Sunday, August 16, 2026
I had said in the last post that La Storta hadn’t provided any outstanding photo opportunities when I arrived, but I was hoping there might be some in the morning. That didn’t happen. In fact, all the pilgrims I talked with after La Storta all commented on the fact that in leaving La Storta the Via Francigena runs along a busy highway for almost 5 kilometers, and there appeared to be more trash per kilometer in that stretch than anywhere else along the Via Francigena. It’s a curious miss on the part of the Via Francigena stewards and the city of Rome since it is a significant historical route into Rome.
Of course, the mist added to the sense of gloom and decay hanging over La Storta, deserved or not.
La Insugherata Nature Preserve
After that first five kilometers, the sun began to break through the mist a bit, and the Via Francigena entered the La Insugherata Nature Preserve, a surprisingly large and wild preserve that takes you deep into Rome without realizing you are entering Rome.
The Via Francigena runs for several kilometers along the floor of a wide canyon carved over the millennia by the Acqua Traversa stream. The good news was that the canyon walls made you feel like you were in the wilderness. The bad news is that they minimized any breeze, and the gnats, flies, mosquitoes, and bees apparently love the boggy canyon floor – and any hapless pilgrims passing through.
It was surprising to have my shoes covered in mud within a couple of hours of making it to the Vatican after a couple of months of drought. The flying creatures were also surprisingly aggressive, and I’m still nursing whelps from them.
I did not pass another person for the hour and a half it took to traverse the preserve, but a flock of bright green parakeets passed over me and squawked from nearby trees, and other pilgrims reported encountering a pack of wild boars.
My guess on this skull (on the left) is a wild boar, but let me know if you think it’s something else. I’ve included a stock photo of a juvenile wild boar below.
The Via Francigena finally emerged from the nature preserve as I was losing my patience with the biting bugs and my lack of caffeine was becoming critical. Fortunately, I soon found a café that adequately caffeinated, nourished, and hydrated me for the balance of the journey to Rome.
The Via Francigena then passes through the Roman neighborhood of Sant’Onofrio before entering the Monte Mario Park, where it makes a steep ascent to the top of Monte Mario. The park provides a beautiful panoramic vista of Rome and Vatican City below, which I had completely to myself. Seeing St. Peter’s Basilica below me, only a few kilometers away, was a very emotional moment.
As I came off the hill and walked along the Viale Angelico before arriving at St. Peter’s Basilica, I had time to cycle through all the emotions: gratitude for my family and friends who encouraged and supported me along the way, grief for the brevity of life and the loss of loved ones in recent months, and joy for simply being alive and experiencing this amazing world.
I try to avoid “Me Standing in Front of Famous Stuff” photos, but arriving in the Vatican at the end of the Via Francigena requires one!
Connecting with pilgrim friends
I had been in touch with Jacques Leurs who had arrived in Rome on Friday, and he was attending mass in St. Peter’s when I arrived. After mass, he came out to welcome me to Rome and to help guide me to the right line to obtain my Testimonium confirming my official completion of the Via Francigena. His help and his upbeat spirit were both much appreciated. While filling out the form to obtain my Testimonium, Lauren and Bridget also arrived, and we were all able to walk out together jointly celebrating the completion of our individual pilgrimages.
Semi-Closing Thoughts
I felt like a pilgrim for the rest of Sunday and yesterday, but I think I am now a tourist, so I will spare you the photos of my time in Rome.
I have sincerely appreciated those who have followed along with me from the beginning (April 5 from Southwark Cathedral in London) and those who have checked in from time to time. Your thoughts and prayers and comments kept me from feeling alone in some long stretches of solitude. Thank you for being a part of my life.
I will try to make one final post with my closing thoughts on my pilgrimage, but the one thing I know for certain is that we all need community. Without it, life doesn’t have much meaning. Thank you all for being my community.
Charles
The Via Francigena Britannica – London to Canterbury
The Via Francigena – Canterbury to Rome
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22 Responses
Congratulations Charles! You’re da man! I was a bit concerned with your video today since you weren’t smiling. You were back to your happy self in the picture of the Vatican and with Jacques, Lauren and Bridgit. They and the other pilgrims that you met were your community along the Via Francigena! Rome is so attractive in that there are no high-rises. Hopefully you’ll come visit your running group when you return. We thought of you today running the bridges! What an accomplishment for you to finish. I know that all of your friends (and you have many!) are looking forward to seeing you in person.
I probably was feeling mixed emotions about arriving in Rome. It’s a curious thing when you have been walking for so long. The daily routine of walking (with a goal so far away that it doesn’t feel quite real) becomes your reality and suddenly arriving at the destination contains some sense of loss as well as accomplishment.
I hadn’t even thought about the fact that Rome has no high-rises! I read that their subway system is also quite limited for a major city (outside of Texas…) because digging tunnels would entail too much archeological work.
I do look forward to running with the group soon. I get back late on Friday, but Becca and I have a trip planned for September 2 through the 16th (I think), so I’ll have to see how it works out. My “running” may look more like walking, though! It’s been a while since I’ve run.
Bravo!!
Thank you! It has been a journey!
Congrats, Charles! Such an amazing, life-changing journey. Thank you for letting us walk alongside you through this blog.
Thank you for joining me vicariously. It definitely helped keep me motivated. We have to get a walk on the calendar.
Congratulations Charles!!!! What an amazing journey. I am so happy for you and grateful that you shared your experiences with us during your pilgrimage. I look forward to hearing even more about this journey when you are back home. Until then, peace be with you.—Meredith
Thank you very much! It’s been all that I had hoped for and more in so many respects. I’ll look forward to a very rationally-paced Saturday morning run soon (or a late afternoon glass of wine with Becca and Michelle).
Charles,I
You did it, Iron Horse. Only an exceptional athlete knows how you felt when you topped the last hill and saw the Grand Church. The Document will be passed on to your grandchildren. The photo of St Peter’s Church from the hill view is so fine. We will miss the daily reports, but we’re happy you made it to Rome . Looking forward to seeing you sometime and discussing the trip. Have a safe ride home
Billy, I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated and enjoyed your and Ann’s interest in my walk. Your comments and questions have helped me tremendously, and I have looked forward to hearing from you. A few postings back, you had asked me to send you a photo of the place Julius Caesar was assassinated. I just happened to stumble on it this afternoon, and I spent an hour or so walking around the remains of the buildings surrounding the spot he was killed. I’ll send you a text message with a few photos.
We’ll get together soon. When the weather cools a bit, I may haul my canoe up and do a float down to Columbus.
Incredible journey! I’ve looked forward to seeing your blog, reading your insightful notes and seeing the pics. Thank you Charles!
That is so good to hear. It’s been rewarding for me because it helped me to think more deeply about what I was seeing and experiencing. Of course, with more time (and skill), there are things I would like to have done differently, but that’s always the case with anything we do, isn’t it? I’ll look forward to seeing you soon at Memorial Park!
Charles:
Bravo Zulu! (US Navy signal flags “B” and “Z” which, together, mean “Well Done!”). In thirty or so years when you are an old man, you will look back and reflect on your walking the Via Francigena as one of the more significant events of your life. Thank you for sharing it with us. I look forward to seeing you when you return.
Dave Miller
I appreciate that immensely. I have also appreciated your advice from time to time that it’s better to make an error of commission rather than omission, and the walk was one of those things that would have been quite easy for me to have decided not to do for many good reasons, but I’m so glad I chose to do it notwithstanding those good arguments against it. It has been quite the journey in both the literal and metaphorical senses of the word.
Congratulations Charles! What an amazing feat! It has been so fun and inspiring to follow your pilgrimage with your posts and pictures. Thank you letting us vicariously join your journey! Missing you!
I am so glad to hear you were following along! As much as I enjoyed our work, it’s been wonderful to be reminded that the world is so much bigger than whatever problems we were trying to solve at any given moment. If I were smarter, I could have learned that lesson without having to walk from London to Rome, but I’m a slow learner! I’ll stop by soon to catch up.
Charles, congratulations on completing a trek of a lifetime! Truly admirable. Know you experienced relief and elation that you completed your quest, but also some bittersweet feelings given it’s over.
There are more caminos, ways, vias, and trials in your future. Hope you can bring us along on those as well.
Thank you again for sharing your chronicles, photography and videos. Very inspirational.
Safe travels home.
Thank you for joining me on the journey. Knowing friends and family were following along was incredibly comforting, especially at those times when I would think, “I don’t know a single person in this entire country that I can call for help.”
You nailed it by describing the emotions of finishing as bittersweet. That surprised me somewhat. I’m definitely ready to get back home to family and friends and to the many comforts of home, but the challenges and discoveries of each day on the Via Francigena were addictive.
I will pester you about joining me for another Camino, Grand Canyon hike, or some other adventure soon. Those things are good for the soul!
Let’s plan a trip over some Himalaya goat biryani soon!
I’m late, but congratulations on completing your journey! You write beautifully and it’s been great reading your experiences and encounters throughout your journey. I think my favorite parts are the people you meet and the stories they carry with them, and of course, your story as well. I can’t wait to hear more when you return. Take care!
Congratulations, Charles! What an amazing, extraordinary adventure. Thank you so much for allowing us to tag along. Your photos and descriptions are book worthy.