1. Our journey has begun. 12 miles of walking, with only 200′ of climbing. There were mountains to be seen, we just didn’t have to climb them!

For a first day out, the course was not especially demanding.  And an early start kept us out of the worst of today’s heat (96 F)

We were given a head’s up from friends who had done this walk (from Switzerland to Rome) that this stage out of Lucca was perhaps the most boring of the bunch; industrial, mostly on roads, and very flat. Their description was pretty accurate.

This morning, before the hike, I was reading in Ecclesiastes (5:19), that “God gives the bounty and our ability to enjoy it”. Its our job to get off the stick and actually enjoy what we’ve been given. We did our best to enjoy today’s journey, exactly as it was!

Some days will be flat and industrial, others mountainous, or vineyards, or forests, etc. There’s a time for every purpose (or topography) under heaven. For those keeping score, that’s from Ecclesiastes 3, but also from the 60’s rock group,  The Byrds, “Turn, Turn, Turn”. I think that Hurdy Gurdy from Florence has locked me in a 60’s music mode!  Maybe we’ll sight a disco ball and my thinking will advance to the 70’s. Perhaps not 🤔!

Enough for now, showers, laundry and foraging await!