I woke up at 750am and watched the full movie from beginning to end. Congratulations on a beautiful documentary, MJ. Your editing, the drone footage, choice of music was just perfect. I realized I had been smiling throughout the whole movie. I loved everything about your journey and learned so much. Thank you for sharing with us. Bravo...job well done, MJ! 💯👏🏾💥
I made this trip but I chose a different route. I started from Cornwall then to Calais and from there I went up to Amsterdam then they followed the Rhine through Germany to Switzerland then I went to Lyon and from there by the river Rhone to Marseilles Nicaea and now I learned about this medieval road to Rome so I say follow it in Italy for the road to Rome! I think that walking is the future in tourism and sightseeing. From Rome I will go through the Via Appia to Bari-Avlona in Albania and from there I will follow the Via Egnatia to Constantinople - From there we can see ..
È brutto da dire, ma io abito a 10 km da Siena ed ho iniziato a scoprire le bellezze del mio luogo solo grazie e per colpa del covid. Ho dato per scontato il mio territorio per tanti anni, volevo scoprire altre parti d'Italia e del mondo e ignoravo quanta bellezza ci fosse intorno a me.
Magnificent work. Congratulations on creating something with such beauty and educational value. It must have been a very time-consuming project. Fantastic.
WOW! Thank you for this wonderful documentary, the history with its anectodes, your impressions and irony, the atmosphere, the choice of the music and, of course, the Nature. I am feeling the need of walking along the Via Francigena as soon as possible. Really impressive! You could really work for the National Geographic!
Bellissimo video, immagino non sia stato semplice montarlo e abbia richiesto tanto impegno. Complimenti è davvero un bel lavoro e molto professionale. Un bell'omaggio a dei luoghi incantevoli.👏👏
Congratulations, Mary Jane! This is amazing. It was an unforgettable trip, one of those trips that are impossible to forget in one's life. Thank you for this beautiful film! Buon cammino!
It took me a while, but I finally got aorund to hunkering down in my sofa in front of the TV, with pizza and a cup of coca, and watch this beautiful movie. Wonderful nature footage, genuine enthusiasm on your part, and what a country Italy is. All that beautiful architecture, all those historical sites. So glad I watched this.
This film is amazing, starting from the editing, the music choice, the sense of community, and how everything is well captured. You can feel that you put so much love and effort into it ❤, I personally love exploring places at a slower pace, it makes me appreciate the journey a lot more and it gives me a deep sense of serenity. I got to explore and see lots of things that I wouldn't have experienced if I got there by other means other than my feet 😁
I got very emotional during the movie, I don't even know why but it was just a really beautiful experience. You did a great job! I really enjoyed watching your whole journey, you inspired me a lot. Wish you all the best.
Just found you as of late, been watching walking tours for distraction during these awful days of covid restrictions!!! and I have to say your tours are lovely, informative and peppered in with humor with a refreshing dose of reality, by far the best I've seen in 2years . your emotional ties to Italy beam thru... and your filming is short of spectacular.... gurl you get a 20 out of 10!!!!
I have thoroughly enjoyed watching your film. Beautiful in all respects but in particular at the end when you spoke of what the walk has taught you and the truth that is so much part of the journey and life, thank you. ❤
I thoroughly enjoyed your film. It's clear you have poured your heart and soul into the enterprise; a true labour of love. Well done! I was planning to watch the film in chunks, as my attention span has been eroded away over the years (I blame RU-vid!) but to my surprise the time just flew and before I knew it the journey was over. Loved the scenery. I have to agree there's no where on earth as consistently beautiful as Italy. Give yourself a big pat on the back for a job well done 👏
It's exactly like you said. Thank you for recognizing it! As for the attention span, I feel you. I don't think RU-vid in general is the problem, it is certain type of very quick videos on RU-vid, with raw frequent cuts. I try to shape the algorithm so that my feed shows me longer format videos, it helps a lot. If you feel like buying me a coffee for the work done with the documentary, there's a link in the description.
Worth a million views! What a great adventure & what a beautiful cammino... thanks for sharing, one of my dream would be walk someday along Cammino DI Santiago or along this amazing via Francigena, I hope my body will allow me to do something like this in the future.
Ciao Federico! You don't have to walk a full leg every day, you can break it up into smaller fragments and take it slower. Train yourself with at least an hour walk around home every day before starting with the Cammino and you'll see you can make it too!
Ricetta della felicita': in un grosso pentolone mettere un litro di sorriso e spontaneita', aggiungere cultura e curiosità, mescolare con paesaggi e musiche , e lasciare cuocere per 1h45 circa... Non conoscevo il tuo canale.. e ne sono già strettamente indipendente, cotto immediatamente.. Cit Un tuo nuovo fan
All the roads leads to Rome it seems. This must have been an amazing experience. To walk this ancient path. Sadly, beside Turin and a Ski resort in the province of Sondrio in the Lombardy region , I havent seen much of your astounding country. This is definitely a great inspiration! 🙂
Just found this, what a lovely video and as a sometime creator I think I understand the amount of work you put into it - a mammoth task and no joke as a pilgrimage either. Lovely virtually meeting your companions too. THANK YOU !
What a beautiful story you told on your Cammino! Congratulations! Thank you for sharing! We enjoyed watching and preparing notes for our walk on the VF this coming summer. Bravo! - Michelle & Brian
Hi Michelle and Brian! You're going to love it!! I'm happy you enjoyed the movie. If you feel like buying me a coffee in exchange, there's a link in the description.
I watched this on Sunday but did not get time to write a comment. I was waiting patiently for this video for the past few months. Thank you for showing us the beauty of Italy. It was also very interesting to learn about the path. Seeing the Roman streets were also amazing. I know it was a lot of effort both the filming and the editing. To be exhausted while walking and also giving us such great footage is awe inspiring! I look forward to your future videos.
Thank you for your nice comment and feedback! I'm relieved to hear that your patient wait hasn't been disappointed. I have future little vlogs coming up that I also shot in Italy this past summer, hopefully you'll enjoy them too! If you feel like giving me some help, since this movie has not been sponsored or paid by anyone, there are links for donations in the description. Any amount is very well accepted :)
Bellissimo. Ho fatto anch'io la Francigena nel 2016, è stata dura ma anche un'esperienza molto formativa. La consiglierei a chi ha qualcosa da lasciarsi alle spalle. Grazie e complimenti.
Thank you for leaving this beautiful comment! I’m an independent creator and support my work via donations of my subscribers. In case you wanted to leave a tip, there are a few links in the description. Thank you
Beautiful. Reminiscent of my childhood, biking around in Germany away from the cars. But also makes me want to go and explore as an older adult. Very well done and I love your voice in the opening and the scenery is just gorgeous, choice of music so well matched For the beautiful videography. Congratulations!
Thank you Mary for releasing this on your channel, it was a very nice surprise to wake up on Sunday morning and find this waiting for me!. I wasted no time in viewing it either, but was surprised at how this kept my attention over such a long period!. It seemed to make me want to see what was coming next in the journey, so it never got anything less than interesting!. The only bit that didn't really work for me, was when the old guy was reciting some long winded sonet to the Via Francigena (I couldn't keep up with the translation, so I gave up!). I can see this was a life changing experience in many respects, and though the video captured the general feel of what you went through, there were many things that the video couldn't possibly relate from this experience (like the hardship and pain, as well as the relief and sense of peace and togetherness of your traveling companions, and the meditational aspect which you talked about... just to name but a few!). Even the beauty of these places could probably not be properly captured in this way...but at least you tried, and gave it a very captivating attempt, with what you had. I am really pleased that the feedback in the comments has been so positive, you are on to a good thing with the work you are doing, and who would have known that what you started with this channel, would have led to this!. All power to you Mary for 2022!...my belief in you is unwavering, but I believe that things are evolving in ways that I might not see coming, so surprises might be in store! (that's just my reading of your personal journey).
Thank you for this rich feedback Andrew! The poem was not a sonnet, but an extremely famous composition by Dante Alighieri, the father of Italian language. It is deeply studied in every single school in Italy but it’s also studied in most of schools in many other countries of Europe, that’s why I left that piece. I realize that to you, from New Zealand, it might not say much. :) I’m very glad you enjoyed it so much. I’ll improve my skills more in 2022!
@@WhatashameMaryJane I had a feeling I would show my ignorance by making this remark, but at the same time, it was my honest reaction in viewing this particular section of the video, even though I instinctively knew there was a good reason you left it in. Now I will probably show you my ignorance again, by questioning whether this is the same Dante that wrote the famous "Dante's Inferno" ?. I'm sure the internet could tell me the answer pretty quickly, but I'm just illustrating how incomplete and scattered my knowledge of literature really is!. I think this is probably not untypical though, of the general New Zealand population, and my father kind of bought this home to me one time, when he told me how badly the technical sciences were taught here in New Zealand, when compared to his schooling in the Netherlands (though this is talking slightly historically here!). I'm sure things have changed a little bit by now, but that doesn't mean I have!. The other thing that I have observed while growing up, is how recent our history is, and how far removed we all feel down here, from the deep and omnipresent history of the old lands.
@@andrewbadart3827 No worries! Everyone is ignorant as many things. We Italians study almost nothing about New Zealand for example 😅 To answer your question, yes it it! Dante Alighieri wrote several works both in Latin and “vulgar language” (what was spoken at the time in Tuscany and that a few centuries later became the Italian language), the most famous of which was the Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy) - written in vulgar - where he imagines to travel into the circles of hell (inferno, in Italian), purgatory and heaven. Inferno is pronounced een-fer(e like in “many”)-no(o very open like in “boy” or “toy”).
@@WhatashameMaryJane Thanks MJ, you just reminded me about Davina Commedia, and it's connection with Dante's Inferno, which I actually briefly researched at one point. My curiosity was sparked by coming across these in conjunction with each other, on more than one occasion, so I figured that it was something historically important. I believe that there is at least a third part to this important work, but I can't remember what it was now (I think Wikipedia was my original source, so I became aware of the importance of all his work, and how much influence it carried).
Congratulations on the release! I am still watching but had to quickly comment that I have not heard of the Via Francigena but was immediately reminded of the Camino de Santiago that I have been wanting to walk. Have you heard of it? I wonder if the two paths cross somewhere in France...?
Hi Stephanie! Yes the Cammino di Santiago is very famous here, probably even more than the Via Francigena. In any case, they are both some of the most famous Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe www.coe.int/en/web/cultural-routes . They cross paths close to Turin, in the Italian region of Piedmont.
@@WhatashameMaryJane Thank you for that info. From what I've read the Camino de Santiago has lost a lot of its appeal b/c the route has since been developed over the years and runs along the highways in some sections. The Via looks much more original. I finished the video but plan to watch it again and again; as there is too much to absorb in one viewing. What an amazing experience for you! Thank you for sharing it with us!! Happy New Year!
@@ssadvweld1 Hello Stephanie! I have walked both the Camino de Santiago and the Via Francigena (from Tuscany to the bottom end of Italy) and I would like to point out a couple of things. First, the Camino de Santiago route that has become over-developed and touristy (at least pre-Covid) is the Camino Frances, which had over 350,000 walkers in 2019. But there are plenty of other Camino de Santiago routes that are much less "touristy" and have less people on them, such as the Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo, Camino Portugues, etc. and all the walking routes across France that join up with the Camino when they reach Spain. Secondly, the Via Francigena and the Camino de Santiago can be joined together not only near Turin, as Mary Jane pointed out, but by walking along the coast across the Italian region of Liguria (where I live), following the Via della Costa or Sentiero Liguria walking routes. In this case, to walk from Rome to Santiago you would walk the Via Francigena to Sarzana, then the Via della Costa or Sentiero Liguria along the coast to the French border, and from there GR653A and then the GR653 route known as "Via Tolosana" or "Voie d'Arles" all across France, then cross the Pyrenees and join up with the Camino Frances in Spain!
@@jmroan Thank you for all of that great info.! I have read about the negative things you mentioned regarding the C.D.S. and I still want to do it and the V.F. I'm not getting any younger so I may have to ride a bicycle! 🙃 Ciao
For some very weird reasons I didn't receive the notification when the movie came out. I saw the second notification, a few days ago, but just now that I have enough time I'm watching the whole film. I'll edit this comment once I finish watching it, to share my thoughts and comments about it, in the mean while..... DAJEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! 😁😁😁😁😁
RU-vid is not very kind to us creators, especially when it comes to functions related to creating a trusted audience. Not receiving some notifications is way too common on this platform. One thing you can do is to click on the bell again and make sure you've selected "All" (by default it's selected "Some").
@@WhatashameMaryJane I double checked and everything was as you said. Very strange thing.. Anyway I'm loving it, the only thing I would suggest you, since I'm watching it like that, is to consider making a series of shorter videos (for the next ones of this kind, of course), instead of a long single one. This would probably be more "social media friendly" and may keep the engagement up, so that the infamous algorithm doesn't hide your posts/videos to the subscribers. Just an idea, because I can't imagine the huge amount of work behind something like this and it deserves to be watched by A LOT of people. Also, by splitting it into episodes, you keep the viewers wanting for more and also satisfied to make their days better by watching a new episode every now and then, with the gorgeous sights of our Country. Other than this... W L'ITALIA!!! 🇮🇹 E BRAVISSIMA TE!!! 🥳
You missed our house! Yes, our Italian home is on the via Francigena (it goes right by our front door in Pontremoli). You started too close Rome! When we are here in the summer, there is a never ending stream of hikers walking down via Garibaldi (doesn't every Italian city have a via Garibaldi). This time of year - February - there aren't so many hikers. We're in Tuscany right now but flying back to NY day after tomorrow.
Yes, they say Ferruccio Lamborghini wanted to show Enzo Ferrari how to build ‚sensible‘ cars. One built cars that were quite unreliable and the other built tractors. A penis comparison among men gave birth to the Lamborghini (Cars) brand. Today Lamborghini is part of the Volkswagen Group. MJ's film is incredible!
@@WhatashameMaryJane on the other Hand… Fiat with Lancia, Jeep, Chrysler. Chysler was related to Mercedes - Mercedes was connected to Mitsubishi…. Endless story 😂
I did the Camino Frances in 2019. I will do this pilgrimage next God wiling. I will do it differently than I did the Frances and use what I learned there to make it better.
North of NYC, we have many villages, towns and small cities. But too many people who live in NYC do not visit so they travel elsewhere to get the countryside life.
Happy New Year, Mary Jane!! I’m watching this amazing movie for the third time already 😊. Is it possible to do the VF on bike or e-bike instead of walking? I’m sure I couldn’t walk the long distances that you walked in this movie, but it seems doable by bike. Some paths might be too rough or too steep, but maybe there are alternative routes?
@@federicomarchesi5129 Have you done it by bike Federico? I just realized that a big advantage of doing it by bike is that you don’t have to carry a heavy backpack on your back, but can put all your stuff in the bags of your bike. Much more comfortable!
Hi Auke! So happy to hear you like the movie so much!!! Yes you can do it by bike, my dad did a similar stretch by bike two years ago. Parts of it are the same, parts are different for cyclists. That's why you can find maps and guides for walking OR for cycling on the Via Francigena.
i don't know if you experienced the camino to santiago de compostela in spain, it is really well organized litterally step by step...i wonder if via francigena is to the same level
Mary Jane, Sweety, when doing the long walks, if before you put on your socks , you apply a thick layer of Vaseline, all around your feet , you will never get a blister again 😊🙏🏻
That's a funny story, because we walked right in front of it but it was not in the plan to visit it. I was very exhausted when we passed there, but I had such a strong feeling while passing by that I had to enter for a minute. It was very small and so precious. I have no idea what church that was. If I hadn't filmed it, I would have thought it was a hallucination due to my exhaustion!
I’m half an hour into your video and feel so emotional already. Gobsmacked by all this beauty, tranquility, stunning & mesmerising scenery. Wow, just wow !! What a great piece of work and so very well done. I’m in awe 🙏🏼♥️✨ It is beautiful 😍
Ok the video is lovely but I’ve got no idea where you are . If someone is trying to walk the VF, they’ve got no idea where you are in the steps especially if you’re trying to follow the pilgrimage route. Guess I’m not understanding the purpose of the video albeit very lovely.
The purpose is to inspire you to walk the via Francigena, not to inform you about the route details. There are book guides and the official website for that.
finito... cmq le vesciche si bucano con l'ago rovente... in questo modo non fanno più male e guariscono prima... oltre ad avere la cremina.. consiglio di avere sempre dei sandali tipo tatacoa... respirano i piedi che è una meraviglia... nelle scarpe diventano l'inferno. be, bella exp... ciao. ovunque tu sia ora.
