Road to Rome 2021
The stages of the diary
Day 1 – The first kms of Road to Rome 2021 in England
Day 2 – Calais to Wissant: sun & wind along the North Sea
Day 3 – Wissant to Guînes: walking with nature’s elements
Day 4 – Guînes to Licques: A muddy challenge 👣 16,5 km on foot
Day 5 – Licques to Tournehem-sur-la-Hem: The grass is greener and greener
Day 6 – Tournehem-sur-la-Hem to Wisques: After the rain… Doesn’t come sunshine!
Day 7 – Wisques to Thérouanne: after the rain…comes less rain
Day 8 – Thérouanne to Amettes: UNESCO support for the Via Francigena
Day 9 – Amettes to Bruay-la-Buissière: Northern France’s impressive mining history
Day 10 – A place of memory and meditation: Ablain Saint Nazaire
Day 11 – from Ablain Saint Nazaire to Arras
Day 12 – Arras to Bapaume: walking through history
Day 13 – Bapaume to Péronne: sunshine, mud puddles, and sore feet
Day 14 – Péronne to Trefcon: mysterious neolithic stones and a ride by horse carriage
Day 15 – Trefcon to Saint-Quentin: time to say goodbye
Day 16 – SAINT-QUENTIN TO JUSSY
Day 17 – JUSSY TO LAON: OUR FIRST DAY BY BICYCLE!
Day 18 – Laon to Reims: from one thunderstorm to another
Day 19 – Reims to Chalons-en-Champagne: vineyards as far as the eye can see
Day 20 – Chalons-en-Champagne to Vitry-le-François
Day 21 – Vitry-le-François to Brienne-le-Chateau: fixing flat tires in the Grand Est
Day 22 – Brienne-le-Chateau to Bar-sur-Aube: fairytale architecture all around
Day 23 – Bar-sur-Aube to Chateauvillain: of prisons and old friends
Day 24 – Chateauvillain to Langres: time to say goodbye – part 2
Day 25 – Langres to Culmont: we’re back on our feet again!
Day 26 – Culmont to Leffond: through fields and forests
Day 27 – CHAMPLITTE TO DAMPIERRE-SUR-SALON: after rain comes music and massages
Day 28 – DAMPIERRE-SUR-SALON TO BUCEY-LES-GY: FROM WET FEET TO GORGEOUS SUNSHINE
Day 29 – BUCEY-LES-GY TO BESANÇON: local communities enthusiastically welcome Road to Rome
Day 30 – BESANÇON TO FOUCHERANS: donkeys and lamas as travel companions
Day 31 – FOUCHERANS TO MOUTHIER-HAUTE-PIERRE: Jura mountains, we have arrived!
Day 32 – Mouthier-Haute-Pierre to Pontarlier: waterfalls, green forests, and some serious climbing
Day 33 – Pontarlier to Jougne: our final stage in France!
Day 34 – Jougne to Orbe: into Switzerland!
Day 35 – Orbe to Lausanne: we’re back on our bicycles
Day 36 – Lausanne to Aigle: cycling in the land of lakes, castles, and vineyards
Day 37 – Aigle to St. Maurice: halfway to Rome!
Day 38 – St. Maurice to Martigny: following the Rhône Valley
Day 39 – Martigny to Orsières: ascending!!
Day 40 – Orsières to Bourg-St-Pierre: it’s a long way to the top – if you wanna go to Rome
Day 41- from Bourg-St-Pierre to Great St. Bernard Pass: the highest point of the Via Francigena
Day 42 – Great St. Bernard Pass to Étroubles: walking inside a postcard picture
Day 43 – Étroubles to Aosta: rolling down the mountain
Day 44 – Aosta to Châtillon: a constellation of castles
Day 45 – Châtillon to Verrès: sometimes a beautiful landscape means the climb will be steep
Day 46 – Verrès to Pont-Saint-Martin: a trail of iconic, picturesque and invincible towns
Day 47 – Pont-Saint-Martin to Ivrea: at the feet of the mountains
Day 48 – Ivrea to Viverone: into the plains
Day 49 – Viverone to Vercelli: from walking boots to padded pants
Day 50 – Vercelli to Mortara: rice fields as far as the eye can see
Day 51 – Mortara to Pavia: early-morning grappa and a rice-based safari
Day 52 – Pavia to Orio Litta: hot, hotter, hottest!
Day 53 – Orio Litta to Fiorenzuola: burning happily under the summer sun in the Po Valley
Day 54 – Fiorenzuola D’Arda to Fidenza: a heatwave is always better when shared with friends 🙈
Day 55 – Fidenza to Fornovo di Taro: above and beyond for Road to Rome
Day 56 – Fornovo di Taro to Cassio: flavours of the Via Francigena
Day 57 – Cassio to Cisa Pass: a peaceful walk along the Emilia-Tuscany border
Day 59 – Pontremoli to Aulla: wandering in Lunigiana valley
Day 60 – Aulla to Castelnuovo Magra: Mediterranean Sea ahoy!
Day 61 – Castelnuovo Magra to Massa: everything is turning into marble
Day 62 – Massa to Altopascio: cycling across modern museums, bike bars and blue bananas
Day 63 – Altopascio to San Miniato: warm, tasty, picturesque welcomes in every place we cross
Day 64 – San Miniato to Gambassi Terme: another walker bites the dust
Day 65 – Gambassi Terme to San Gimignano: swimming through the Tuscan hills
Day 67 – Abbadia a Isola (Monteriggioni) to Siena: a big group of happy hikers under the summer rain
Day 68 – Siena to Buonconvento: aboard a historical train carriage from the 20s!
Day 69 – Buonconvento to San Quirico d’Orcia: rolling through the Val d’Orcia
Day 70 – San Quirico d’Orcia to Radicofani: changing landscape and changing weather
Day 71 – Radicofani to Proceno: …changing region: welcome to Lazio!
Day 72 – Proceno to Bolsena: discovering ancient traditions under a hot sun
Day 73 – Bolsena to Montefiascone: wandering around in Tuscia and drinking wine in Montefiascone 🍷
Day 74 – Montefiascone to Viterbo: bye bye Lake Bolsena…hello Via Cassia Antica!
Day 75 – Viterbo to Vetralla: a brand-new trail through San Martino al Cimino
Day 76 – Vetralla to Capranica: a brief walk in the woods
Day 77 – Capranica to Campagnano di Roma: the forests of Sutri!
Day 79 – Isola Farnese (La Storta) to Rome: the actual Road into Rome!
Day 80 – Rome to Albano Laziale: strolling between art and nature
Day 81 – Albano Laziale to Velletri: one surprise after the other
Day 82 – Velletri to Cori: a jump in tradition
Day 83 – Cori to Sezze: when beauty repays your fatigue
Day 84 – Sezze to Abbazia di Fossanova: an extraordinary arrival in an ancient Benedectine Abbey
Day 85 – Abbazia di Fossanova to Terracina: splashing around and soaking wet!
Day 86 – Terracina to Fondi: between mountains and sea with very special meetings
Day 87 – Fondi to Formia: sandy ground and salty water
Day 88 – Formia to Minturno: walking along the coast and heading out from Lazio
Day 89 – Minturno to Sessa Aurunca: on the border from Lazio to Campania
Day 90 – Sessa Aurunca to Teano: taking a step back in history to discover the secrets of Campania
Day 91 – Teano to Roccaromana: a triplet of songs, meetings and heritage sites
Day 92 – Roccaromana to Alife: into the Southern mountains
Day 93 – Alife to Telese Terme: the hidden treasures of Campania and its peoples
Day 94 – Telese Terme to Benevento: a tiring day rewarded by a beautiful destination
Day 95 -From Benevento to Buonalbergo: the importance of signage…and its reward: discover why
Day 96 – Buonalbergo to Celle San Vito: an authentic taste of the south after one stage…on the moon
Day 97 – From Celle San Vito to Troia: when the walk becomes really…grape
Day 99 (variant Micaelica) – from Lucera to San Severo: a day full of tales, discovering the Daunia
Day 99 – Ordona to Canosa: a long day…full of surprises!
Day 100 (variant Micaelica) – From San Severo to Stignano: a fig feast on the way to Gargano
Day 100 – Canosa to Ruvo di Puglia: the sweetness of the hills under a warm Southern sun
Day 101 (variant Micaelica) – from Stignano to San Giovanni Rotondo: 101 days
Day 101 – Ruvo di Puglia to Bitonto: diving deep into olive trees, history, and self-analysis
Day 102 – Bitonto to Bari: from the suburbs to the seashore!
Day 103 – Bari to Mola di Bari: joining forces on the seashore
Day 104 – Mola di Bari to Monopoli: dramatic waterscapes inside the storm
Day 105 – Monopoli to Torre Canne (Fasano): dancing the ‘pizzica’ down the rainy heel of Italy
Day 106 – Torre Canne (Fasano) to Ostuni: visiting a bright white jewel
Day 107 – Torre Santa Sabina to Brindisi: looking at the Holy Land from the shore
Day 108 – Brindisi to Torchiarolo: crossing the forest, we bump into archeology and tradition
Day 109 – Torchiarolo to Lecce: nearly blown away by the wind!
Day 110 – Lecce to Martano: it’s getting chilly, but the destination is close!
Day 111 – Martano to Otranto: a big group, enjoying art and ancient history
