[Gocamino] Re: [saintjames] Via Francigena

[Robert Spenger]

For a complete narrative of a recent via francigena pilgrimage by 
Andrew and Carole Welch log onto the following URL:

http://www12.brinkster.com/awelch/index.html

Then click on the "dispatches."

I found it to be great fun to follow their walk with my Michelin road 
atlas of France. The atlas has just enough of western Switzerland and 
northwest Italy to follow the route all the way across France and 
Switzerland, over Saint Bernard Pass, and a little way down into Italy. 
Taking over 100 days and often requiring 15 to 20 miles a day, the via 
francigena is far more challenging than the camino Francés. What I 
found especially interesting is that there is a complete diary of the 
(reverse) route written several centuries before the Codex Calixtinus. 
Perhaps the CC is properly called the world's first "travel guide." But 
then Archbishop Sigeric's diary should be billed as one of the earliest 
travel reporters' columns. Andrew Welch's report describes monuments 
along the way that denote the archbishop's progress.

Bob S.

On Jan 22, 2005, at 6:22 AM, Sylvia Nilsen wrote:

> Please visit www.via-francigena.com to read about one of
>  the most important pilgrimage routes in the middle ages.
>  Many medieval pilgrims walked to Rome and then to Santiago
>  - the routes form a loose cross on the map of Europe.  If
>  you have done the VF and have your own web site, they would
>  like you to link with them in order to spread as much info
>  about the pilgrimage as possible.
>  Buen Camino - Deus nobiscum in via,
>  Sylvia