On the E1's detours

The last few weeks have challenged and rewarded me - scenic views, leg pain again, a hospital visit and a meeting with my sister.

Almost nothing has gone according to plan so far. The path challenges me anew every day. Some days it rains all the time, some paths are overgrown with thousands and thousands of thorns or otherwise impassable.

But it is also rewarding and a lot of fun! So I enjoy every ray of sunshine to the fullest and grow with every challenge.

The boat ride from Messina to Villa San Giovanni felt like a first little milestone. Once on the mainland, I decided to walk along the coast, as my overworked leg was not yet very good with mountains. Although these were exclusively roads, they rewarded me with beautiful views and led me through many small villages.

View of Scilla in Calabria

I was also lucky from time to time and found a campsite that was already open.

After some time, the leg also got better and I hardly felt the previously painful spot.

One day, an elderly man gave me so many oranges that my backpack became very heavy for a short time and I had to eat them quickly to have less luggage again.

On the way towards Maratea on the northern border of Calabria, the road was suddenly closed and I had to change my plans. So I decided to head directly inland, to soon meet the official path of the E1, which only continues to Sicily from here on.

The same day I felt my leg again and eventually had more pain, so I took the next possible accommodation and luckily found a hotel by the side of the road very soon.

The next day I rejoined the E1 and followed it to Sanza. There the first "higher" mountain was waiting for me.

Even though 1,900 metres in altitude would not really have been a problematic altitude, I was already made aware at breakfast in a bar that there was snow at the top.

I was also well aware of this. Nevertheless, I tried my luck by climbing Monte Cervati. I would have been annoyed if I hadn't at least tried. At about 1,200 metres altitude, the snow line was that day. I knew that I had to reach the hut by the evening, as bad weather had been announced for the coming day and otherwise this could quickly become dangerous.

However, as the snow was getting deeper and deeper and I sank in up to my hips a few times, I decided to go for plan B. A little earlier I had already looked on the map for an alternative route that would not take me quite so high. So I turned off after it was foreseeable that I would not make it to the hut and made my way out of the mountains into the next village.

Finally, completely exhausted, with frozen feet and already after sunset, I arrived in a small town and fortunately also found accommodation.

After this detour into the mountains, I decided to head back towards the coast. I had had enough of the snow for a while!

Back on the coast, it was not far to Salerno. There I stayed with friends I had met in the hostel in Catania.

The following stretch along the Amalfi Coast was beautiful! The steep rocky coast with the green mountains and its small villages and bays of turquoise blue sea is not famous for nothing. Unfortunately, it is also very crowded. I came to the conclusion that this spot is best visited on a rainy day in the low season and early in the morning to avoid the crowds...

However, as it was not yet peak season, it was actually still very relaxed.

Arriving in Positano, I met up with my sister who walked from Naples to Salerno on her holiday. It was the highlight of my week!

Amalfi Coast - In the mountains before Positano

I continued on to Pompei and past Naples, taking the train in the evening one day to spend the night in the city.

After a constant up and down, my overstrained leg finally felt better. Exactly on this day, about seven kilometres before my stage finish, I was walking along a road when I heard dogs barking. Nothing unusual in itself, I hear this very, very often. I have always had a bad feeling about dogs. But as long as they don't come too close to me, I can deal with them quite well.

However, on this day and place, after a locked gate, the fence suddenly stopped and I tried to change sides of the road as quickly as possible to create some distance. Before I knew it, two dogs, one quite large, were chasing me. I walked on quickly and suddenly felt the big dog grab my leg. I kept on walking as if in a tunnel and finally the barking went away. I kept walking until I heard nothing more. But when I looked down at my leg, I saw that it was bleeding on the lower thigh and the dog had probably caught me with its teeth. Still in shock, I stopped, treated the wound as quickly as possible and headed for the next train station to go to Naples.

There I took my backpack to a hostel and made my way to the hospital. Fortunately, I received a very nice welcome and was well looked after. I didn't have to wait long either. The doctor stitched up the wound and gave me instructions on how to care for it.

After two days of compulsory rest, which I spent in bed because I had a lot of pain when walking and standing, I finally continued.

Every day I felt the wound less and when I arrived at the height of Rome in Tivoli, I was able to walk uphill and downhill again, which was very painful at the beginning.

From Tivoli, I took the train into the city to walk around in Rome for a bit and eventually spend the night at a campsite there.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome

After the capital, the beautiful Via Francigena led me further north. Here I also met pilgrims again and again who were on their way from Siena to Rome.

After about 1,250 kilometres, I am just before Tuscany and am very much looking forward to the next section.

Except for the dogs...