The Big Walk
Walking 160km across Tuscany with my Mom
On November 23rd, 2022, I called up my mom and asked her if she wanted to walk 160km with me across Tuscany. She obviously said yes (with a bit of hesitation) because she will say yes to just about any reason to hang out with me. I only later learned that the only reason she said yes was because she really didn’t think it would happen. Fast forward to September 22nd, 2023, we were on a plane to Italy to start what we would call “The Big Walk”. I think at this point my mom still didn’t believe it was going to happen.
The plan was to walk 160km, split over 9 days along the Via Francigena. We were going to start in Siena and end in Viterbo. Below are some highlights, and lowlights, from each day of the Big Walk. An adventure of a lifetime truly filled with so many amazing memories.
Day 1: 22km Siena to Lucignano
Highlight - Getting started on this day will forever be a special memory in my heart. Looking at my mom with her big backpack on, about to take on a challenge and push herself out of her comfort zone in a new way.
Lowlight - My mom getting heatstroke and me lying her down in the small sliver of shade that those very tall and skinny trees in Tuscany offer.
Day 2: 16km Lucignano to Buonconvento
Highlight - Eating 2 croissants.
Lowlight - Going up the wildest hill to get to our hotel. We quickly learned that if our accommodation boasted “beautiful views!”, it most likely meant a treacherous hill awaited us.
Day 3: 23km Buonconvento to San Quirico D’Orcia
Highlight - The infamous cycling race L'Eroica was happening on the same trails that we were walking on, which made for great entertainment. It also made me extra sweaty. Watching people bomb down gravel hills on the tiniest road tires imaginable, with no helmets on. Anything goes!
Lowlight - Limping into San Quirico D’Orcia, feeling convinced I had a stress fracture in my foot...
Day 4: 9km San Quirico D’Orcia to Bagno Vignoni
Highlight - Having our last cappuccino from our favorite coffee place in San Quirico. We ended up spending a few extra days here so I could rest my foot.
Lowlight - Getting to our hotel and realizing they didn’t have any food. The staff did bring us a plate of cheese for “dinner” - I don’t think I will ever recover from this. I still can’t look at a cheese plate the same way.
Day 5: 7km Bagno Vignoni to Radicofani
Highlight - Getting to the town of Radicofani was a pretty cool accomplishment. The town itself is on the top of a pretty big climb and was one of the cutest towns of the entire trip.
Lowlight - My mom getting food poisoning from yogurt at the place that served us the cheese dinner. Guess only some of their dairy products could be trusted.
Day 6: 16km Radicofani to Acquapendente
Highlight - We had the best gelato of our entire trip in Acquapendente and got to sleep in our own bedrooms and beds for the first time since starting our trip. My mom and I love each other, but we do not need to share a bed for a very long time.
Lowlight - The town of Acquapendente was probably our least favorite of the entire trip. Thankfully it was just a quick stopover. Mediocre town, great gelato.
Day 7: 24km Acquapendente to Bolsena
Highlight - The terrain and scenery! It continued to shock me how much the terrain and scenery would vary day by day, even though it felt like we weren’t covering that much ground. We got to walk through lush forests, olive groves, and alongside Lake Bolsena.
Lowlight - Orange Fanta not living up to the hype
Day 8: 16km Bolsena to Montefiascone
Highlight - We got into the habit of going to whatever cafe was open when rolling into our destination town. I’d always order a peach iced tea, and my mom would get a coke. On this day, our daily cold beverages hit particularly good.
Lowlight - The hills.
Day 9: 20km Montefiascone to Viterbo
Highlight - Waking up to the most beautiful breakfast made for us by our Airbnb host. The best way to start our last day of walking.
Lowlight - Knowing this was the last day of our adventure.
This was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life, with memories I will never forget. My mom was an absolute trooper and made me laugh so goddamn hard every single day. We loved each other's company and learned to love the routine of each day: wake up, pack our bags, go for coffee and breakfast at the hotel, then walk. Every day was different, yet felt the same. The simplicity of knowing all we had to do was eat and walk made it more relaxing than I had ever expected. We took our time each day, stopping as much as we needed and wanted. We met amazing people and often saw the same faces every day. Most people were on the same schedule as us. The route was very well-marked, and we felt safe the entire time. Thank you again to my mom for agreeing to go on this adventure with me. I can’t wait for our next one. I love you!
My fav gear for this trip:
Croissants