This “Walking The Via Francigena” series of posts follow us, Gail and David, as we continue our walk along the Via Francigena pilgrimage route between Canterbury and Rome. In the fall of 2019, we completed the first leg from London to Canterbury, known as the Chaucer Way, and onward to the small town of Tergnier, France and in 2022 we completed Part Two of our pilgrimage, which took us from Tergnier to Gy, just south of Besançon.
Part Three of our trek is underway once again, this time taking us from Gy, through Switzerland, over the Saint Bernard Pass and into northern Italy, ending our walk in Fidenza.
Be sure to click the play button on Today’s Trailside Chat With David and Gail below to listen to our discussion of the day’s events.
Walk Date: Sep 10, 2023
Distance: 27.8 km
Elevation Gain: 227 m
Read on to view today’s photos and listen to our trailside chat. At the end, there’s an interactive map showing our complete Part Three route and a comment section.
Today’s Trailside Chat With Gail and David
Click any image below to view a full-screen slideshow.
Overview map of the route from Gy to Fidenza.
Congratulations, Gail and David!
You two are awesome — very interesting coverage of the journey.
Enjoy your transition from pilgrims to tourists!
Cheers!
Janet and Jon
Thanks guys. We are transitioning nicely from walking to Parmesan, prosciutto and aperol spritz’s.
Congratulations on making it to the end of this year’s journey. Will miss your daily journal.
Thanks Neil, for following along and all your nice comments.
Congratulations!! My nephew is a letter carrier, 45 years old. We had a family memorial today for his uncle who passed July 8. In our conversation at dinner, he was saying he walks 21 km a day. Of course, I thought of you! He walks a nice flat route, not like yours, up hill and down dale! You are stunning role models to those of us who hunker near home!! Can’t wait to welcome you back!!
Thanks Gloria. I think being a letter carrier is an ideal job.
Thanks so much for sharing your adventure. It was a delight to receive an email every day and then listen to your account of the day’s events while enjoying the beautiful images. How you managed to walk so far in the heat some days and then remain so bright and good-natured in the evenings is simply extraordinary.
Wishing you all the best in Emilia-Romagna and the Veneto.
Thanks James. So pleased you enjoyed all the posts…with more to come from Parma and beyond in October. The heat continues. Thirty two today with no cooling trends in sight. However, we are acclimatizing to it.
You started walking this section of Via Francigena on August 2nd,the day of my surgery. So we’ve been on different journeys. I had not been commenting, but I listened to and enjoyed all of your friendly, informative photo-chats. Thanks, and I wish you well with sightseeing in Italy. Bon voyage!
Thanks Rob. We look forward to getting together this fall. All our best, David and Gail.
Congratulations. I feel like I have been walking with you. Loved the daily chats. Look forward to next years journey.
Thanks Margaret. Gail and I are super pleased to know that you like our off-the-cuff banter.