This post is also available in:
Italiano (Italian)
That of walking the Way of the Gods was an idea that came to me for July 2020. It is a trekking route that I did solo.
I jumped at the chance of the first Covid summer, with plenty of time to train and having to avoid taking planes.
A route in Campania also has the same name; I did the one that starts in Bologna and arrives in Florence. 100 km that most do in 6 days crossing the Apennines.
Encounters along the Way of the Gods
One of the best aspects of these experiences is that you meet so many people to chat with and compare notes.
Already from the arcades of St. Luke’s you begin to distinguish other walkers. Encounters along the Way of the Gods are impossible to avoid.
Usually those who leave on the same day as you do more or less the same stops and the accommodations are not far from each other. So, you see the same people again even in different places and on different days.
Some you pass, some you pass; there is the runner, the snail but also the runner who stops to take a nap or roll a joint.
Some people seem to take a month or every night will come in the dark, some give up, but one girl I met did it in 3 days by running!
Certainly if you want to walk the path of the Gods in true solitude to search for yourself or those things there; better not do it in the summer.
Some people also sleep in tents. In front of that of two very nice guys, in the morning (I always left early) I saw a wine damsel, empty.
Soon an atmosphere of friendship is created among walkers. We all greet each other and with some share a breakfast, a sandwich, dinner or a few bits of walking and then lose and find each other by chance.
One super evening dinner was with the Bnb gal who had us all eat together in shared tables some remarkable tagliatelle made with nettle and stridoli dough. Finally to put in some local culture as well she gave us chestnut fritters explaining the laborious process by which they are prepared as in ancient times; they are dried by smoking them with smoke for 40 days.
The real problem with walking the Way of the Gods: backpacking
Among the many encounters along the Way of the Gods for the success of my journey was determined the one with three guys from Faenza. Over dinner in a beautiful garden on the first day, they gave me crucial tips on how to carry my backpack.
I had never had such an experience, and it is quite different walking with a backpack full of lunch than one with cloths and other things in it that you may need for several days. I halfway washed everything and had change for 3 days, but considering the rest is still a burden.
That evening we were joined by two gluttonous Maremma shepherds (Blue and Luna). To let us know they were hungry they opened and closed their mouths; they seemed a little restless, but I did not understand why until the next morning.
I find this article very interesting, and about how the same journey, if done at different times and under different conditions, can be experienced completely differently.
Home set of travel in central Italy On the road into central Italy, marriage proposal (Italy and Vatican)
Second stage Way of the Gods Way of the Gods, among fierce animals and gods
More hiking in the Apennines:
- Getting lost in the woods, the 00 trail, between Emilia Romagna and Tuscany
- Italy trail: no vampires on Mount Cucco
Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent
Countries visited in my travel stories
Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.