My Italian Pilgrimage - 800kms Italy to Nice in 2014

In August-September 2014, I walked from Assisi in Italy to Nice on the French Italian border. It is part of a longer pilgrimage I intend to complete one day, which will continue on to Santiago de Compostella, in Spain, another 2000kms or so.

This is the route I walked. Distances are for walking, along minor dirt or paved roads and forest paths. Distances are not direct but often through other scenic spots.

From Assisi to La Verna is the reverse of a popular pilgrimage route (the via di Francesco - a route that Francis of Assisi walked). From Siena north, I walked along the via Francigena (again in reverse) to Sazarna, changing across to the Via del a Costa until I reached Nice, in France. Exactly 800 years ago, Francis of Assisi walked a similar route to Santiago de Compostela. (There are Italian language guidebooks to these routes available in Italy).


I made a number of audio posts and video posts for family and friends (although I found the video posts too large to load easily, so didn't make many of them).
audio log or video log

Photos from stage 1 - the Via Francesco This was the first stage of my pilgrimage - from Assisi to Florence - the reverse direction of the pilgrimage route called the Via di Francesco (from LaVerna to Assisi). Click here to see the photos. From early August.

Photos from stage 2 - Via Francigena Late August 2014 I walked a section of the Via Francigena - from Siena to Sarazana (just over 200kms). This is the second stage of my pilgrimage from Asssisi to Santiago de Compostela. The full Via Francigena runs from Canterbury in England to Rome. I met three people who were walking the full VF. Click here to view photos

Photos from stage 3 - the via della Costa The third stage of my pilgrimage - about 300kms from Sarzana to Ventimiglia, near the French border. Once at Ventimiglia, it was a delight to spend 12 days at the ecovillage Torri Superiore. Click here to view photos

Various pilgrim emotions Well, there are plenty more - but here's a sample. Click here to see photos

Awakening the Dreamer

 

Yesterday I was blessed to be able to run an "Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream" symposium at Bellbunya for our volunteers and guests. A couple of nights before that I had woken up in the middle of the night buzzing with the inspiration of a new idea - to run these workshops as a free offering for our volunteers and guests (and locals): a perfect synergy with our values. Six months before that I had participated in my first symposium and came away inspired and re-energised, with a renewed commitment to making a difference in our world. And three years before that I had stumbled across the symposium's vision via a group we hosted at Bellbunya. I was struck by the power and balance of that vision: "Bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet."

The Changing the Dream Symposium, is a not-for-profit initiative designed as a response to the urgent call of the Amazon Achuar people to "change the dream" of the modern world. Here at Bellbunya, we see so many people (including ourselves) who are disturbed by the "dream" of our modern world and who are seeking something different. At Bellbunya, we are learning/experimenting/growing in living an alternative dream of holistically sustaining living.

The symposium is designed to help people connect with their own deep concern for our world and its people whilst empowering them to make a difference in their own unique way. It is a beautiful opportunity for those who stay with us to deepen their experience at Bellbunya and grow in their commitment to building a better world.

And so, I have committed myself to run this 4 hour workshop as a free opportunity to add to the contribution that Bellbunya is making to building a better world. Whenever we have six or more volunteers, guests, neighbours or interested people from anywhere who want it, I will gladly run a symposium. If you want to come along to one, just let me know.

Have a look at the video below for a brief intro to the symposium


If you are not near Bellbunya, you can find a symposium near you at www.uptous.org/symposium