Summary in Sarzana

The Via Francigena (red and white markers) meet the Via della Costa (two directional arrows) at the Cathedral in Sarzana. A photo of the Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta for the record, there's nobody at home to register the journey.

Pisa is my next destination but this is where the real 'pilgrimage' journey ends. Connecting the Camino de Santiago with the Via Francigena. Arles was the 'moment of truth' town for mediaeval pilgrims arriving from Central Europe. West to Santiago de Compostela or East to Rome. 

My itinerary was set before I left home.

Pilgrimage routes:

Camino Francés/Chemin d'Arles in France

Via Aurelia in France

Via della Costa in Italy

Via Francigena in Italy

Roman roads:

Via Tolosana

Via Aurelia

On the very flat plain to Pisa in Luni what's left of a 7,000 capacity amphitheatre remains isolated fron the modern world. A young man provides an entry ticket costing 1Euro.

Rain becomes torrential by the time I arrive in Pisa. My cardboard bike box is ready at the bike rental shop. The dismantled bike and soaking gear is bundled in. The cycling is over.

Sandra is flying into Pisa and we will spend time in Florence. 

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Sarzana on the Via Francigena

Climbing inland with no coastal road to follow the Via della Costa merges with the Via Francigena here in Sarzana.  Walking pligrims sometimes stay at this Albergo La Villetta and this once walled town has an impressive indestructible looking castle. 

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Chiavari in Liguria

Land masses continue to merge into the Mediterranean Ligurian Sea, no longer the Maritime Alps but the Appenine mountain range stretching from here down the long length of the peninsular of Italy. Italy's backbone which is a term I remember from school days. Drammatic landscapes with breezes off the sea sometimes switching from one direction to the other. Making distance is slow following every inlet but the modern day road and rail services have evened out connections between coastal towns. Many tunnels but still challenging. 

Chiavari is in Liguria which encompasses the Italian Riviera and has a truly Rennaissance style historic centre with many collonaded walkways perfect for ristorantes/tratorias to spill out into. The Citadella is a classic Rennaissance palace.

The sea front provides a wonderful view of the sun going down late afternoon.

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Genoa

A yellow arrow pointing in two directions is a small but significant motivator. This is the road to Rome or Santiago according to which arrow head you follow. This is the Via della Costa. 

The coastal road continues and long sections of cycle path are well used. The Italian Riviera is equal if not better in that respect to the French. A happy surprise.

Genoa is a major port and the city has developed around the deep water harbours. Historic narrow streets and more widely ugly industrial areas and decaying transport structures. It's not a fairytale city and has a grimey edge about it. A replica 17th century galleon is one of the few things of immediate interest.....

Manfred and Gabbi head inland towards Switzerland and eventually their home in Germany. 

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Spotorno on the Via della Costa

Sanremo, an important destination on the Italian Riviera,  missed the influx of International visitors seen on the French coast. Supermarket prices substantially lower than in France.  The Italian resorts are less perfect but have a relaxed charm about them and the importance of the Catholic faith is more noticeable with churches prominently placed in every small town.

Frank from Germany wheeling his gear to Genoa spends his life on the road. He plans to continue east to Asia. His wife returned home recently but will rejoin him soon. The trolley will get heavier.

Twisting and turning along the coastline, in and out of tunnels which conveniently cut through unpassable rock faces, down and up from seashore towns. Sharing road with busy traffic as opposed to mountainous roads inland. Flatter sections picking up on the Via Aurelia which without tunneling crossed inland at higher elevations. Romans clearly preferred to go over rather than through rock outcrops. The Maritime Alps loom in the background as the range merges with the Appennines in the vicinity of Genoa.

Spotorno overnight is a restful small town and the local restaurants serve much seafood. Even on pizzas.

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Nice to Sanremo in Italy

Flags were flying at half mast in Nice yesterday for tge Queen's funeral.

The Côte d'Azure is stunning with mountains rising from coastal towns. Monaco's Monte Carlo Casino a focal point. 

Routing along the French Via Aurelia finishes on the border with Italy and now shadows the Via Della Costa. Italy's Sanremo seems a litte tired in comparison with the wealth displayed on the French Riviera. 

The pilgrimage journey from Arles to Rome is somewhat lost in the intense traffic and opulence surrounding the French Riviera. 

Of course the Via della Costa has only just begun in Catholic Italy.

Another Nice day of sunshine

Mountain peaks in distant Alpes-Maritimes visible from the Castel above Nice, canon boom at midday, the Promenade des Anglais constructed from remnants of the old castel which blew itself up (gunpowder store ignited) and the Sewer Bank Heist make Nice more interesting than just a destination with over 300 days of sunshine each year.

The Palais de Justice photographed displaying French colours was the scene of Spaggiari, mastermind of the Bank heist and in custody after being ratted on by a gang member's girlfriend, jumping from the upper floor, softening his landing on a car bonnet, scrambling onto the back of a motorbike and making off with his accomplice. They made a film of it and he's s bit of a folklore hero. The gang tunnelled into the vaults from the sewers below and got away with 40 million.

It's a deafening bang at 12 midday all started off by a a Scotsman Thomas Coventry in 1861 who started firing a canon at middday. The French liked it and after he left Nice with his canon the tradition started up again using pyrotechnics. Only on Bastille Day is it quiet and on April Fool's Day purposely sounded at the wrong time. Nice touch!

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Nice

A coastline full of beaches washed in sunshine and azure blue waves. Nice is a city of natural splendour and tasteful architecture. 

Countless people visit and are here now. There is a deep water inlet strategically located just around the headland, a short walk only, where cruise ships dock. Adding to the influx of visitors but neatly out of sight.

The route through from Cannes was barred by a troop of armed Napoleonic soldiers firing blank rounds to commemorate Napoleon's lading in Golfe-Juan in 1815. The Emperor was back in France escaping from his confinement on the Island of Elba. Later that year there was Waterloo which finished his reign for good. 

The Greeks, as is often the case, founded and colonised Nice which was then named Nikaia.

Today the walking tour will no doubt reveal more.

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Cannes on the Côte d'Azur

Roqueburne sur Argens made much of those outcrops of 'brown' mountains. There are many more on the twisting and turning coastal road to Cannes. 

Frejus with a amphitheatre and the remains of a very extensive aqueduct is of no particular surprise on the ancient Via Aurelia. It is a surprise to learn 423 people drowned in a dam burst in 1959. The stone memorial to these peoples stands adjacent the renovated Roman Amphitheatre. In my opinion the amphitheatre renovations too extensive and building a new 'stadium' for events might have been a better option. It's oval shape remains. 

Wartime memorials are evident. An American landing craft is exhibited and the 'Stars and Stripes' are honoured. A 2024 banner anticipated what will be a 100 year anniversary of the landings in Southern France.

The French Riviera has arrived. Deep blue sea. Lots of people sunning thenselves. Perfect sand beaches. Palm trees. Yachts. Bars. Young people with money.

In Cannes the Film Festival Centre of course.

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Roquebrune sur Argens

Rich soil from volcanic action millions of years ago create perfect vine growing conditions. Vineyards in abundance and perfectly maintained. Ochre tints reflect in building materials, this is Provence. 

A road labelled 'ANCIENNE ROUTE d'ITALIE' is most encouraging alongside modern highways. Sections of it are quietly disappearing making navigation difficult. Crossing paths with touring cyclists is not unknown but in the very hot high 30s' a wave is enough. Rarely does one stop unless there is shade.

Roquebrune sur Argens was isolated from the  'Italian Road' until a couple of hundred years ago when a double arched bridge opened the way.  The town name is derived from the outcrop of 'brown' rock and the nearby river Argens. The Via Aurelia bypassed Roquebrune which probably became rather isolated as a result.

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Brignoles, mediaeval town

Heavy rain spoilt beautiful hilly landscapes today. Cézanne must once have been frustrated in the same way.

Maybe due to wet conditions the Provencal town of Brignoles appeared shabby. The maze of winding streets in the old centre lifeless. 

A big group of charity riders were packing it in early. Their journey Paris to Nice on minor roads was today in the wet conditions too risky with deep puddles forming. Few appeared to have heavy duty wet weather gear (but they did have support vehicles). 

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Aix en Provence

Beyond Arles the names of towns and cities seem more associated with the modern world than mediaeval pilgrimage routes. It is true that now the destination is Rome but routes to Rome have not had the attention of those to Santiago de Compostela. The  road following the coast, originally the Via Augusta, renamed Via Aurelia by Emperor Aurelia, will not be easy. It will be easier than the alternative Roman road Via Domitia which leads into Northern Italy via the Alps ie the route Hannibal took when he nearly took Rome by surprise.

A very contemporary Arts Centre is located on the outskirts of Arles and perhaps sited in tribute to Van Gogh who lived here for a time.

On the road to Aix in the town of Éguilles, and denoting the line of the Via Aurelia, an investigation leads me to find a section of Roman pillar with a bronze plaque inscribed in French indicating "VI avant Jésus Christ".

Nearby Marseilles was colonised by the Greeks first but then the Celts invaded and the Romans came to help out the Greeks. The Romans were sucessful in beating off the Celts but then stayed and the legion established a base in nearby Aix en Provencal their first permanent base in Gaul. Cézanne lived here too.

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Arles in depth

A 'compostelle' office within the Saint Trophime cathedral opened for an hour and Anni was pleased to have a new pilgrim to sign in.  She was interested to hear that others were walking and cycling but most not 'registering' at the cathedral.  She was a member of the local association supporting the pilgrimage but was aware that new technology was steering people away from the old traditions. There was something special having the conversation with a true supporter. I was glad I made the effort.

Roman Teatro and Amphitheatre are the result of the Romans taking a foothold in Gaul a century BC and the Via Aurelia runs from here through to Rome itself. Arles is where pilgrims turned west to Santiago, east to Rome or sailed off to Jerusalem. It was the lowest bridging point on the Rhone.

There is little doubt in my mind that the easy routing alongside the Canal du Midi has contributed in fewer numbers taking an interest in the Chemin d'Arles. Not fogetting this camino frances route is well known to be the least favoured route from France to Santiago.

Saint Honorat is a very atmospheric church. It stands at the head of an avenue where Van Gough painted his work 'Les Alyscamps'. Also here a plaque giving pilgrimage options.

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