Date: 2008-04-14 15:39 Subject: 964 miles completed, 326 miles left Security: Public

The main headline this week has to be the weather – rain, rain and more rain, I thought I was back in the UK at one stage. It started raining on Tuesday while I was still in San Remo and didn’t stop until Saturday afternoon. Sunday was a much better day but the forecast was right and the heavy rain and thunderstorms returned today. The weather has surprised me throughout the walk, from the warm weather in the north of France in January to the unseasonably wet and cold weather in this part of Italy.

Despite the weather, I have continued to go out walking everyday and as you can see I have nearly reached the 1000 mile mark. 

I left San Remo on Wednesday morning for the two hour journey by train to Genoa, main port of the Liguria region of Italy. It was an enjoyable journey because there was a Canadian couple sharing the compartment that were on their way Switzerland via Milan to visit friends and it was nice to be able to talk to people without worrying whether the translation and pronunciation were correct. We had a long discussion about the walk and the fact that the Canadian gentleman runs marathons on a regular basis and could understand the importance of having the right equipment etc.

The other thing I must check before I undertake the second walk in the spring of 2009 is make sure that there are no elections taking place. During the walking across France they were having their elections for Mayor in the bigger cities and towns. In Italy, I have arrived in time for the general election and it seems everywhere I go I am asked if I will be voting for this candidate or that candidate.

Genoa is a busy place and full of history. Due to the weather I have spent most of the time simply concentrating on getting the walks completed each day. This meant I really only had Sunday to include some of the historic sights in my walk. I decided that I would include a visit to the Lantera, a lighthouse built in the 16^th century and whose light can be seen 50KM away. To reach the structure you have to walk three quarters of a mile from the entrance of the docks and then walk up a steep slope to the ticket office. From there you climb up another steep slope and start the climb up 172 steps to the first level which is 76 metres from the base. The rest of the structure is out of bounds to the public but I can imagine that the views from the top would be breathtaking.

Having decided to brave the elements again, today I headed to the east of the city before returning to the port area again and then headed into the centre of Genoa and visited the main cathedral and its treasury. It is said that the hexagonal plate on display in the treasury is the Holy Grail. The ashes of John the Baptist are also said to be located in the cathedral and a special casket is used to carry the ashes in processions.

The artwork in the cathedral and a nearby church are simply breathtaking, sadly I was not allowed to take photographs of the artwork in the church and although there were displays suggesting that pictures could be purchased, I could not find any.

There were several other theatres, museums and the occasional art gallery along the way but again the weather played its part and I decided that I should complete the distance for the day and seek sanctuary in the hotel or the rest of the afternoon.

Earlier today during my regular update on my local BBC radio station (BBC Radio Solent), I was asked if I thought about what Anne would be saying. I had to be honest and say that I thought about that every day and she would still be thinking I was mad but would the first one to provide support. While I was walking around the cathedral etc this morning the same thought occurred to me as I knew how much Anne would have loved to have seen these and the other sites I have visited.  Anne loved historical sites, churches and especially mosaics and I just sat and thought about it and could still see the sparkle in her eyes at some of the places we visited together and how they would have lit up now.

Tomorrow I move on to La Spezia, a port further along the coast. I visited La Spezia some 23 years ago whilst serving in the Royal Navy and lucky enough to attend an opera performed against the backdrop of an impressive three masted ship, one of the Italian training ships. Sadly, I do not think that I will be able to enjoy such a treat this time around.

The amount sponsored creeps up slowly and with your help we can hopefully pass the £8000 mark by the time I write the next journal.

Thank you everybody for your support and please keep those donations coming both from around the world and the UK. Together I know we can reach the £50,000 target for the charities and for Anne.

Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link