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Starting the VF soon. Anyone in there at the moment?

Diana Amendoeira

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Santiago Spain, Portugal (2x), and from Vezelay, Buddhist Pilgrimage in Japan
Future: VF
Hello everyone! My name is Diana, I am very new in this group, but everyone seems to be very helpful already! Good on ya!
I am writing to see if there is any fellow pilgrim on the Via Francigena at the moment or anyone starting?... I am was planning to the Camino of Spain again, but there were so many people this year... I did one week, and left. It's not the fault of the people or the trail, I think I am just in a phase where I want a quieter place to really connect with the trail somehow... So I am heading to Italy at the end of this week! I am starting in Aosta and heading to Rome. Yey!
It will probably be cold, but maybe it's nice like that. New experience. Anyways! I was just wondering if there is a chance I will run into someone, considering it is quite late in the year.

Cheers!!! Buen Camino!

Diana.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Hello @Diana Amendoeira and welcome. There is not a great deal of traffic on this subforum, but what there is is always friendly and usually helpful. I'm sympathetic to your point of view on crowds (though I can be quite sociable 😉). And that's why I've started today on Camino de Invierno from Ponferrada. I passed just three men (older than me, and I'm 65) on the path. I'm alone in a sports hall tonight!

I walked from Canterbury to Rome last year, then Rome to Brindisi and this year I continued from Brindisi to Thessaloniki. I cannot continue any further towards Jerusalem this year.

Apart from the stages in Toscana, it is hard to grasp how few people do the VF! From Rome on I met two people in total (in September - October). Beyond that, one in Albania. In France a handful (April-May). In Italy a few at GSB but then very few until near Sienna. (June) Even after that I was quite often in otherwise empty accommodation at night.

So I think you should be prepared for POSSIBILITY of meeting VERY few people after Aosta at this time of year. I have Italian and it helps. l enjoy (and probably prefer😉) talking to local people along the way. And of course I met some great people walking, but really very few. It's a great walk and from Aosta to Rome it is well waymarked. I wish you every enjoyment.
 
Hello everyone! My name is Diana, I am very new in this group, but everyone seems to be very helpful already! Good on ya!
I am writing to see if there is any fellow pilgrim on the Via Francigena at the moment or anyone starting?... I am was planning to the Camino of Spain again, but there were so many people this year... I did one week, and left. It's not the fault of the people or the trail, I think I am just in a phase where I want a quieter place to really connect with the trail somehow... So I am heading to Italy at the end of this week! I am starting in Aosta and heading to Rome. Yey!
It will probably be cold, but maybe it's nice like that. New experience. Anyways! I was just wondering if there is a chance I will run into someone, considering it is quite late in the year.

Cheers!!! Buen Camino!

Diana.
Welcome Diana 🙂
I walked from London to Rome as a solo female March to June this year. After the vast, open expanses of northern France, the Italian section of the VF did seem 'crowded' to me especially from Tuscany onwards. Due to the season, I'm sure the numbers will be somewhat reduced.
Kym Wilson www.kymwilson.com.au walked the VF solo during autumn & wrote a blog which you may find interesting or helpful. She met up with other pilgrims regularly so I expect you will too. Incidentally, the Aosta Valley was my favourite section of the entire VF so you have chosen a wonderful starting point.

I see you have also walked Buddhist trails in Japan...was that the Way of 88 Temples (my absolute favourite) or the Kumano Kodo (on my agenda for 2021)..or both?

Happy trails...& if I can be of any help, don't hesitate to ask! 😊
👣 🌏
 
Last edited:
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
diana, welcome! I walked the italian portion of the VF solo in the heat waves of this years july and august and it was awesome (I like warm weather). there was not much traffic till I got to tuscany, and none of pilgrims I met before that were italian. that changed from lucca onwards, but I expect you will find things very different at the end of the season.
aosta and the descent from cisa to pontremoli were my favourite parts of the vf.
have you seen the accommodation list for the italian part of VF in the resources? https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...t-for-the-italian-part-of-via-francigena.672/
enjoy your walk!
 
@Diana Amendoeira , kia ora (greetings, good health)

In September 2018 I walked about 600 km from Canterbury to Chaumont. For the locals this was an almost festival time for remembrance. On one day south of Laon, on the Chemis des Dames, I encountered memorials from 1814, 1870 and 1914-18 (for the Basque from the Pyrenees) and at the end of that day met a pizza shop owner who had walked to Rome (and showed photos to prove it). But encountered no one walking at that time.

I am booked to return to Langres in April 2020 and hope to make Rome early June.

I look forward to hearing of your adventures.

Kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going)
 
In July/August/September 2015 I walked from Canterbury to Rome. 66 days in total. I arranged to meet a New Zealand pilgrim couple in Langres through Facebook messages about 3 weeks into my journey. My first chance encounter with another pilgrim happened in Orsieres in Switzerland - one day's walk from the Italian border and almost exactly one month into my journey. Although there has been a considerable growth in interest since 2015 I think you will still find it a very solitary experience in comparison with most of the Spanish Caminos. That suited me very well but those who feel a pilgrimage should be a collective experience might feel otherwise.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
@Diana Amendoeira , seeing you are from Paris, I add this little anecdote.

From Chaumont I took a TER into Paris. Sitting opposite me was a man about my age: I have almost no French and did not attempt to talk. I followed the route using the GPS friendly map on my tablet. As we were on the southern outskirts of Paris I noticed a wide river that we were about to cross, and then I noticed the name. As we crossed I pointed out the window and said "La Marne?" and my fellow passenger beamed from ear to ear as he nodded.
 
Hello @Diana Amendoeira and welcome. There is not a great deal of traffic on this
Hello @Diana Amendoeira and welcome. There is not a great deal of traffic on this subforum, but what there is is always friendly and usually helpful. I'm sympathetic to your point of view on crowds (though I can be quite sociable 😉). And that's why I've started today on Camino de Invierno from Ponferrada. I passed just three men (older than me, and I'm 65) on the path. I'm alone in a sports hall tonight!

I walked from Canterbury to Rome last year, then Rome to Brindisi and this year I continued from Brindisi to Thessaloniki. I cannot continue any further towards Jerusalem this year.

Apart from the stages in Toscana, it is hard to grasp how few people do the VF! From Rome on I met two people in total (in September - October). Beyond that, one in Albania. In France a handful (April-May). In Italy a few at GSB but then very few until near Sienna. (June) Even after that I was quite often in otherwise empty accommodation at night.

So I think you should be prepared for POSSIBILITY of meeting VERY few people after Aosta at this time of year. I have Italian and it helps. l enjoy (and probably prefer😉) talking to local people along the way. And of course I met some great people walking, but really very few. It's a great walk and from Aosta to Rome it is well waymarked. I wish you every enjoyment.
Hello! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed it your way! Yes, it's not a busy forum at all. But I think it will be in a near future...
 
Welcome Diana 🙂
I walked from London to Rome as a solo female March to June this year. After the vast, open expanses of northern France, the Italian section of the VF did seem 'crowded' to me especially from Tuscany onwards. Due to the season, I'm sure the numbers will be somewhat reduced.
Kym Wilson www.kymwilson.com.au walked the VF solo during autumn & wrote a blog which you may find interesting or helpful. She met up with other pilgrims regularly so I expect you will too. Incidentally, the Aosta Valley was my favourite section of the entire VF so you have chosen a wonderful starting point.

I see you have also walked Buddhist trails in Japan...was that the Way of 88 Temples (my absolute favourite) or the Kumano Kodo (on my agenda for 2021)..or both?

Happy trails...& if I can be of any help, don't hesitate to ask! 😊
👣 🌏
Thank you for the blog!! reading it atm! i did the 88 yes, the best thing i've ever done in my entire life!
 
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diana, welcome! I walked the italian portion of the VF solo in the heat waves of this years july and august and it was awesome (I like warm weather). there was not much traffic till I got to tuscany, and none of pilgrims I met before that were italian. that changed from lucca onwards, but I expect you will find things very different at the end of the season.
aosta and the descent from cisa to pontremoli were my favourite parts of the vf.
have you seen the accommodation list for the italian part of VF in the resources? https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...t-for-the-italian-part-of-via-francigena.672/
enjoy your walk!
That list sounds amazing! However there is a loop in the link, and I never actually get the document... Would be awesome to have it yes
 
@Diana Amendoeira , kia ora (greetings, good health)

In September 2018 I walked about 600 km from Canterbury to Chaumont. For the locals this was an almost festival time for remembrance. On one day south of Laon, on the Chemis des Dames, I encountered memorials from 1814, 1870 and 1914-18 (for the Basque from the Pyrenees) and at the end of that day met a pizza shop owner who had walked to Rome (and showed photos to prove it). But encountered no one walking at that time.

I am booked to return to Langres in April 2020 and hope to make Rome early June.

I look forward to hearing of your adventures.

Kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going)
Kia Ora! If you have time, explore the te Aratoa Trail in your country. I did it last year and it was amazing!
 
Hi Diana - have a look at the public Facebook page for the Via Francigena (or Logon if you have Facebook) - it has a lot of realtime stuff from people on the Via now - have a good one - Kia Kaha.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
If you have time, explore the te Aratoa Trail

Thank you. My home is a little over 1 km from this trail. And the last 90 km to the coast at Wellington is a regular part of my one day training trips.

And earlier this year I walked from well north of Auckland to Hamilton.

But, sadly, I no longer do high country trips, such as you experienced through much of the South Island and on many sections in the North (including my hinterland from Palmerston North to Waikanae) - too many men my age falling down banks or getting caught by changes in the weather.

Which is why I prefer the relative safety of roads in western Europe.

Bonne route.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
You might also find others to connect with on the route through the FB group Women of the Via Franvigena.

Bonne Chemin.
 
Hi Diana, the Via Francigena has caught my imagination too so if you don't mind I'll follow this thread with interest. At the moment for me it remains very much aspirational as I have nothing planned but I am eager to learn from other people's experiences. All the best on your journey
 

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