Rome

  We made it. The last day was the toughest.

Our day started a a normal day. Breakfast, pack and then shower. Getting out of the large room like shower, stepping down, I slipped and spun around hitting the step up and breaking a rib.

I heard it snap. It took a while to get up, but made it to the bed and lay there screaming for about a minute. After the full body tremble stopped, I got up, dressed a finished packing.

I have been here before. To keep moving is by far the best plan of attack. Get on the bike and ride.

At times, but only at rest stops, wich there were many, the pain was so bad I felt like fainting. As long as we kept moving, I was fine. Slow going, we finished the ride on a straight shot into Rome on heavily traffic auto routes.

We are here in Rome now. The hotel is nice, but we did have a problem with what we felt was a safe spot for the bike in a city with a very high crime rate. We were told that the tandem would remain outside.

Today I'm stiff. Barbara has been doing everything possible to keep me as comfortable as she can.

I'm feeling like "Uncle Joe, moving kind of slow at the Junction."

As I said before, I have been here before and know that the pain will go away. Thinking about what might have happens and not being to finish our journey makes me feal very lucky.

Today we will be heading out into town to get our Cirtificate of accomplishing the Via Francigena and our stamp for the Pilgrim passports.