There is only one point to today – getting through the 21 kilometres to arrive at the end. This is our thirteenth day in a row and we are tired. The guide offers up a train option to avoid the road slogs today, but we shall walk.
We leave early for us: 7:55 am. We have a slog of 6.5 kms along the dreaded via Cassia. But this morning is safe. It isn’t pleasant but it is safe. Need to do some crisscrossing but there is footpath on one side or the other. It is Sunday morning so maybe the traffic is even a bit quieter. Lots of MAMLs out and about. And so much rubbish and dog shit.
We have a few kms through parkland on a new path opened in the past couple of years to get pellegrini off the worst of the roads for a bit. It is appreciated.
A steep climb up from the parkland into suburbs. It can be hard to see the markers with so much happening visually and we rely a lot on the SloWays app today.
Back to parkland and repeated ups and downs on rocky, uneven surface. It is much harder work than I wanted today. Every now and then we get a bit of a view over Roma, but are kept waiting for the one we want.
Then finally…………
……the end is in sight.
Through a bit more of the park, passing a whole lot of rubbish everywhere and dog shit, then down the switchbacks on the paved but uneven rocky path, we reach the gate that we should exit by – it is locked. One more switchback and we find another gate, thankfully open. It might have been a very ugly scene if that too was locked, coz we weren’t going to want to climb back up the hill to find another way out.
More slog along footpath…..
And eventually, we arrive.
And we have a good sit down.
We have followed these two people for such a very long way….
…it has no doubt had a lasting effect on us …….
It’s Sunday arvo now and the offices to get our piece of paper are closed. I have a very comfy bed booked (at a bargain basement price) just a couple of blocks away. Late lunch / very early dinner then gelati, then a very good lie down.
Ciao.
Richo and DC 