Honeymoon in Style - Part 1
Day 0 - The mystery is solved!
May 9 to May 10
Goodbyes are hard for me. My brother has been my rock for so long. Even after living apart for six years, the support and help he has always given me are so dear to me. This time I did well - I held my tears back until after we said goodbye to him and his wife Terlan, but once we were through security I broke down and sobbed. Luckily, Chris is used to my emotional side 😆 - as always, he was straight there to comfort me.
After some time I got myself together and started to get excited about the upcoming honeymoon. It was still a secret and the only thing I knew was that we were flying to Rome and getting a train somewhere else the next day. Of course, you can’t go wrong with Italy, so I was hugely looking forward to it! As the next day arrived and we boarded the train, it became apparent we were heading to Bologna. This should have reminded me of something - I had sent Chris an Instagram video a few months before about the Via Degli Dei hike from Bologna to Florence… but as I send Instagram videos to him all the time hinting for him to take me somewhere, I didn’t immediately recall this one😅.
But once I realised this, I started looking forward to our honeymoon even more, with the opportunity to explore Italian scenery and food in the best way possible. Food is important here because I love pasta. I would happily eat it every day. So despite having to hike 20km per day this trip, it’s highly possible I will still put on weight😆.
Our target is to reach Florence in 6 days. It seems doable but as I have never done such long continuous walking trips I am a bit nervous. We started with staying in Bologna for one night and catching up on our sleep after a week of wedding festivities (and stress😳) in Baku. We also had an opportunity to explore the city at night and try not one but two different restaurants to experience some local food. One of these restaurants in particular is worth visiting as there is no menu and the chef of the restaurant comes to your table and starts the conversation by offering you a range of food and making recommendations. After some delicious bruschetta, pasta and a mascarpone cream dessert to die for, we headed back to our AirB&B to get some well-deserved rest. The excitement was building: tomorrow was due to be the first day of the Via Degli Dei - The Path of the Gods.
Day 1 - Challenge accepted!
May 11
Looks like at my wedding 3 days ago I tried too hard to sing along to the songs while dancing, as the day started with painkillers and sprays. But after some delicious breakfast at a vegan restaurant (yes, these things do actually exist in Italy😂) I soon stopped feeling sorry for myself.
The start point at Piazza Maggiore was lively and it felt the right way to start the journey, with live music and dancing. Then we were off! The first stage winds its way through the famous porticos and climbs under 666 arches until arriving at the Sanctuary of Sant Luca. This part of the walk is rather crowded as the sanctuary is steeped in history - legend has it that the incessant rains of 1433 were repelled by the image of Madonna with Child, who resides in the Sanctuary, being brought down to the city via the porticos.
We soon left the crowds behind however, as we descended on smaller trails to a more peaceful area on the outskirts of Bologna, where we found what I can only describe as the best Gelateria I have ever visited. The range of flavours was amazing (blue cheese, anyone?) and the taste… simply incredible!
The next stage continued the relaxing theme, along the white gravel ‘strade bianche’ roads and small trails through forests. Here nature well and truly took over - no more sounds of the city, with the simple yet beautiful chirping of birds sending us on our way.
As the heat started to build throughout the day however, we started searching around for somewhere for another rest. With no cafes or restaurants on the route for miles, we were saved by the friendly owners of a secluded B&B. While sipping cokes in their beautiful garden, we listened to Alessandro - Bologna born and so in love with his city. He passionately told us of the city’s history - it is home to the world’s oldest continually operating university, and the liberal atmosphere this cultivated saw it become the first Italian city to abolish slavery in 1256. His enthusiasm was almost enough to make us wish we had spent more time there before starting the hike, but with the journey and the distance still to travel prominent in our minds, it was time to hit the road again.
It was at this point however l, that our first mistake became apparent. The route is more popular than we thought in good weather, which meant that repeated calls to B&Bs nearby were to no avail - there was no chance we were going to get a private room on the second night of our honeymoon😂. We had to settle for dormitory beds, but in a beautiful B&B in the hills, set in idyllic gardens, which made up for it to a degree.
Our hosts also kindly booked a restaurant for us and provided a shuttle car service (after walking 26km a day sometimes you appreciate commuting by car for 5 minutes rather than walking another 20 minutes) where we could have dinner and enjoy some delicious Italian food. Our choice of a vegetarian food set was another good decision as everything was simply delicious. Then it was time to get some sleep and get ready for another long, but hopefully just as rewarding, day.
Leaving the excitement of the city behind