Delayed pleasures

[J.Patrick]

I had planned, back in late 2019, to walk from Lucca to Rome on the Francigena in May of 2020. I had already walked two caminos, a two week venture from Porto back in 2015 with a friend, and then a six week journey on the Norte from Hendaye, France, by myself but never alone. Needless to say Covid interfered in a big way.

Just this last week I paid for a plane flight to Pisa intending to start this next October, again from Lucca, with a friend. I'm so very excited! I've so wanted to be back on the pilgrim road.

The thought occurred to me, that the year-by-year denial of this trip has made the looking forward and preparing these next months all the more sweet. Just needed to say it.

Now...off for a long walk!

 

[Bradypus]

I had a Facebook chat this afternoon with a friend who lives in Santiago. He was commenting on the large number of pilgrims arriving in town this week. He suggested there might be a three-fold "Covid effect" boosting numbers this year: a combination of (a) those who had to cancel, (b) those who wanted to come during lockdown , but couldn’t. And (c) those who Covid has made focus on their “life is too short” bucket lists. In the past numbers have tended to drop significantly in the year following a Holy Year but early signs seem to suggest that will not be the case this year! Buen Camino!

 

[Cullo]

I had planned, back in late 2019, to walk from Lucca to Rome on the Francigena in May of 2020. I had already walked two caminos, a two week venture from Porto back in 2015 with a friend, and then a six week journey on the Norte from Hendaye, France, by myself but never alone. Needless to say Covid interfered in a big way.

Just this last week I paid for a plane flight to Pisa intending to start this next October, again from Lucca, with a friend. I'm so very excited! I've so wanted to be back on the pilgrim road.

The thought occurred to me, that the year-by-year denial of this trip has made the looking forward and preparing these next months all the more sweet. Just needed to say it.

Now...off for a long walk!

Buen Camino Patrick! My wife and I walked from Grand Saint Bernard's Pass to Rome in 2019, so we have a sense of what lies ahead of you. Like you, our Camino plans have been on hold for a while but we step off from Irun (for Gijon, then Ovedio to SdC) on 28 April.

Btw: I'm not sure of whether the Puccini concerts (held in a small church in Lucca) will be on when you arrive - if they are, you might consider attending - my wife and I aren't opera buffs but we have attended two such performances and they were magical.

 

[J.Patrick]

I'm not sure of whether the Puccini concerts (held in a small church in Lucca) will be on when you arrive - if they are, you might consider attending

Thanks for the tip, though it looks like the concerts are in April. Shucks!