Rome

We arrived in Rome to indulge in our usual pasta and gelato binge. It was extremely hot however, we still did some hiking outside the city to experience a bit of the culture and food outside the extremely touristic city center.

Puglia

After an uneventful six hours train ride to Bari, we made a plan to set up base in Brindisi and explore the surrounding areas in Puglia. Brindisi is a lively city with a compact and interesting old area. It’s extremely walkable, lots of places to experience Apulian cuisine and strategically located close to beaches and historical villages. We recommend Betty’s and Pescheria di porto on the promenade for lunch. You must try the gelato at Chocolosso.
The shoreline in Puglia is dotted with unique and incredible places like Polignano a Mare, a cliffside town.
We drove highways and small local roads passing orchards of oranges, grapes and where olive groves make extensive green spaces climbing up huge hillsides and stretching all the way to the edge of the Adriatic sea. We drove up to the high town of Alberobello to see the stunning Trullo architecture, in Locorotondo we walked the medieval streets, and enjoyed Matera, famous for the ancient cave dwellings, restaurants and shops carved into the mountains. We toured one of these ancient cave dwellings complete with chapel and ice storage system in the village. We had great fun frolicking on the beaches along the Adriatic coast, Mosquito beach and Grotto de Poetry were two of our favorite places.

Sicily

We did not imagine how fascinating and beautiful Sicily would be with its mountainous terrain, clear seas and fresh produce everywhere. We arrived after a 40 minutes boat ride from Villa San Giovanni in the mainland  to Messina. We drove to Catania for our three days in Sicily.  Our first experience was the drive from Catania up the mountain. We drove past small villages with many abandoned houses and farms. Many tropical and subtropical plants thrive in the warm climate of Sicily. The vegetation changes from flowering plants to grapevine on terraced slopes, then came the stunning white birches which gave way to pines and evergreen as you climbed higher up the mountain. We booked the guided hiking tour up Mount Etna. We were uncertain about this trek as the volcano had erupted only two weeks earlier and we could still see steam coming out the crater. This was an actual lesson in the development of primary ecosystems for us. The small circle of life from the spinny plants protects the more delicate plants and provide a hiding place for lizards, bugs and other insects. The air is so fresh, and the hike amazing with many spectacular views of the surrounding villages, the Ionian and Tyrrhean Seas. Every crest offers a view more spectacular than the previous one.

Summary

The sandy beaches of Puglia are underrated and are worthy of a visit. There is so much food and wine to discover! 

Sicily is a gem, the  diamond toe of Italy. Catania channels Napoli, layered, chaotic and astounding.  Etna, wow, a lively landscape from sea to summit. 

We are so grateful for the opportunity to explore, expand and share our appreciation for the human experience.

Tips

• From June to August, it is quite hot in southern Italy. Plan your day to seek shelter from the sun between noon and 5pm.
• Prepare to pay a ‘tourist’ tax and service fee at restaurants. In Rome, the tourist tax was 7 euros per day per person.
• Motorbikes are everywhere in Sicily, drive very carefully, as everyone will move into any open space.

Walk good,

Phyl and Alex

Walking through the innards of Northern Spain you see mostly everything. This year 2025, we completed our pilgrimage from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela.  We began the journey last year and walked the mostly coastal trails to Gijon.
This year, our experience was very  different. In Asturias we mostly walked in refreshing eucalyptus forests. It was early May, rainy and with water gushing out everywhere we walked. Cows, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and chickens, walked about and grazed peacefully in lush green pastures. 
Women, old and young, hand tilled soil near their homes to plant. Home gardens are everywhere. Numerous small plot with rows of cabbages, spinach, lettuce, beans, potatoes, etc. The rural folks seem to grow whatever they eat and farming is a highly respected profession in these places. There are huge fields of freshly cut hay and rows of newly planted corn stretching into the horizon.
We walked through small villages with the pungent smell of manure and animal dung everywhere. At times the animals welcomed us with their smell on the trails and followed us out unto the streets. Some homes have sheep, goats and chicken grazing all the way to their front doors. Nonetheless, the people are happy, kind and welcoming everywhere.  
As we walked, we could sense the deep history of the villages, the churches and the homes. You realize that these places have been inhabited for centuries. There are towns such as Mondoñedo in Galicia that has been occupied since 858 and received city status in 1156. Some villages had only one or two houses and no place to stay.  You feel fortunate to share a room in someone’s house or walk another 20 km to the next village. Lots of pilgrims get injured and need to rest or discontinue the journey. The people from varying ages and fitness. Young, old, happy, miserable, sad, lonely, brokenhearted, determined.. everyone with the same goal: Get to Santiago de Compostela. 
The pilgrim walk is not easy, but it is possible for many to do. As my husband says and I agree, you see the world much differently when you walk. We arrived in Santiago early morning,  went to Mid-day Mass, recuperate some for 2 days.  We will continue for another 4 days and 90km  to Finisterra. 

Tips for The Camino del Norte
1. Pace yourself and enjoy the walk along the Cantabrian sea in Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias.
2. Bring your rain coat and Poncho, you will need them.
3. If you have heavy luggage ship it ahead, the trail is challenging in several places
4. Book sleeping accommodations ahead and call to see if there are places to eat nearby.
5. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, Amex less so. Bring cash with you, small transactions and buses in Galicia require cash.

Til next time,
Love is my Religion