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Italy 2026 – Days 3 and 4
Day 3 begins our actual pilgrimage Jo on the Via Francigena, starting in Monteriggioni. Unlike the Camino de Santiago in Spain, which gets over 350,000 pilgrims a year, this trail probably gets less than 20,000 per year. As a result, the hiking is more rugged with almost no support stops. So, packing enough water is essential. That said, we did meet three other pilgrims at breakfast this morning – Mikhail and Angelica from Milan, and Larch from Scotland. All three were hiking two segments of the VF, the segments before and after Monteriggione. We met a few other pilgrims on the trail today who were doing the same thing. So,…
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Italy and the Via Francigena – Days 1 and 2 – May 18th and 19th
This trip will be the first of many father-son trips I hope to take with each of my sons every three years. Davis chose this itinerary based a trip we took thirteen years ago. That trip, the first my family took to continental Europe, took us to parts of France and Italy before spending time in Tuscany. One of the small towns we explored was Monteriggioni, nestled between the cities of Florence and Siena. While in Monteriggioni, Davis and I ventured out and discovered a portion of the famous Via Francigena – a historic, 1,200-mile pilgrimage route stretching from Canterbury, England, to Rome, Italy. Thirteen years ago while on…
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Preparing for Via Francigena and Rome 5.9.26
Thirteen years ago, my family and I took our first trip to continental Europe. We had been to the British Isles several times, but our trip in 2013 was our first to the continent. We landed in London and took the Chunnel to Paris. After a few days in Paris, we took the train to Colmar, spent some time in Alsace, before taking a train through Switzerland to Milan, Italy. We then spent the rest of our trip in Northern Tuscany with time in Florence, Lucca, the Mediterranean Coast and the small walled hill town of Monteriggioni, nestled between the cities of Florence and Siena. While in Monteriggioni, Davis and…
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Things to do in Boston and Maine 5.8.26
I put this together for some of Elizabeth’s friends who are traveling to Boston and Maine soon. I thought I would share it with you. F First of all, Boston has been one of my favorite cities to visit even before Davis and Bridget lived there for 7 years and before our grandchildren were born there. It is a big city that feels like a small city, but has all the culture of a large city. Brookline This is where Davis and Bridget lived for 7 years. Just west of Fenway Park, Brookline, and especially Coolidge Corner is a great little area to walk around in. Davis and Bridget lived…