Day 16 and final one of our cycle along the Via Francigena from Piacenza to Rome.

It’s a short trip, but still involves cycling in two countries and visiting two capital cities. 😜

Our B&B gave us vouchers for breakfast at a local bar (this is quite common, although all provide a capsule coffee machine in the B&B). We carefully treasured our vouchers and checked we had them safely as we packed and cycled up the steep hill to the little piazza. Then promptly forgot to cash them in as we paid for our cappuccino and croissants 🤦🏻‍♂️. We savoured eating in the sun and the view of Rome below. A lovely blue sky day.

We set off and enjoyed a gravel track through a surprising rural idyll. We heard Golden Orioles (a bird) in the trees. We cycled through avenues of pine trees. And then a long downhill. Morning coffee was to have been in a little town on the banks of the Tiber, but it turned out to be an ugly commuter-ville, no piazza, no bar, cars, busses, rubbish carts, courier vans - so we pushed on.

The route planners then sneakily took us up a steep bottom-gear hill that went on and on. Then down - then up another long hill. What was going on? It turns out that they had circumnavigated us around Rome’s equivalent of the M1 intersection with the North Circular so we’ll allow them that.

And then we popped up a ramp and onto a beautiful ribbon of smooth red tarmac. It’s a purpose made cycle track that runs along the Tiber all through Rome. Well used by cyclists and joggers. It needed discipline to keep to our side to avoid crashing with oncoming cyclists and to allow others to overtake. Other cyclists always overtake us !

We passed sewage farms, bus depots, electrical substations, recycling depots. Then past football and rugby pitches, then tennis and padel courts, a horse racing track and then urban streets. And then along city centre avenues with cycling traffic lights which worked and traffic that behaved itself. And pedestrians that didn’t and just walked in front of us or insisted of using the track to trundle those vast suitcases that only Asian tourists seem to use.

And then, there we were at the pedestrian zone in Vatican City.

There were sooooo many people. Filling the processional route to St Peter’s. Like the streets after a football match has finished in a big stadium. We started to get claustrophobia as we patiently threaded our bike towards St Peter’s “square” which is actually round. There was a long queue, maybe 200m, several people wide. As we passed along it, we realised this was the queue for The Queue for booked admissions which approached the basilica from a different street. Oh my goodness. We met a fellow cycle tourist from the Netherlands who had just arrived like us and we swapped tales and took photos of each other.

We had our secret trick - our pilgrim’s passport. There is a special queue for holders. The security guard pointed us to a white gazebo where they were scanning the pre-booked tickets. I walked along the queue to the gazebo and the scanner guard saw our pilgrim passports and just waved us through! We couldn’t avail ourselves at that point as there was airport security next and we had our bikes and luggage. Our plan is to return and collect a certificate from the Vatican called a “Testimonium” tomorrow.

We collected our final Via Francigena stamp from the pilgrim’s office and threaded our way through the crowds for lunch around the corner.

We now tried to make our way to our “central” hotel by the rail station. Still 7km away. We started off cycling on the cobbled roads (no cycle track) but it needed strong nerves. Cars just stopped and put on hazard lights instead of using parking places. Or suddenly pulled out. Or opened a door. Cars and taxis whooshed past. Or bipped us on their horns (why do they do that). At complex multi-lane filters and junctions we gave up and became pedestrians.

But was that any easier. There’s a public transport strike today!!! The pavements were rammed. Jostling the whole time - for several kilometres. Painfully slow progress persuaded us to try cycling on the roads again.

Our route took us past the Trevi fountain so we thought we would just pop by and get a look. Not a chance, the square was so wedged with people that no progress was possible. Other beautiful piazzas were empty.

After checking in, Anna needed to read some papers for a meeting tomorrow so Alistair wandered off to scout a route around the Roman Forum and do a bit of shopping. Later- aperitivi and delightful dinner and an early night. We had made it !