👣 24 km by foot – Friday 8 October

Today the two teams that walked along the Via Traiana and to Monte Sant’Angelo reunited: we’re all together and back on track – direction Santa Maria di Leuca!
We walked along the seacoast the entire day, encountering many fishers and fish vendors on our way; the group has started to expand – I can feel the arrival in the air! Many familiar faces are starting to come back, joining us for the final section. Didier Morel caught up with us: he walked for the first couple of weeks in France…and now he is here! Adriana walked with us in northern Italy and has now come back as well. Martina, our project assistant, is here again. Alessio and Massimo, which I have mentioned multiple times in my blogs, are now with us. All these people will come to the finish line with us. We have a new Ragazza in Gamba, Francesca, and some new bloggers, Eleonora Sacco, from @painderoute, and Marco Rustioni!
We were all prepared for rain today – the forecast was awful – but in the end it was mostly cloudy, and we hardly felt any drops until lunch time. In the end, we actually had the perfect weather to walk in!
We had an early lunch break in Torre a Mare, which ended up being quite a long break, because we were ahead of schedule. Regardless, we arrived in Mola di Bari, our destination, very early, just as it was starting to properly pour rain. At 2.30 pm we were already in the town center, surprising the members of the Ospiti a Mola committee who were just coming to prepare a refreshment for us! They rushed to make it perfect in the shortest time they could, a small gesture that I found extremely lovable.
We had a wonderful refreshment while sheltered from the rain. I looked around at our big group of smiley people in their raincoats: I am enjoying this situation a lot, but I must admit I am a little anxious about the coming stages. The last week of Road to Rome 2021 will be very demanding, both psychologically and socially, as more and more people catch up with us. I still can’t guess how many people will walk into Santa Maria di Leuca on the 18th…

HIGHLIGHTS
– Walking along the Adriatic Sea coast
– Enjoying the perfect weather for a hike
– A warm welcome in Mola di Bari just before the rain

TODAY’S WALKERS
Myra Stals, social media manager (EAVF)
Luca Faravelli, project manager (EAVF)
Martina D’Agostino, project assistant (EAVF)
Eleonora Sacco, RTR ambassador (@painderoute)
Marco Rustioni, RTR ambassador
Didier Morel, FFVF
Sharon Di Cinci, videomaker
Francesca and Joanne, Ragazze in Gamba
Alessio and Massimo (https://www.viefrancigene.org/it/vivi-ogni-respiro-la-camminata-solidale-di-alessio/)
Several local walkers