Day 3 completed...
I thought I would write a bit about my initial experiences over the first few days of walking..
Day 1
I set off from my hotel in Brindisi and headed north. With no supermarkets or cafes around, I ate as much of the hotel breakfast as I could and put as much in my pockets to last the day.
I was hoping to start this journey much slower to avoid injury early. However the fact was, due to having to walk to my accomodation, this was not an option as the closest accomodation was around 30km away in Torre Santa Sabina.
30km.... “no issue” I thought.
So I started the day at about 9am, excited, scared and having no idea what to expect. It wasn’t long before I found myself taking the scenic route by accident (not being able to read Italian road signs) adding an extra 5km to my walk. Oops.
The bit of scenery didn’t hurt, as the rest of the day was along the sides of roads, with highways or housing along side.
I had motorists pulling over, thinking I was a lost tourist, however it was difficult explaining to them as they didn’t speak much English.
I then hit a road block. The track I was following led me into private property with a massive/intimidating gate. I turned around to try to find an alternate route, but there was none. I snuck through the back of this property hoping it would lead me back on my path, and after climbing through a few creeks, I was back on track!
As I arrived in Torre Santa Sabina, I went straight to my b&b I was staying in, greeted by an elderly Italian man at the gate who welcomed me in. Unfortunately he too had zero English, which was expected, but added to the challenge.
Next challenge, no shops, supermarkets, or restaurants seem to be open. It seemed like a ghost town, that must come alive in summer.
Being so tired, and with no transport, I decided to go without dinner and would wait until breakfast the next morning. It was around 7pm, had some phenergan, and slept for a solid 12 hours!
Day 2.
I woke up early and went to the kitchen of my B & B. No food.. hmm.
I went back to my room, showered and got ready for the day, before heading backed into the kitchen. Still no food.
I couldn’t find the owners, so decided I would head off and see if I could find somewhere open... I couldn’t.
Luckily Mum packed me some muesli bars (unfortunately low carb) which ended up being all I had to eat for over 36 hours...
This left me slightly worried for the days to come as I was still in remote areas of Italy.
Luckily today was a shorter day of walking so this wasn’t too much of an issue.
Day 3.
29km walked to Torre Canne. Ate the hotel breakfast (first food in over a day) and hit the road.
Today was better.
I found a petrol station where I stopped for lunch and a coffee. Continued on my path until I reached another road block. It took me an extra 4km to find my way out, adding an additional hour of walking to my day.
I was lucky my hotel had a restaurant, and I finally ate my first pasta dish (and wine) since being in Italy!
The body is sore, but no injuries or concerns at the moment. It’s a lonely place out on the road with no one to speak to, however I still so motivated by the cause and the reason behind it, that I am putting up with my own company. I do look forward to the busier cities and sections of the train where I can meet other people along my travels.
I have learnt plenty already and am ready to start it all again tomorrow, and for the next 175 days & 3930km.
Ciao xx
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