Journeys with Johnny

Background I was playing golf earlier this week with the Chairperson of a very important non-profit organization in our community when I told him that I was leaving for a two-week trip to the Republic of Georgia. Having travelled all over the world himself, he asked, “What in the heck made you decide to go to Georgia? Over the next 16 holes, I told him in bits and pieces why I chose to go to Georgia. There is also an episode of the show “Feeding Phil” on Netflix where the host visits Tbilisi, the capital of that wonderful country.  It is worth the watch.  Phil opens the episode with “Most…

Our 7th and final day on the Via Francigena took us from the shore of Lake Bolsena to the hilltop town of Montefiascone, navigating the crest of hills that surround the eastern side of the Lake. We encountered a greater variety of landscapes than on other days, with dense woods as well as open fields.  One of the sacred spots along the trail was a 20-foot waterfall. We sat at the top and enjoyed the sound of the rushing water while soaking in the cold misty air.  Like many of the hill towns we stayed in, we had to hike uphill for the last part of our walk. Upon entering…

It’s very early on a Sunday morning here in southern Tuscany as I sip tea on the veranda of our apartment at La Selvella. I am processing or attempting to process the two days we just experienced. I listen to the birds sing and chirp to each other and cherish the crisp morning air as the sun makes its presence known as it peeks over a nearby Tuscan hill. This place is so peaceful and beautiful.  Due to three blisters on my feet and the fatigue in our legs we are not hiking the full 20 miles to Proceno. Instead, we took a morning transfer to Ponte a Rigo, shortening our hike to 10 miles. I…

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 on 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…

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…