“there’s always only this one step, so give it your full attention”
I thought I knew what this meant, but here I am in Canterbury, Kent, awaiting my start on the Via Francigena, a 1,800 km footpath to Rome, which I’ll start tomorrow morning. It’s such a long road it’s hard to imagine every town it crosses, let alone every step along th way. But I will start anyway, and after today’s events I feel so close!
I walked to the train in Essex this morning, completely wrapped up in the scenery of the little suburb where I stayed.
Then, just as I was looking for someone to point me in the right direction, I heard my name! My airbnb host mom was running to give me a cloud grey and white sparkly pom pom, her youngest child stayed up late to make for me before I leave! I couldn’t stop smiling as I got on the train and I felt for sure the gift and the timing were a good omen for my journey.
I got off at the Liverpool St. Station in London and walked around the city center. I tried to photograph what to my American eyes where purely British symbols.
Mini Cooper and Thatched Roof buildings
Another idea I had for taking photos was to see in the scenes picture frames to step into (then step in and have someone take my picture!)
I had an early start so by 11 or so I was already finished and I’m the train to Canterbury.
I’m so glad my travels took me here because it is a really charming place. The river, the crowded streets of shops, the school groups everywhere visiting the cathedral.
There’s such a life to the place and one of the moments I really enjoyed was eating lunch on the third floor of a cafe, joined together by creaky, narrow, stairs. I was the only one there for a bit but the noise and energy of the street floated up through open windows.
Another remarkable moment was that also stepped inside the Canterbury Cathedral grounds and got my pilgrim passport and first stamp today! I forgot how many steps I took to even get this far, thinking of all that lies ahead, but when I looked at the starting stone I felt emotional.
Plus, inside the church grounds I found people who understood my journey and wished for my success! The information booth offered arranging for a special blessing before I start.
Another woman I struck up a conversation with gave me her address in switzerland, without hesitation, to look her up when I cross into the alps! It was the first time that part of the journey, so far into the future, seemed to broach reality, and with my passport in hand I felt a flash of something that showed me this was really possible.