m, I followed a sign for pilgrims on a bike and ended up on the wrong street. Back to start. My second attempt went well. The first 6km to Capannori can be split in two. Three kilometer along a busy road and 3 kilometer on a cycle path. I crossed a lady and she started talking to me. No worries, she said, as from tomorrow, the landscape will become stunning. Capannori is a suburb of Lucca with a nice grass field with trees in the center. There was a bar open where I bought an energy drink and a croissant. The owner changed my drink for one in the fridge. I needed it. To cool off, I had lunch in the back of the church. Hundreds of people in Lucca cathedral, nobody in this church. And this one was free and very beautiful as well. Time to continue. Maybe the road would become more fascinating. Not. Heading for Porcari, I had to cross an industrial zone. I didn't mind, there was still lots to see. After 5km, I reached the city center. The white church is situated on a hill above town. I climbed the hill for fun, but the church was closed. From the top, I could still see the hills of the Apuan Alps around. On the main street, there was a pasticceria open. They had airco and I decided I deserved something extra today. So I went for cake and coke. By now, it was already 17h and it started to cool a bit outside. I continued to follow the road on a pink sidewalk. After crossing a big road, I ended up on the first unpaved road of the day. Happiness! Along this road, I was surprised to find a little memorial monument for Cor Vanlaer, a pilgrim from Antwerp who suddenly collapsed and died here in june 2015. A bit later I passed an archeological site in Badia Pozzeveri. On the terrace of the adjoining hostel was the Italian couple I had met a couple of times. They had decided to continue a bit longer on the Via Francigena. My day was almost coming to an end. Two more kilometers along the road before reaching Altopascio. I first went to my hotel with the beautiful name Cavalieri del Tau. That was a semi military order that was founded here in 1070. There was nobody at reception, but on the desk, there was an envelope with my name. And in that envelope was the key to my room 309. I even found the pilgrim stamp for my passport. On the third floor, I had a nice view on the famous tower of Altipascio. I dropped my backpack, went to the supermarket and afterwards with my last energy of the day, went back into the city to have a look. Around the tower are three squares that form the little charming old town. In the old days, this was the location of the castle and the pilgrim hospital. I called it a day and went back to my hotel for food, shower and rest. Five more days to reach Siena. Tomorrow, I start with a 28km hike through the first rolling hills of Tuscany to San Miniato. It was Friday night and some youngsters were driving around the streets with scooters making lots of noise. As long as they keep it safe and have fun. They wouldn't keep me awake.
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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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