This is our fourth Camino and one common theme emerges, “It feels hardest the first day!” Also getting into or out of a large city requires lot of asphalt walking.

We opted to walk along the river instead of the city street to get out of town. Morning temperatures were mild and cooling. The path along the river was mostly nice.

There were nice segments covered with trees and shrubs. We left at 6:30 in the morning, so we brought our breakfast along. None of the cafes were open, so we enjoyed our morning breakfast in the park.

The first five miles were pleasant. Next five miles we were on a two lane highway with not much shoulder to speak of. The temperature was in the 80’s and the only breeze was when the trucks passed us. Sides of the road were mostly peppered with olive trees.

Pontassieve, where we are staying tonight, is a quaint little town. The Sieve river passes through this town and then merges into Arno.

The town is getting ready for a 3 day food festival. Alas, we will be on our way before the fair starts.

Thank you for reading the blogs and making your comments. It means a lot to us. Pat and I both enjoy reading the comments. Helps keep our spirits up when we get tired!

This year’s adventure brings us to Italy where we begin our trek of  “Way of St Francis”. The route begins among the Renaissance masterpieces of Florence, continues through the forests of Tuscany, passes through the mountains of Umbria to Assisi and ends in Rome. This 550 km (~ 350 mile) journey takes us through many of the cherished sites from the life of St. Francis of Assisi.

We arrived in Florence last night and went to our daughter’s favorite pizza place near the Church of Santa Croce.

Today was our day to explore the sites of Florence. We started our day along the Arno River walking by Ponte Vecchio to Santa Croce.

In the afternoon we visited Michelangelo’s masterpiece “David” at the Accademia Gallery.

On the way back we explored the  famous landmark of Florence, the Duomo.

Of course no visit to Italy would be complete without the taste of Gelato! Today was our first of many encounters with the reward of long walking days.

We begin our first stage of the Trek tomorrow morning as we walk 14.5 miles to Pontassieve.

As we walk through this journey we will be trying to live the famous prayer of St Francis. Hope we can all contribute just a little bit to make this world a bit better every day.

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is dispair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

After lunch at Gorekshep we continued up another 3 hours to the Base Camp. You could see the Khumbu glacier and Khumbu ice falls. The original Base Camp was destroyed by the glacier and there was a make-shift Base Camp. 

It was a glorious feeling to finally celebrate our accomplishment. A most difficult and memorable trek of our lifetime!

We had waited a long time for this day. We woke up early to get started and it turned out to be a gorgeous morning. We were at the footsteps of these gigantic mountains. Stunning AMA Dablam to the right. Loptse covering all but the peaks of Everest and Nuptde to the left of Everest.  We could almost touch them but we still had miles to cover before we reach the base. 

The five amigos were ready for the challenge after braving the ups and downs of the Himalayas. 

Our steps were slow and deliberate due to lack of Oxygen. We climbed steadily towards Gorekshep where we would have our lunch and leave all unnecessary items for the last push for EBC. Our goal was to return back down by darkness to Gorekshep for the night. 

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We are finally climbing into unknown territory. All our training has been under 14,000 feet. We are now heading into over 16,000 feet. The morning climb is gradual with beautiful vistas. The terrain now is rocky and devoid of trees.  Views are spectacular again. 

There are not as many villages at this altitude, so we need to carry more water, which means more weight. Lunch at 15,000 feet is simple. Ramen soup, and fries. 

  
We can see the hour + long climb in front of us, so we take our time resting and eating lunch. 

  

On the top of this hill is the memorial for all the climbers who perished trying to conquer Everest.  I was beginning to look ahead in anticipation of the next day which would be our final ascent to Base Camp as the culmination of our quest for EBC. 



When we arrived at Dingboche it was foggy. Morning views were amazing!m as the sun was shining. 

 

Today was our second and last acclimatization day which meant climbing about a 1000 feet straight up and then climbing back down before lunch. 

It is hard to capture the sights and sounds in a picture, so I captured the video of one of the bridge crossings. 

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We continued on to Dingboche to finally get our first glimpse of Mt. Everest.  It’s the little tip in the center of the photo.

The view did not last long as the clouds were moving constantly. We continued enjoying the gorgeous trek. 

It was a relief to finally see the glimpse of our destination for the day. 

We finished our hike yesterday and this morning we flew from Lukla to Kathmandu. It is strange to be back in civilization with noise and air pollution. 

For 11 days we were in pristine nature where there were no cars or bicycles.  The mode of transportation was Sherpa and Yaks. 

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Next blog we will continue picture journey to EBC. 

It was a grueling day. We walked from Lebouche to Gorekshep (- 17,000 feet). Had our lunch and headed to EBC (- 17,600 feet).  After spending some time at EBC, we are back in Gorekshep for the night. It was a gorgeous day with sunshine and clear skies.  The views of the majestic mountains made the Trek worthwhile. Unfortunately, the internet won’t allow me to load any pictures, so I will have to add pictures when I have better connections. Thanks for everyone’s best wishes and comments. 

We arrived in Lebuche this afternoon from Dingboche. Walking over 12KM and climbing almost 2,000 feet is a unique experience. Every step is deliberate and every incline is felt. Walking in this beautiful heven is the solace that keeps you going. Every breath feels precious. Beauty is changing constantly as the clouds reveal or hide the surreal mountain range in all directions. 

Tomorrow we ascend to Everest Base Camp and begin our return descent, as there is no place to stay there!

Pictures to follow