Way of St Francis

Ponticelli area

Thank you all for contributing to my fundraising event. The Andover Foodbank and I have been touched and thankful for your donations. This page will remain open for a few weeks to enable us to reach a target of £1500. If you have been following my blog and have yet to donate, please do so. Many thanks.

Arrival in Rome this morning

Lunch Monte Sacro and a little excitement at finishing for the day

Your generosity is amazing and I wish to thank you. The donations have been motivational on challenging days. I will light penny candles for you all when I arrive at St Peter's. Monte Sacro 19km. 34c sunny. The fruit farms in the valley yesterday have all but disappeared today. No windfall fruits were eaten and we had nothing stored in our backpacks. Small holdings of olive orchards, vineyards and a mix of grain. After walking through the Marcigliana Nature Reserve which was pleasant underfoot (no rocks or scree), we found our first cafe of the day. We ordered water in copious quantities and enjoyed the shade. We trampled on through the urban jungle but were greeted by seniors offering words of encouragement (courage). It worked as we progressed to our end point for the day. We had a lunch of burgers, Italian style served with pesto sauce and plenty of salad. We are within touching distance from Rome (15km). Excitement abounds.