I really think this is my least favorite part of hiking. San Francisco Airport! Many different cultures converge and countless languages are spoken. However, the first of the week was pretty quiet. I came up with a plan for the future and it is to always fly on the first day of the week. It was quite relaxing.
Men and Women of the Camino
The route to Rome involves flying over Greenland and Iceland, stopping in Frankfurt to buy fuel and dumping it towards Italy. About 15 hours later, which seems more like a full day and a half, you arrive in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Well-dressed women and handsome Italian men. They’re definitely not trail people, as we’re obviously dressed more for kicking ass and the men are my kind of gruff hillbillies. But in a pinch, the Italians will do.
Fast buses and bullet trains
One night in Rome and then by bullet train to Lucca. And they are fast! Well, not as fast as taxi drivers and shuttle buses. Your life flashes before your eyes when you get into a vehicle driven by an Italian stallion! They are in a race somewhere. Whoever reaches the train station first wins.
Three trains later we were in Lucca. This is the starting point of the Via Francigena, from Lucca to Rome. After a few scattered raindrops and a few wrong turns, we arrived at our B&B, Arena di Lucca. Monika checked us in and handed me the meanest set of keys I’ve ever seen. Turn left three times, click your heels twice, and wait for the door to open. There are no access cards in Italy!
Pilgrims in Lucca
George and I settled in for a total of five minutes, then set off in search of the Piligrinos Pilgrims Office to obtain our coveted passport. This is our ticket to cheap meals, not-so-quality stays, and a few free extras.
After hunting the Cathedral, there are many more than one, we received our passport and first credential stamp. We are now official Pelegrino’s!
Now the ice cream and the caffeine, in that order. Just a warning: when looking for authentic ice cream, don’t stand in line with all the tourists. Find the stand with small aluminum containers and locals who speak Italian. They understand and know the real McCoy quite a bit. There’s nothing better than a scoop, let’s face it, double scoops heaping with nutritious and delicious creamy goodness! This is what we all come for.
After devouring our first fruits, because there will be more of that, we headed to the starting point of the Camino. We meet a trio of Pilgrims who are leaving tomorrow as we are. We asked the obvious question: where are the yellow arrows? They are like blazes on the Appalachian Trail or something like a marker or cairn found at the top of a mountain pass. To my dismay, the pilgrim in the lead told us that they are few and far between. Look for the characteristic monk. Hmm, so my husband and I left, looking at my phone, following the red line as not a single monk was to be found.
Italian food and drinks
Our journey today was just over a mile before we decided to head to a cafe and consider: what should we do without signs? Once the espresso was served, since that’s how Italians drink coffee, I saw a bottle of Baileys. The barista was more than happy to top off our coffee with a drink. The total price for two was $1.80. That’s my kind of drink!
All that was left to do was find lasagna for George and fish for me. We are located near Piazza Anfiteatro, surrounded by restaurants, pizzerias and bars. First things first, everyone is drinking these orange fruit cocktails and we should treat ourselves. It is a Spritzer with many variations. For a total of $6, they add some bruschetta with olive oil, ground pepper, and basil. After that, we moved on to the main course: lasagna for George and fish for me. After dinner, we headed back to our room and called it “the end of a perfect day!” This is going to be a great Camino. As long as we can find our way!?!?
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