Rome to Albano – 1st June
Distance: 23.5 km – Elevation +410 m -110 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 26 degrees
I left the New Generation Hostel and walked to the Arco di Costantino. The triumphal arch was built in AD 315 to celebrate Constantine the Great’s victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312. Constantine was a major influence in the early growth of Christianity and it seemed so appropriate to begin, this first day of my pilgrimage, from the Arco di Costantino.
The path led me to the old city walls where I left the city through the Porta San Sebastiano, and a short while after I stopped for coffee in a roadside cafe where I met a local woman seated at an adjacent table. She was inquisitive as to where I was going and after an interesting conversation, she pointed in the direction of a gateway and told me the best way forward from here was through the park. After visiting the Catacombe di San Callisto I came back to the wonderful Via Appia Antica with long sections of the original pavement and ancient ruins. It was Saturday and there were many Italians out enjoying a walk or run, and I met a grandfather out with his two grandchildren and he told me how much he wanted to do what I was doing, it was a lifetime ambition of his to walk to Jerusalem.
After the ancient history of the Via Appia Antica, I came to Frattocchie where I found a small cafe and relaxed with an iced tea. From there it was a slow continuous 4 kilometre climb to my accommodation for the night. When I arrived, the gates to the B&B were closed and after a telephone call, the owner said she was still at work and would arrange for relatives to come and let me in. The B&B was very comfortable and there was a nearby restaurant where I enjoyed a tasty two-course supper with a carafe of white wine. It had been a hot and tiring first day, and as with my past two pilgrimages, I realised that despite all the training and preparation I was not 100% fit.
