Log in
Register
UI.X
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
UI.X
Forums
New posts
Search forums
Tag Topics
Online Guide
Camino Francés
Camino Portugués
Camino del Norte
Via de la Plata
Camino Primitivo
Camino de Invierno
Camino to Finisterre and Muxía
Camino Ingles
Camino de San Salvador
San Olav
Caminho Nascente
Caminho da Geira e dos Arreiros
Camino Olvidado
Camino Aragonés
Camino de Levante
Via Podiensis (Le Puy Route)
Camino de Madrid
Services by Casa Ivar in Santiago
Luggage Storage Services in Santiago de Compostela
Camino Forum Store
Official Camino Passport (Credential)
Altus Poncho
Forum Rules
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Resources
Latest reviews
Search resources
Members
Current visitors
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
Menu
Install the app
Install
⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app.
More on this here
.
Forums
Camino Routes
Pilgrimages, walks and events around the world
Europe
Magna Via Francigena - April 2024
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
[QUOTE="jungleboy, post: 1247243, member: 77691"] [B]Day 1: Palermo to Santa Cristina Gela — 24km[/B] I set out shortly after dawn and head to Palermo’s cathedral, where the sun’s first rays are lighting up the towers and domes. As I’m taking photos alone, a garbage collector empties a nearby bin and says ‘Buongiorno’ to me — not quite ‘Buon cammino’, but I’ll take it, and with that, it’s time to begin my journey. [ATTACH type="full"]168282[/ATTACH] From Palermo it’s an arrow-less but arrow-straight road with a slight incline as far as the eye can see and then some, almost all the way to Monreale, nearly 7km away. The official guide suggests taking the bus to cut out city walking, but it occurs to me that I’ve already taken that bus to Monreale twice before. As I remember this, I’m struck by the fact that the first of those occasions was in 2002, which is now half my life ago, on my first backpacking trip with Wendy. This time I walk instead because that’s why I’m here. I go through a 17th-century arch and out of the [I]centro storico[/I] as the city begins to wake up. Flower sellers and fruit vendors are setting up their stalls, and soon enough, the city peters out and I start to see orange and lemon groves and olive trees, those horticultural symbols of the Mediterranean. As Monreale approaches, the path becomes steeper and the town’s [I]raison d’être[/I] appears in the distance: the 12th-century duomo, the crown jewel of the Norman kingdom of Sicily. A grander version of the Palace Chapel in Palermo, its walls are entirely covered with shimmering Byzantine mosaics, all the way up to the Arabesque ceiling. Twenty-two years after my first visit, it’s still one of the most amazing churches I’ve ever seen. [ATTACH type="full"]168280[/ATTACH] After the familiarity of Palermo and Monreale, I press on and enter what is, for me at least, unchartered territory. A descent to the valley floor and then up steeply to Altofonte, perched on the hillside, and then more climbing for good measure. At the mountain pass that marks the highest point of the stage after 1000m of ascent, I take a final glance back past the olive trees towards the urban sprawl of Palermo in the distance, and the Mediterranean Sea beyond. Then, onwards and downwards, towards the interior of the island — and into the unknown. [ATTACH type="full"]168281[/ATTACH] Some practicalities: Waymarking signage: it wasn’t great. I didn’t see an official sign until 12km in, although there are red and white paint splashes at some other points before and after that. After Altofonte there were red arrows with a green stripe that went my way, but I later saw that these are for Il Cammino dei Mille and apparently not the MVF. In summary, it’s definitely worth having tracks. Trail: unfortunately it was almost all asphalt, and I’m feeling it now! Hopefully there will be less asphalt in the coming days as the camino becomes more rural. The least pleasant part was just after Monreale, on a narrow road with lots of traffic. After that there was a lot less traffic. Monreale: entrance to the duomo is free if you show your credential, a saving of €10-13. There’s also a stamp. Unfortunately there is some work/scaffolding in the interior at the moment (the photo above is from a previous visit), but it’s still extremely impressive. Water: there are fountains at Monreale, Altofonte and behind the sanctuary above Altofonte, so carrying 1L was enough for me even though I filled two 1L bottles just in case. Despite being a sunny day, it was also a bit windy and only reached about 16 degrees Celsius. Food: there’s a Conad supermarket on the camino in the valley after the descent from Monreale. In Altofonte, there are some basic stores in and around the piazza, including an excellent bakery, where I bought bread for lunch. In Santa Cristina Gela, there seem to be two restaurants and one pretty basic store. Accommodation: in Santa Cristina Gela, I’m at B&B da Mercurio for €35/single. I picked it pretty much at random from the list on the official site. The hotel connected to Bar Belvedere has MVF signage at the front (including a CdS shell!), so maybe that would be a good choice. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
❓How to ask a question
How to post a new question
on the Camino Forum.
Latest posts
Salvadorana, Saturday/sunday
Latest: Flog
8 minutes ago
🇪🇸 Camino del SALVADOR (León - Oviedo)
LIVE from the Camino
On the way from Matosinhos to Vigo
Latest: jayceebee
17 minutes ago
🇵🇹 Caminho COASTAL FROM PORTO (incl. Senda Lit.)
A
Where to start past Le Puy to save 4-6 days
Latest: annabozeman
20 minutes ago
🇫🇷 Voie du PUY-EN-VELAY (Le Puy en Velay - SJPP)
Hiking poles on the plane in Santiago!
Latest: Kathar1na
20 minutes ago
🥾 Equipment and Clothes
insulin inquiry
Latest: temiatwork
32 minutes ago
🩺 Health & Medical Topics
This site is run by Ivar at
in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential)
|
2024 Camino Guides