The daily wonder, insights, challenges and photos of my journey from Rome to Canterbury on foot
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Yes I had my first dog chase after me for a couple of hundred metres today when I passed by her farm house. She was persistent and unperturbed by my growling and pointing Rodney, my right walking pole, at her. I kept walking away slowly facing her. The last time I turned my back on a barking dog in Italy it lunged at me and bit a hole in my pants.
Read MoreYesterday's walking took me through farmland, fields of chopped grass and giant circular bales of hay as well as fields of corn but I also climbed Mont de Couple with beautiful views over to Wissant and sweeping around the countryside.
Before I left Wissant, I wandered through the morning market and bought some apricots and an apple and a baguette with ham and cheese for lunch which I strapped to the side of my backpack, the only place it would fit. I sat in the dirt opposite a newly ploughed field in the blazing early afternoon sun and ate it.
Read MoreFor most of today, I have walked along the beach between Calais and Wissant. I didn't want to go to Wissant which is west of Calais as it takes me further away from Rome, not closer. I am conscious of needing to complete the journey from Calais to Rome within 90 days, my Schengen visa limit, and I am also conscius that my body, especially my knee, is already feeling the strain of long distance walking carrying my heavy backpack. But Wissant is considered to be part of the main route of the Via Francigena as documented by Archbishop Sigeric the Serious and I didn't come on this pilgrimage because I wanted to do something easy. So I walked to Wissant and I am so glad I did.
Read MoreI started walking at 9am. I estimated I was around 18 kilometres from Dover and that it would take me 6 hours to walk. I wasn't too far wrong. I arrived at 3.38pm and it turned out to be 21.97 kilometres.
Ironically, it would have taken only 20 minutes to drive.
Blue skies and sunshine. It was t-shirt only weather today and I am now sporting a good dose of sunburn to my face, arms and neck.
Read MoreAnd so blessed, my pilgrimage began with no fanfare, just that first step, then the next and the next and the next.
My first destination, Barham, is not directly on the Via Francigena trail. I wanted to break up the walk to Dover and I discovered a lovely lady who offers a bed and breakfast free of charge to Pilgrims. This meant the guidebook didn't provide instructions on how to get there so I didn't use it at all and found my way there using Pocket Earth, an offline map application on my iPad mini. It is so awesome that it shows most off-road walking paths as well.
Read MoreI arrived in Canterbury, a little later than expected and a little poorer than planned. I waited at the wrong bus stop so long I missed my bus. I relied on the online map which clearly marked the bus stop I was waiting at. What I didn't realise was that was for buses going to London and there was a different stop for buses coming from London that was not so clearly marked on their online map.
Read MoreToday is my last day in London for a few months. Tomorrow, I take the bus down to Canterbury, the starting point of my pilgrimage. I planned to spend my last day in stillness, stretched out beneath the trees in Greenwich Park, basking in the sunshine but grey clouds have shrouded the sun and whisper rain.
Read MoreI am sitting in Greenwich Park, beneath blue skies that are slowly streaking white. The sun is warming the bare skin on my back. The wind rustles the leaf laden trees echoing around the park in nature's own mexican wave. Lovers picnic. Families stroll. A lean and muscular Italian youth shows off his six-pack as he practices his soccer skills. Two pesky terriers stalk three ravens scavenging the grass for food. Beyond the Maritime museum buildings, the muddy Thames winds past O2 Arena and into the city, or away from it, whichever way its currents flow. Me; I sit on the grass in stillness and I write; pausing frequently to look up and witness this English summer activity.
Read MoreA turtle changed my life. On the second dive of my Open Water Scuba Diving course, I saw a turtle. A small, hawksbill turtle, gliding effortlessly through the water plane just metres ahead of me. She looked into my eyes and I into hers and what passed between us I can only describe as love and ancient wisdom. I was hooked. I wanted to see more turtles so all of my holidays were planned around diving
Read MoreI stand on the scales with the Devil on my pack. After some quick math deducting my Devil-less body weight I determine that it weighs 12.5 kilos.
12.5 kilos!
If this were a normal holiday, I would be proud of how light I had packed for once. I like having choice of clothes to wear and will happily pack up to the airline checked luggage allowance if I can fit it into my normal travelling backpack that has wheels and has mostly been dragged behind me and only a handful of times carried on my back. This time 12.5 kilos is too heavy. Not by airline standards but because the Devil has no wheels and will be carried on my back for 2,000 kilometres.
Kym Wilson is an Australian writer, coach and pilgrim. In late 2013, she walked 2,022 kilometres alone along the Via Francigena pilgrimage trail from Canterbury to Rome seeking inner wisdom and healing.
