Via di Francesco- Sansepolcro to Pietralunga

And then there was one

Man wearing a hiking backpack and carrying hiking poles, walking on cobblestone road. — Brian walking toward his bus, his train and ultimately his flight to the US.

Brian, my husband, best friend and better half, left Sansepolcro for Rome and then the United States. M&M, a German mom duo also departed the trail in the same city as Brian. M&H, our other hiking companions leaped frog ahead of us. When we, Brian, M&M and I, stopped in Badia Prataglia for the night, M&H continued on another 7 miles. The chances of me seeing them again are rather slim.

This hike is a pilgrimage for me. It is a journey of physical challenge and spiritual growth. Hiking solo, without Brian or our new companions, is difficult. But I am not alone. God is with me during every step, and I feel His presence. Brian, who is always in my heart, accompanies me as I navigate the emotional journey of this walk.

Sansepolcro to Citerna

The walk from Sansepolcro to Citerna has been was my least favorite to date. Partly because I was sad, but also because the walk itself was not enjoyable.

City roadway bordered by a pole with yellow arrow and Tao sign, marking the Via di Francesco route — The route from Sansepolcro

I trekked along busy roadways and under highways to exit the city. Then the roads took me through an industrial park. At this point, I did some thing I have never done before on any hike. Despite my belief that hiking is a time for quiet reflection, I listened to several podcasts about Saint Francis. My thoughts had been on repeat: “Brian went home”. The podcast helped busy my mind and got me from one point of the walk to another.

A brown and a black horse grazing on green grass

Blue grey skis, distant mountain silhouettes, grain field in the forefront.

The landscape began to change as I left the region of Tuscany and entered Umbria. I walked past a large, beautifully maintained horse farm and subsequent wheat fields. I stopped in a small community park to eat an apple and hydrate. Signs and statues of Saint Francis dotted my route.

Town welcome sign featuring a large cutout image of St Francis in brown robe, holding a white dove, with grey wolf sitting at his feet — Saint Francis, lover of nature and namesake of the pilgrimage, is depicted with the well wishes, “good walk, pilgrim”.

I could see my final destination on top of a mountain and I was not looking forward to the climb. It began to rain as I trudged up the steep dirt trail. I reached my destination, not feeling successful or happy. I was melancholy, and annoyed that I couldn’t shake my poor attitude.

Spotty fields in foreground, a cluster of European style buildings in the middle ground and a medieval town atop a small mountain in the background — The first view of Citerna in the distance.

Citerna is a quiet, quaint medieval town, with a central piazza, town hall, church, homes, a few shops and places to eat. I rented a small apartment, which was perfect for me to do laundry and reorganize my items and my future outlook.

Medieval buildings and bell tower bordering a small piazza — The church of Saint Michael the Archangel, the clock tower upper area of the main piazza

Medieval wall bordering the right side of an old stone street, old row homes along the other side. Gray rain clouds dull the sky — The church of Saint Michael the Archangel, the clock tower upper area of the main piazza

I wandered the streets to find a restaurant and asked some residents for a recommendation. They each pointed me to the same staircase that I had already walked up and down numerous times. In my unfamiliarity with these types of medieval towns, I didn’t realize the door on the center of the stairs was not a gate for the steps, but rather the entrance to the restaurant.

Outdoor stairway, with a door built into the side of a yellow building midway on the steps — The Belvedere Restaurant door that I mistook for a stairway gate

After dinner, I enjoyed the night view of the valley. I prayed for an easier next day and drifted off to sleep.

Navy night sky over a valley of distant city lights and foreground medieval houses — City lights of Sanseplocro in the distance with clusters of village lights throughout the valley

Citerna to Città di Castello

I began my day with prayer in the church of Saint Michael the Archangel. The doors had been locked the night before and I had hoped for a morning mass, but unfortunately it was not offered on that day. I wandered through the town streets along the pilgrimage route, enjoying the architecture and quietude. Stores, restaurants and historical buildings were still closed since I left early in the morning. As I neared the town’s southern gate, I noticed an open door beside a small church. I pulled on the heavy wooden door, but the church was locked. A nun gestured to me to wait as she unlocked the doors, granting me entrance to the small chapel of the convent. With her main language French and mine English, we stuttered through conversation in Italian. Somehow, we understood each other and I felt a light heart for the first time in 2 days. Her parting request to me was that I pray for her during my journey. She promised to pray for me as well and I began my downhill walk with renewed optimism.

The rain returned as I neared the valley floor, and I stopped under an enormous tree. Shielded from the weather, I put on my raincoat and covered my pack and another hiker stopped to do the same. We fell into step together and I was grateful for his swift pace. This new hiker had begun his journey the day before and planned to end in Assisi. Perhaps he will be a periodic companion over the next week.

Forging a new path around the closed trail route

Continuing through the countryside going up and down country roads, we stopped to greet a large group from Taiwan. They were resting and snacking under the shade of big tree. We chatted briefly but continued on until we hit a roadblock. The trail was closed, therefore we navigated through a big field to eventually reconnect to the trail at the top of the small mountain. My companion walked on as I stopped for a lunch break. I was barely alone for 5 minutes when the Taiwan crew appeared and engaged me in an unexpectedly lengthy conversation. They invited me to meet them at the bar in the upcoming town and I did. Rather than walk the remaining 4 miles of trail, they took a bus to our final destination, and I trekked on, once again alone, but smiling. Perhaps the nun in Citerna prayed the I not be lonely on my journey. The day passed quickly thanks to the companionship of others.

Crossing the Tiber River to enter Citta di Castello

Citta di Castello is a beautiful city, with double the number of residents and quadruple the square mileage of Sansepolcro. I arrived at my lovely apartment just before another major rainstorm converged on the city. After completing my evening chores (shower, laundry, reorganizing my pack, reading the guidebook and tomorrow’s map), I ran across the street to a vegan restaurant that offered allergy friendly foods. Oh my goodness, I ate so much food! Risotto, salad, soup and hummus. This was the first night that I slept like a log. My belly was full, I enjoyed pleasant conversation with strangers and my bed was extremely comfortable. I left the window shutters open and slept to the sound of the rain.

Città di Castello to Pietralunga

Cattedrale di San Florido, Citta di Castello

The sun shone brightly through the open shutters, and I awoke, feeling refreshed. I attended morning mass at the Cathedral, feeling great peace after a lengthy conversation with the parish priest. I had a new resolve for my pilgrimage. Each day would be a new walk, a day hike. I promised myself that I would embrace the path and people I passed with a joyful spirit. Saint Francis was known for his joyful outlook, regardless of his circumstances. Perhaps that is a lesson for me as I follow his footsteps throughout Italy.

Before exiting the city, I purchased fresh oranges and cherries at a local market stand. The owner grinned as he passed me my bag. “Buon Cammino!”, he shouted as I waved goodbye and walked away. Joy appears in the tiniest of actions.

What a long day! The “trail” was roadway that climbed to the mountain top, then oscillated between ascending and descending curves for miles of full sunlight. Despite the gorgeous views of neighboring mountains, valleys and unreal blue sky, the walk became monotonous. Oddly enough, the continuity of the road granted me stability.

As the road drastically began to descend. I found a little spot along the side to stop and eat. My new, swift-footed Italian friend arrived and we journeyed together, climbing the steep steps into Pietralunga, another medieval mountain top village. Lucky for us, it was a Friday and the town was setting up for a wine festival. We checked into our respective rooms and met an hour later for a glass of wine at the festival.

It was then that I saw M of the M&H partnership. I was excited to see him and he shared the sad news that H had returned to Germany due to a knee injury. He had assisted her in her travels home and was now back on the path to Assisi. A young couple that blew past me on one of the hill climbs was also in the piazza. We gathered together, strangers with a common goal: walking the way of Francis. Suddenly, I, the lone hiker, was one of a group of 5.

Wine, dinner, stories, laughter and a new resolve closed out my 11th day of the journey.