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Walking to Assisi with All Souls

In the autumn of 2011 (September 27--October 3), Rev. Rob Hardies will lead a group of All Souls walkers to Assisi, Italy, where St. Francis spent his last days. The town is also famous for the Giotto frescoes in the Basilica de San Francisco. Along the way, we’ll experience Umbrian culture, food and wine, and magnificent views across the hills.

The walks, graded easy, will be short, so we can more fully immerse ourselves in the sights, sounds, and smells. Anyone who’s reasonably fit can participate. (You may extend the distance on any day if you care to walk more.) We’ll walk in small groups or even alone, often observing silence to help us find peace and joy. Every evening, we’ll gather in community to reflect on our journeys before enjoying a delicious dinner. We will spend two nights in each of three towns, walking to the town one day and then taking a circular walk in the area the next.

Girosole, an Italian company, will book our accommodations in small hotels and inns, make breakfast available every morning, provide maps and walking directions, and move our luggage from town to town. But we will guide ourselves; no tour guide or “sag wagon” will accompany us.

To sign up for the trip, you’ll register both with All Souls and directly with Girosole.

Itinerary (provided by Girosole)

Monday, September 26
Fly overnight (you’ll make your own travel arrangements) to Rome.

Tuesday, September 27
Arrive in Rome, then catch a train to Spoleto. That afternoon, sip espresso in the fan-shaped Piazza del Duomo or feast your eyes on 12th-century frescos by Fra Filippo Lippi. We’ll gather in the late afternoon to prepare for the next day’s walk.

Wednesday, September 28
6 miles. On our first circular walk, we’ll cross a high-arched ancient Roman bridge, descend into forest, and find a monastery founded by St. Francis. We’ll return to Spoleto for our evening community time and dinner.

Thursday, September 29
5 miles. After being transported to the village of Fabbri, we’ll walk through vineyards to Montefalco, a hill town with an important fresco cycle on the life of St. Francis. You may want to soak up the sun in the piazza before we meet for the evening.

Friday, September 30
5 miles. We walk to Bevagna, treasured by the Romans for its curative waters, then return to Montefalco for the night.

Saturday, October 1
7.5 miles. Passing through the Eremo di Carceri, one of St. Francis’s favorite places to meditate, we reach Assisi, where we’ll visit the basilica with Giotto’s frescoes.

Sunday, October 2
5.5 miles. We descend into the Porziuncola valley, where St. Francis spent his last days. The tiny chapel where he died is now enclosed in the magnificent church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. Back in Assisi, we’ll visit to the basilica of St. Clare, an early follower of St. Francis and founder of the Poor Clares, a monastic order for women.

Monday, October 3
We bid farewell to each other and depart for home or for other places in Italy. (You can stay longer in Assisi by making separate arrangements with Girosole.)

Cost

Assuming no dramatic changes in the value of the euro, Girosole will hold their 2010 prices (slightly discounted) for us in 2011. The cost per person, sharing a double room, is $1220. The single room supplement is $370 (single rooms are limited, so you must reserve early).

In addition to registering with Girosole, you must arrange flights to and from Rome and a train to Spoleto (more details to come). You’ll also pay for lunches (packed for walking or at restaurants in the towns) and dinners, plus any incidentals.

Fitness

The walks will be easy, and the distances short, but plenty of up- and down-hill walking, some of it over uneven ground, will require a good pair of broken-in boots. If you are unable or prefer not to walk a day’s full distance, you can arrange local transportation at your own cost.

You’ll decide for yourself each day if you want to take off right after breakfast, sleep in and leave later, or take the afternoon to shop or enjoy a glass of wine. The region’s fall weather is glorious: warm in the daytime and cool at night.

For people who would like to walk longer days, Girosole can suggest additional routes.

Spiritual preparation and community

All participants are expected to attend a series of five classes to help us prepare for the experience. (If you live out of town, or have an unavoidable conflict with the dates, you can still participate by doing the readings and exercises and discussing them with other people in the group.) The classes, led by Rev. Hardies and Claudia Liebler, will take place on Tuesday nights in 2011. As a community, we will also plan one or more fundraising events (spaghetti dinner, anyone?) so we can offer “scholarships” to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford the trip.

Session I: March 8, March 22, April 5. (We will plan our fundraising events during these classes.)
Session II: September 6 and September 20.

How to register Registration is now closed, but you can get on a waiting list by emailing Sheila Campbell (SCampbell@wildblueyonder.biz).

We anticipate a group of some 24 walkers, although Girosole can accommodate up to 40 if most share double rooms. To hold hotels for such a large group, everyone will have to register with Girosole no later than December 31, 2010.

When you’re ready to register, go to www.girosole.com and click on “Book a Tour.” Information you’ll need to register:

Girosole requests an immediate deposit of $400 per person to hold your place; final payment is due 60 days before the trip begins.

Once you’ve registered, please email Sheila Campbell (SCampbell@wildblueyonder.biz) to let her know you’ve registered.

Contact Sheila if you’d like to speak about a possible “scholarship” for this trip.