Day 15 Valfabbrica: and the farewell to the Eremo

Before leaving the hermitage, it is tradition for the hosts to give the pilgrims a blessing. In a prayer they ask Saint Francis to be by our side on the way. I must admit, this moved me to tears. A reason for me to take another look at the hermitage and yesterday evening.

The continuation of a special tradition

With the departure of the last hermits, an association has taken on the task of continuing to welcome pilgrims to the Eremo di San Pietro. Volunteers come up for two weeks at a time to look after the pilgrims and carry on an old tradition.

I thought it was a joke when they told us that our feet would be washed. At 6 p.m. the bells actually ring. Everyone gathers in the chapel and, after a fixed ritual and a prayer, the hosts wash our feet as a sign of respect. An act that is already mentioned in the Old Testament and is still practiced in the Catholic Church on Maundy Thursday.

When it happens to you, the ritual takes on a new meaning. We are all deeply touched by it. Afterwards, we are treated to a very good meal and lovingly pampered.

And what else was

Today, the 22 kilometers mostly run on narrow paths and are very varied. The last three hours are dominated by Lago di Valfabbrice. It is a reservoir that stretches long and fjord-like through the valley. Again and again, every few kilometers, we see it as we walk downhill, and always in a different form.

All the pilgrims set off alone this morning (after the blessing), I meet two of them on the way and we walk the rest of the way together. And of course the main topic is yesterday evening. It has outshone today in the truest sense of the word.

The agreement at our destination, Valfabbrice, is not of great importance to us. The town has a small old town, but is not as charming as we are used to from the other towns we have been to over the last two weeks. And we have our big goal in sight: tomorrow we are going to Assisi. Unfortunately, I have not found accommodation yet, because everything is full there. We will see how it goes.