This is where the screaming begins, as Roger warns me. We are leaving the fields where I've been curious about the most popular crop. A small pea like plant with blue flowers. We discover it's the only food for the cows whose milk is used for Parmesan cheese. They are kept inside so we only hear the occasional moo as we pass by. So it's up and up on "ancient mule tracks". Fine if you have 4 legs . Hard work with only 2 and a rucksack. And it starts to rain. We ...

Today the scenery really did change. After miles of flat countryside we have now got to the foothills of the Appenines. And if these are just the foothills, then god help me when we have to cross them, which we must to reach Tuscany. All kinds of weather too although mostly sunny, but lots of storms in the area. I am not really enjoying Italian breakfasts which aremainly about cake. Never thought I would miss muesli and cold milk so much. So we set off in the...

Well we have met two other people on the Via Francigena so we're not the only ones. They are two American women who have walked from the St Bernard Pass in Switzerland and are on day 20 of their walk. Hats off, but they described the start as hellish and difficult walking. Anyway the upside down??? Photo is of me in the typical countryside so far. Flat, hooray, agricultural and beautiful old farms and convents everywhere. It's a tomato and maize growing area and...

So this is Roger's real 60th birthday present - another pilgrim walk. It's 450 miles from Piacenza to Rome. I have a well-known dislike of Italians as cowardly,cheating mummy's boys who admite Berlusconi. However they've been delightful so far and we've just done our first days walk. Last night we stayed in a beautiful 15th century town house and tonight it's a modern conversion of an old farm. But we've not meet anyone else doing this route. I wonder why?

This is the team after their first day walking. Taking the training very seriously. Just eaten their first pilgrim meal and tried a few of the local wines. But well done as we have done 14 miles on another hot day and managed to find where we were staying. Far less people on the road to Finnisterre and still some lovely countryside but less cows. We have a couple of plants specialists with us now and they can identify all the local windflowers and the birds ...