Salisbury pilgrims enter final stage of trek to Rome for Stars Appeal

How far would you walk for charity?

Author: Aaron HarperPublished 4th Mar 2023

A couple raising money for Stars Appeal by walking from Salisbury to Rome have begun the final stage of their journey.

Julie and Tom Davies started their quest to reach the Vatican in February 2020 but had to pause their adventure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The couple had to wait until March 2022 to restart the walk which follows the ancient pilgrim routes of St Swithun’s Way, the Pilgrims’ Way, and the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome.

So far, the pair have covered 2,006km, passing through France and Switzerland in the process, and left Tuscany last week.

Speaking before leaving the Italian town of Lucca, Julie said:

“When we started this walk it felt overwhelmingly long, and initially as if we were hardly making any progress, and it now feels like we may actually get there.”

That leaves 414km of the 2,400km journey, which they hope to complete by March 27th, where the will get their “Pilgrims Credentials” stamped at the Vatican.

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