This “Walking The Via Francigena” series of posts follow us, David and Gail, 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 on the Via Francigena. A pandemic got in the way but now, in 2022, our trek is underway once again, this time taking us from Tergnier to Besançon over 23 walking days and 580 or so kilometres.

So begins the adventure.

Gail and I left our Winnipeg home…late at night or early in the morning, depending on your perspective. We leave in darkness at 3:45 AM, making our way on foot, as we usually do on such trips, to Winnipeg’s airport. We cross Portage Avenue on the BNSF rail bridge, hopping from rail tie to rail tie. Traffic signals change and pedestrian warnings bleep for no one aside from a rare truck or two walkers making their way down quiet industrial streets. The sidewalks end as we approach the airport fifty minutes later, leaving us to scamper over grass and across taxi stands. The cool night air takes on a hint of jet fuel. Engines thunder in the distance. Our next taste of the world will be Paris.

Read on to view photos and a soundscape.