Some consider the Via Francigena to be a bit of the forgotten big sister of Compostela: wild, difficult, insolent, virgin (especially in France) and at the same time absolutely sublime, magical and abundant. Céline did this long walk with her young son, Leandro. At his side, she left Langres, in Haute-Marne.
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Among the highlights, the discovery of the Nouailles gorges in Mouthier-Haute-Pierre in the Doubs department. A canyon that reaches 350 meters deep. You get in on foot and you can only get out on foot.
“We cross the plateau of Levier for 4 kilometers between the source of the Loue in Ouhans and its outlet at the level of the Syratu stream. This marvelous hike reconnects us to the wild nature.”
Another milestone is the ascent of the Grand Saint-Bernard pass between Switzerland and Italy, at an altitude of 2469 metres. This road pass with a very regular slope is very long. How many days of walking did it take him to cross it?
“From Martigny in Switzerland – in the canton of Valais – we trudged for three days to reach the pass. Switzerland is a country filled with the strength and grandeur of wild nature! It is truly magical.”
Céline also remembers the crossing of Tuscany, in Italy, and the peaks of Siena. “It’s like being in the desert there, with hills, cypresses and picturesque villages. And as we say in English: The camino provides, the path gives what we need.”
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1,500 km of road, three countries crossed, hundreds of meetings, exchanges, adventures. Find this travelogue in Céline Anaya Gauthier’s book, Ciao Pellegrino! Initiatory path of a little man on the Via Francigena, published by Guy Tredaniel editions.