Leaving the Sanctuario DellaVerna to continue our Camino was difficult.  The Sanctuario is such a special place — so quiet and sacred. Our next destination is Pieve Santo Stefano. Now both Anne and Ed have colds. This walk is similar to the other stages, uphill for 2 hours with some very steep slopes – up to 30° +, and then down hill for the next 3 hours with some short up hill segments.  Arrived in Santo Stefano around 2:00 (17 Kms) and then walked another one half hour  to our albergo. 

The next day’s walk to Sansepolcro is long (30 Kms). It began by having us follow a “hidden ” path transversing the mountain side. The path is no more than 2 feet wide, slippery and muddy and canted down hill toward the Tiber hundreds of feet below  and was very rough. Again we walked up hill for 2 hours,  and then down hill for another 2 hours.  After lunch we were on fairly level ground for the last 10 Kms.  Anne’s hip started to hurt but we finished the walk to town.  The room at the albergo was nice but it was on the tre piano  (third floor) 66 stairs up to the room. Anne’s hip was more painful.  We went out to the Civicio Museo and the Catedrale.  Anne’s hip continued to get worse. Anne walked up the 66 stairs to the room and went to bed while Ed kindly went out to bring back pizza.

In the morning we decided to take a taxi to our next destination – Ctta de Castello, another walled city.  It took about 30 minutes to cover the distance that it would would take us 5 -6 hours to walk. Anne is feeling a little bit better.  We did a little walk around the town to the Pinacoteca (paintings) and then walked to the Catedrale. We went to Messe at the Chiesa San Francesco.  It tutns out that the service was an Italian charismatic one with song, guitars and percussion, testimonials from parishioners,  women speaking from the ambo, a long homily, and then after the Messe was finished everyone danced around the altar in celebration.  We felt very welcomed by the congregation which was like a big famiglia.

Anne and I disagreed about what to do to help minimize Anne’s hip problem, if we are going to be able to continue to walk the Camino.  I thought it was too much weight in the backpacks.  Anne thought that it that the distances were too long. After sleeping on it we decided the next morning to act on both theories.  We put together a small box of things from both backpacks of consisting of 6.5 Kilos of weight and mailed it to our hotel in Roma. We also revised our Camino itinerary.  We will take a taxi,  train, or bus to avoid the longer and more difficult stages.  We will also skip some of the recommended route and spend more time in the most interesting places, significant to Francis.

Our first city that we went to by taxi was Gubbio. It is a medieval town and is a wonderful city with many interesting things to see. Gubbio is built on the side of a mountain. Gubbio was the first city that Francesco reached after the event that changed his life. He and his father had a dispute that went to court. The ecclesiastic court decided in the father’s favor. Francesco had to return money that he had taken. Francesco decided that he was no longer just a son of his father but would serve the poor and outcast  (who would become his family). Francesco returned the money to his father,  and also returned the clothes that he was wearing to symbolize his commitment to his new life. A friend gave him a robe to wear. He started walking north and began his new ministry in Gubbio.  

We saw many things in Gubbio in addition to visiting Franciscan places. We took a ride to the top of the mountain on a funivia  (funicular) and back down again. 

We took the bus on Settembre 27 to Valfabbrica which was the first village that Francesco reached after his split from his family. He was robbed and beaten and the robe was stolen from him. He was not discouraged. He kept going north to his destiny. We went to Messe at a small Cappella off the main church which has a Cimbue fresco over the main altar. 

We decided to walk to Assisi on Settembre 28 to resume our, now changed,  Camino di San Francesco.  We rested and prepared to walk to Assisi in the morning.