Articolo disponibile anche in: Italian
Tavarnelle to Santiago de Compostela by foot, a young couple, and the idea for a true medieval pilgrimage.
Marco Frosali and Chiara Corti closed their door and left home on Saturday, June 4, at 10 in the morning. After saying goodbye in piazza Matteotti in Tavarnelle, they began the 2.700 kilometers that separated them from their holy destination.
Marco, an electrician in his father’s company, left everything to follow his dream of liberty. Chiara, language student at the University of Florence, took advantage of those occasions that happen once in a lifetime. The couple has been living together in Tavarnelle since october.
Their symbol is a happy snail. The snail represents their slow travel: “happy” refers to the joy of detail they will find with their rhythm.
“Last summer, I took the Cammino Francese (French Trail)”, begins Marco, 29 years old. “I saw that people were leaving from home and realized what a true pilgrimage was. Chiara, after graduating in April, accepted my proposal with courage”.
“We have been together for 10 years”, they tell us “And each year we have traveled, almost always abroad, with mostly typical vacations. Although we both love to walk, it is the first time we are sharing this type of experience”.
“Our first stop is Gambassi Terme. Then Arles, Carcassone, Saint Jean Pied de Port. Finally we will then arrive in Santiago, following the Cammino Francese”.
“It will take almost four months. We will stay in structures set up for pilgrims. The hostels of the via Francigena are well equipped. In France, we will knock on church doors. If necessary, we will buy a tent”.
Once we reach our final destination”, they conclude, “we will decide whether to return home of leave directly for the US, taking a sabbatical year. In any case, the key word for us is ‘travel’”.
If you would like to follow their adventure, their site is www.chiocciolafelix.com, where you can see their stops from beginning to end. It will be enriched by articles, photos, and videos, a sort of trip diary. You can also follow them on Facebook.
Noemi Bartalesi