Why are we enjoying dinner tonight in our Paris apartment? Well, it’s been a rough first day. 😔 I can’t believe it happened but I (Michelle) took a terrible fall. Unfortunately, I saw the inside of a Paris hospital within the first 24 hours of being in Europe. 🤦🏻♀️
A late breakfast
We had a leisurely morning, slept in and recuperated from our jet lag a bit. We enjoyed the most delicious café and gluten free treats (more on the gluten free food in Paris in another blog). We took the metro to Montmartre, wandered up to the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, and then decided to walk the 300 steps to the top of the dome of the basilica.
From the top of the basilica
So far so good, then I landed on one step wrong as we were walking back down the tower. I slipped backwards and slammed my head on 100 year old stone. There was a lot of blood, as there usually is with head trauma.
So much blood even I was startled, not to mention Brian. The look on his face was pure shock and fear. Immediately I was mad at myself. I should have looked better, I should have walked more carefully, I should have worn better shoes, and then I realized I had to get back down those stupid spiral stairs.
By the time I was ready to walk, security had made its way up because they heard about the fall and an ambulance was on its way. They said it was protocol and I had to go to the hospital. It was a good thing I went as I ended up with 4 staples in my head. I only went to the hospital because they insisted and I wasn’t going willingly.
Escorted down the dome by paramedics
Yep, my first full day in Paris and I end up at a hospital to get staples in my head. The experience at a Parisian hospital is another story entirely. However, in short, if you have a medical emergency in Paris please go to the local American hospital. You will thank me. Seriously, write that down and don’t forget.
My poor blood soaked sweater and my impractical (yet cute) shoes
Now it’s time to move on from this experience and salvage the rest of our time in Paris. Fortunately we were able to rearrange our schedule so nothing was a total loss. Unfortunately in 7-10 days I have to find a clinic to remove my staples. 🤦🏻♀️ Wish me luck.
As for Paris, I pray this was our only meal indoors.
As I lounge in my comfy recliner thinking about the summer adventure we are embarking on today, I can’t believe this is my life. Maybe I am dreaming; if I am, I pray I don’t wake up. I always wanted to be a world traveler but didn’t think it was realistic. 26 years ago this August I was a young, single mom barely holding it together. I moved to Ohio with my 7-year-old son and our dog. I didn’t know anyone. I planned to be the best college professor I could be and when my son graduated from high school I would travel the world and teach abroad.
I had lived in Ohio for 7 years when I met Brian on e-Harmony. Fortunately, he loved to travel and had taken a lot of choir trips with students to fulfill his wanderlust. I am thankful we have figured out how to continue our mutual love for travel and turned it into something meaningful for us both.
Every year I think, “We can’t top that trip!” yet somehow we do. This year it’s all about multiple destinations, flying around Europe exploring 3 countries. We will start in Paris, the city of love. I am sure I have over-romanticized it like every other American woman. I don’t care. We will see Paris as it prepares for the Olympics and then be back for a couple days during the Olympics. It’s going to be fantastic to watch the city show the world how good she can look.
The Camino del Norte route map
Next, we will spend about a month and a half walking the Camino del Norte. This will be an epic hike! We are walking along the northern coast of Spain but it won’t be an easy walk on the beach. Every day we will climb the Spanish rolling hills (some days it will feel like mountains). Daily epic views, yes, but a challenging walk.
After about 40-ish days of walking, we will travel to the Netherlands to explore this small country. The Netherlands is a special place because I am part Dutch; my maternal grandfather was born in the Netherlands. We are keeping the itinerary flexible so we can just relax and enjoy! As long as I see the Anne Frank house, the windmills, and the canals, I am happy! But did I mention they will also be having Carnival? Maybe it won’t be quiet but we’ll try to take it easy.
This epic adventure will wrap up back in Paris where the Olympics will be in full swing! It’s been 100 years since Paris hosted the Olympics. I can’t believe we will be there. I can’t believe this is my life. We are blessed and I don’t take that for granted. This trip may break the bank, so when we’re looking for second jobs you know why. Haha! Teachers for hire, anyone?
I plan to blog while we’re there. I want you to feel like you’re in Europe with us. It’s certainly easier to take you than it is my comfy recliner. I will sacrifice the chair to enjoy the rich history and romance of Europe. In the meantime, leave a comment below to tell me what you want to hear, see, etc. This is our trip. I am excited you’re going to take an adventure with us!
This photo came up on my Facebook memories today. It’s ironic and funny because without seeing that picture I asked Brian to take the picture below.
2022 Via Francigena going into Rappollo
I’m always exhausted after a day of hiking in the heat and sun. Despite the exhaustion, I am called back to the trail all the time. I don’t know what calls me, I don’t know why we are called to walk on pilgrimage at all. Maybe it’s because we love slow tourism, maybe it’s a reason we don’t need to know yet. It feels weird to say it but it’s true – I’m exhausted even though we have been moving slowly all day. Happiness found us while on pilgrimage.
A sign on the wall of our accommodation
I do know with two pilgrimages under our belt, working on a third, our lives have drastically changed since that first walk in 2017. We made a big decision that first summer while on pilgrimage. We decided we couldn’t let life to pass us by, we could not live our lives from the couch. We needed to participate in our lives, live what little time we are given on this Earth to the fullest. As cliché as that sounds, it profoundly changed every decision we have made since that summer.
In 2017 we got off the plane in Columbus, Ohio, and after 2 full days of travel wearing the same stinky clothes we had worn for two months, we stopped at an RV dealership. We purchased an RV within a week of coming home.
We learned from that pilgrimage, we want to see as much of the US and the world as possible. We don’t want to be tourists, we want to engage, to fully immerse ourselves, as we travel.
Despite a pandemic, our travels really have not stopped. Because of that RV purchase, we were able to see more of our country than the average person as we were self-contained and not willing to stay inside. We were safe, we were smart, but we needed to live.
In 2017, I was an overwhelmed, exhausted, pushing the limits of my mental and physical capabilities, woman. Now, I am just a little less overwhelmed, still exhausted but happier, and driven harder to see more before time slips away. Exhaustion is not a bad thing, rather it means you are living.
Pilgrimage is hard, even for the young, super-fit pilgrims. The long walk in the quiet grabs your soul and challenges you to think about what’s most important in life. It makes you a bit thankful, a bit happy, a bit sad, and gives you the urge to push through those feelings. What else can do that to a person all in one day?
In 2018 we started Cruisin’ with the Colemans because we realized we needed to start documenting all of our travels. Then in 2019, just before we went on our second pilgrimage, the Caminho Portuguese, we started our YouTube channel.
We blog/create videos because we are called to tell the stories of our travels. We want to inspire others, give our students something to consider as they figure out how they want to live their lives, and most importantly, to give our kids/grandkids the drive to get out and live. Ultimately, we want the memories. When our days of travel are behind us, we can “pull out the projector” and reminisce of a life lived to the fullest. We can only dream.
For those of you who are following our stats on the Via Francigena, I have not forgotten about you. My blogs are about what inspires me each day. However, I know there are some that want to know where we are staying and how much a day on this pilgrimage costs. Here is a catch up of our stats/lodging/expenses below. By the way, I will talk about our budget and how we fair at the end of our pilgrimage. Preview: For us, we are on track to staying under our budget!
Stats walking from Pont Saint Martin to Irvea 13.5 km with 5 km additionally by bus. Check out the YouTube video too!
Lodging at La Palma 2.0 – €48 – best accommodation thus far!!
Bus tickets for 2 – €4
Stats walking from Irvea to Roppollo – 20.2 km. We highly recommend going past Viverone, on to Roppollo and staying at this albergue. The guide book stage ends in Viverone. There are private rooms, great hosts, and there is an outstanding trattoria with a pilgrim meal for €12 for dinner! Check out our YouTube video too!
Lodging at La Casa del Movimento Lento – €50 for two people in a private room
*Listing our accommodation is not an endorsement. This is just a point of information for fellow pilgrims. See our reviews on Booking.com, the guidebooks, and fellow pilgrims for more details to make the decision best for you.
After four challenging days of hiking going up and over the Swiss Alps, meandering through lots of Swiss and Italian villages, we have arrived in our first big city in Italy, the quant town of Aosta with a population of over 125,000 people. The big attractions are a Roman bridge, Roman theater, Roman wall, Roman crypt, and an 11 century cathedral. Check out our YouTube video to see Aosta. It’s our first glimpse of what is to come as we walk to Rome. Can you feel the excitement? It’s there I promise, I’m just tired.
Roman Bridge Ruins
We wandered the old town some, wanted to enjoy much more of the city but our calves are screaming at us. Getting out of bed this morning was frightening. Honestly I didn’t know how well I would make it to the bathroom because it hurt to stand up. Don’t worry, I made it successfully! Haha! By 10 a.m. our legs are feeling more normal.
I am sure the nice stretch our calves got on the way up the mountain helped us but right now we are tired. Therefore, keeping our “we’re on pilgrimage while on holiday” philosophy, we are taking an unplanned but welcome rest day.
An unplanned rest day with a spa 🙌🏼
Let me take you back to how this worked out. We stopped in Aosta for lunch but the original plan was to continue to the village of Nus. I have no idea why we weren’t stopping for the night in Aosta. I was probably more focused on being frugal. However, just like in my first blog, click here, you know we pivot well if we need to because of weather, circumstances, or our bodies tell us to slow down.
At lunch we had the realization we better check for food options in Nus because it’s a Monday. I haven’t mentioned this yet but a lot of places are closed on either a Sunday or Monday. We look ahead and sure enough, all of the restaurants in Nus were closed when we were planning to walk into town. Ugh, click here to read about the food issues this pilgrimage is already bringing up.
Here we go, time to pivot. We cancel our accommodation, unfortunately with a loss of €45, and booked a fabulous little B&B right on the plaza. By the way, the B&B has two rooms, pay the €5 extra and get the bigger room. We didn’t and the trash/street cleaning trucks made it feel like an earthquake erupted four times in the 6 a.m. hour. The other room had windows off the plaza and I’m going to assume it was quieter.
Hallelujah a rest day! We bus ahead to the village of Saint Vincent which is known for it’s thermal baths. We stay in a hotel with a pool and we have scheduled massages. I can’t tell you how happy this makes both of us. We are just at the beginning of this pilgrimage and we need to be kind to our bodies because we are asking a lot of them.
Check out our YouTube video from Aosta to Saint Vincent.
Stats walking from Echevennoz to Aosta – 14.46 km
Lodging at Maison Boch — €86
Stats from Aosta to Saint Vincent – we went by bus skipping 32 km on the Via Francigana for a rest day
Bus – €5.80
Pool time and massages and worth every euro! – €180
Lodging at Hotel alla Posta – €68
★ 25 years guiding★ 48 U.S. states★ 10 countries★ 3,000+ Camino miles
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Know before you go
Activity Level.
Every Cruisin' with the Colemans trip comes with an activity level so you know, before you lace up, roughly how hard the walking will be. Think of it as the overall rhythm of the trip — a few days might push a little past it and a few will feel gentler, but it's an honest read on what your legs are signing up for.
Nobody knows your body better than you do. We're all for a good challenge, but pick a level that matches your current fitness and trail experience and the whole walk gets more fun. Not sure where you land? Reach out — we've walked every one of these ourselves and we're always happy to talk it through.
Grades
EasyEasy0–8 km (0–5 miles)
Gentle, mostly flat days on well-kept, easy-to-follow paths. Ideal if you're new to multi-day walking or simply want a relaxed pace with plenty of time to soak it all in.
Easy – ModerateEasy–Moderate8–16 km (5–10 miles)
A little more distance over mixed ground — mostly maintained trails, quiet lanes, and the occasional gentle climb. A good fit if you're reasonably active and ready for a few longer stretches.
ModerateModerate16–20 km (10–12 miles)
Fuller days on varied, sometimes rugged terrain with regular ups and downs. Great for steady hikers in good shape, or determined first-timers chasing a real sense of accomplishment.
Moderate – StrenuousModerate–Strenuous20–24 km (12–15 miles)
Long days with sustained, often steep climbs and descents on rough trail. You'll want solid fitness; a few exposed spots call for a head for heights, and navigation can get trickier when the weather turns.
StrenuousStrenuous24–28 km (15–17 miles)
Big days on demanding, often remote mountain terrain — serious distance and elevation for experienced, fit hikers. Expect rough footing, the odd exposed or aided section, and higher altitude on some routes.
ExtremeExtreme+28 km (+17 miles)
Our toughest walking, built for very fit, very experienced hikers. Rugged, sometimes remote mountain terrain with scrambling, exposure, and aided sections — plus altitude, weather, and navigation that all add to the challenge.
Where you rest
Accommodations Levels.
Where you sleep is part of the story, so we hand-pick locally run places that welcome you like an old friend. The level shifts a little from trip to trip depending on the route, but the goal never does: a clean, comfortable, genuinely local stay at the end of every walking day.
Most nights you'll land in friendly, independent or family-run hotels, guest houses, and B&Bs chosen for their charm and the little touches that feel like home. Some trips lean a touch more luxurious; others, especially in the remote stretches, mean simpler refuges or huts. Either way, we've picked each one to help you rest up and wake ready for the trail.
Basic – A Place to Rest Your HeadBasic
Mountain huts, refuges, and simple B&Bs. Ensuite rooms aren't a given, and you may share a dorm with fellow walkers — but what you trade in polish you more than gain back in camaraderie and a big, rustic welcome.
Classic – Charming Without the FrillsClassic
Locally owned B&Bs, guest houses, and small inns that feel like a home away from home — usually family-run, cozy or freshly kept, and well placed for the next day's walk. A warm welcome comes as standard.
Comfort – A Little More...ComfortableComfort
Characterful, locally owned hotels and B&Bs with the little extras that make a stay feel special — décor rooted in the region, the occasional spot to unwind, and sometimes a kitchen worth lingering over.
In Style – For Those who Want to Treat ThemselvesIn Style
First-class stays in boutique hotels, vineyards, and country manors — often in the best seats in the house, from hilltop towns to the water's edge, with standout service and, now and then, a truly memorable table.
Mixed – Boutique Hotels to Mountain Huts, all in One TripMixed
One trip, a bit of everything. You might bed down in Classic or Comfort rooms through the towns and villages, then a refuge or other Basic spot up in the mountains where that's all there is — an honest, memorable mix that matches the journey.
