Introduction
In the early 1200’s, Francis of Assisi walked the length and breadth of the Rieti Valley in central Italy. Barefoot and wearing a ragged tunic, he carried a message of peace and good (“pace e bene”) to all the people and creatures he met.

This past September, 21 of us from Living Compassion followed in his footsteps, walking the 70 miles of the Cammino di Francesco, which winds around and through the valley and links the little towns, monasteries and wild, high caves where Francis preached and prayed. We wore fleece and nylon and sturdy shoes, but like Francis, our hearts’ intention was for peace and good for all creatures we encountered, including ourselves.

This blog is drawn from the reflections and photographs of various retreat  participants. Quotes in italics were words that inspired us as we traveled. Travel with us. Pace e bene.

THE BLOG
The retreat in Italy, Following in the Footsteps of Francis of Assisi, was magical. It felt like we had set out to follow in the footsteps of Francis and what we found were our own footsteps. Footsteps set down upon the valley in the same spirit that Francis set down his. We walked in the footsteps of Sangha.

We walked with this spirit of loving kindness, acceptance, peace and joy. We found this spirit in the Nature around us, in the people that we met, in each other and in our own heart. It feels to me that the spirit of Francis is the spirit of Sangha.

We met Francis everywhere we went, on every rocky mountaintop, in every cave, in every town, in every hotel and convent in which we stayed.

We met him in every restaurant, on every bus, in every smile and wave. Sangha.

A motto for our journey:

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.

                                                            –Stephen Wright    

We arrived in Rieti the day before we began walking. The convent where we stayed, Centro di Spiritualita Madre Cabrini, was a quiet oasis in a busy suburb.

An indelible picture in our minds: The exuberant nun who met our bus outside her convent. With her arms thrust upward and the most joyful smile on her face we were truly welcomed. She did not hesitate to put aside her plans, to walk us the one kilometer into town and show us how to get to the closest market. Her love of life was truly infectious. Later she zipped out again, on her motorbike.

We had arranged in advance for a rental car, to carry some of our gear and give walkers a break when they needed it. Several of us spent a harrowing afternoon negotiating the tangled streets of Rieti trying to find the pick-up location. Finally we did, and found the car waiting: a black Mercedes!  We will be elegant on this trip!