Walking the Way from Trevi to Labro
“I think these butterflies are my trail buddies,” I said to Brenda as we were tramping down the mountain pass called Forcella di Castelmonte. “Butterflies! I’ve not seen one. I think mine are lizards.”, was Brenda’s reply. We’d climbed roughly 1800 feet and now were making our way between Monte di Pàtrico and Monte di Ceselli before a steep decline into the little town of Ceselli. We thought the hard part of this day was over. Little did we know what lay in wait.
Welcome, friends, to another Sunday Sip: Travel Log Series. Think of it as the script behind a George Pierrot travelogue. Not familiar with the classic Detroit TV travel show my grandparents watched every Sunday evening? Well, here is a tasty treat:
Brenda kicked us off last week with the start of the trip. This week, I’ll share highlights and ruminations as we continue our walk on the Way of St. Francis from Trevi to Labro. A distance of roughly 54 miles.
First, a note for anyone considering a vacation stop in Foligno—don’t. Sorry for those who live there, but this town is dirty and very loud. It didn’t help that our accommodations, Residenza Galligari, were not in the best part of town. The room was ok, but getting into this place without staff on-site was a trip. Add to this folks hooting and hollering until 4:30 am (during a rainstorm, mind you), and you’ve got the recipe for a terrible evening. If you are thinking of the pilgrimage, see about stopping either before or after Foligno.
Day 3: Sunday, Sep 20 - Trevi to Poreta (11.5 miles)
Part of what has been so great about this week’s travels is the places we’ve stayed and their hosts. Foligno seems to have been an aberration, as our stay at B&B Martelli in Trevi was fantastic. We started the day with coffee and breakfast provided by our host Dennis. A somewhat soft-spoken young man, he was an excellent and attentive host. He even provided us with a lift into Trevi for dinner, as the B&B is about a mile and a half outside of town.
What was supposed to be an “easy” day of 7.5 miles to Poreta was really a hard day of 11+ miles. It started out fine on a narrow dirt road that gradually climbed into the olive orchards. Just as you thought things were looking pretty easy, in came the hills. Lots of hills. Billy goat hills, as Greg would say.
At the top of the trail, we came upon Eremo Francescano, a Franciscan hermitage. We’d been told that if you ring the bell, the nuns there would allow you to visit. We rang the bell, and the only reply was their dog barking. We were about to give up and keep heading toward our destination when a group of hikers arrived. As they were taking a break and we prepared to leave, two cars approached. From the cars, emerged nuns who unloaded several gallons of water. They proceeded to unlock the gate, enter, and lock the gate without a word.
As the last nun parked their car and approached the gate, a hiker asked something in Italian. The words I heard were “No entrata”, no entry. After the last nun entered the gate and relocked it, Brenda asked the other group of hikers if they had asked about entering. They explained in English that since it was Sunday, there was no entry. So we missed out on a spiritual event, which made us a little sad, but more were around the corner.
As we headed away from the hermitage, the way became an honest-to-goodness trail. The rocky trail made its way down into sections of heavy overgrowth. The hiking sticks felt like a drag here, but they proved their worth as we emerged back into the olive orchards. Here, instead of relatively easy rock paths, were rain-rutted trails strewn with slippery gravel and stones. All of this heading downhill and fast. Having those hiking poles made it doable without wiping out.
Eventually, we made it to the tiny town of Poreta, where we met the most adorable gentleman named Nazarro. He was the host and keeper at Villa del Cardinale. Speaking in Italian, Nazarro asked if I spoke Italian. I asked him, “Parli Inglese?” and he replied, “No,” with a smile.
Thankfully, he understood some of my English, and I could understand a few words of Italian. Add in some pantomime, and we were able to get along swimmingly. Hot Tip: If you plan to do this walk or visit these towns, know some basic Italian. I can’t speak the language well, but I can understand enough to get by. I do have a little regret about not putting more time into studying Italian before this trip.
The Villa del Cardinale is an old villa from the mid-1700s that has been transformed into a B&B and apartments. The rooms were comfortable, but the best part was our host. Nazarro arranged for us to have dinner at Borgo della Marmotta, where we had what will probably rank up there as the best dining experience of the trip. Sure, it is early on, but that experience with the food and fabulous service will be hard to beat.
Day 4: Monday, Sep 21 - Poreta to Spoleto (13.9 miles)
With kisses from Nazarro, we headed out to Spoleto. The morning was just beautiful. Once again, we were back on a dirt track through the olive groves. As we walked, my mind jumped from one sense to another. Since the start of our journey, I’ve been trying to be as attentive as possible by using all my senses. One minute, I’d focus on the smells. Were they sweet, musky, grassy, or did that just smell like fennel or oregano? My most favorite scent is that of pine needles in the sun. In these semi-arid conditions, the pine needles roasting in the sun create a smell that always makes me smile.
The sounds varied from the pleasant crush of gravel underfoot to the singing of birds whose songs I don’t know, to the cackle of chickens, the cawing of crows, the rattle of distant traffic, the rumble of farm equipment, and the barking of dogs. Here and there you’d run across another pilgrim and enjoy the sound of their voice as they bid “Buon Camino.”
One aspect of the walk that can impair your attention is hills. When you are facing a mile uphill, little else enters your mind besides putting one foot in front of the other and climbing up that mother. I suppose this could be another form of attention, where the focus turns inward. The monitoring of body parts, the pounding of your heart, the rush of air in and out of your lungs, as the sweat pours and you continue to power through.
The hills took us to a series of small towns: Bazzano Superior, Bazzano Inferior, and Eggi. They were postcard-picture Italy with a series of stone homes set along narrow streets. We had hoped to stop for lunch somewhere, but the few options available were closed. Places are typically either open in the morning or later in the afternoon/evening. Unless you are in a bigger town, finding lunch can be a challenge. This leads to a Hot Tip: Get food where and when you can because you may find yourself walking many hungry miles.
After several miles and more killer hills, the last bit was level. Well, relatively level, as it seems that every city is uphill. In this case, we wandered up through the center of town and then down toward our accommodation. Once again, we were met by a very friendly host named Stephano, who provided us with keys to his rental called Le camere di Stefano. As my Italian is poor and Stephano’s English was no better, we used the hell out of Google Translate. I’ve got to tell you, it was a godsend. We each talked into our phones; the phone would translate, and we would smile at each other and say “Grazie”, “Bene”, and “Ci, Ci.”
Evidently, Stephano’s place had once been an abandoned church that they had completely renovated. The inside was extremely well designed and comfortable. We made a short walk back uphill into town for a nice dinner before stumbling back to our beds for a relaxing night.
Day 5: Tuesday, Sep 22 - Spoleto to Scheggino (15 miles)
We got an early start out of Spoleto as we knew this part of the way would be a challenge. We headed out of town, crossing Ponte delle Torri, which the Romans started as an aqueduct and rebuilt in the 12th century as a bridge and aqueduct. This turned out to be one of the few flat sections of this trail.
After the Ponte delle Torri, it was up, up, up, and up. The trail was actually quite beautiful, with woods all around us as we climbed. This eventually reached the top of the pass (Forcella di Castelmonte), where we found a hotel. A group of German pilgrims was using this lovely spot as a home base. A driver would shuttle them to a particular leg of the Way of St. Francis and then pick them up at the end.
I suppose that is one way to do it, but there is something I can’t quite put my finger on about traveling each leg and staying in a new town. Perhaps it is the ability to experience a town after hours when most of the tourists have taken their buses back home. I get that they are covering the same distance, but I’ll take the point-to-point journey over the home base method any day.
We rolled into the little town of Ceselli. There aren’t many rooms and no restaurants here, so we opted to book our rooms at the Torre del Nera hotel (albergo) and spa in Scheggino. Because their dining room was under renovation, we had a 2:30 pm appointment at the spa. This meant a good 2-mile hustle to get to our spa treatment, and we’d just done close to 13 miles of mountain trail.
I mentioned at the start of the Sip that we didn’t realize that the mountain would be the easy part of our day. If only I had done a little more prep, that final 2 miles would have been a breeze along a mostly flat trail along the river Nera. But no, I failed to do my homework.
Instead of a river stroll, we enjoyed a harrowing walk along a winding road to get to our destination. As with many main routes in this country, there is little to no shoulder. Cars whizzed by as we hugged the guardrail, hoping not to be killed. Some jackass on a motorcycle came within a foot of us. Dude has the whole damn road and can’t get the fuck over? We put our heads down and cranked out 2 damn miserable fucking miles and arrived just in time for our spa treatment.
The spa treatment, which included some time in the steam room and pool, as well as something called a “Salt Room,” did wonders. After a shower, we had a few hours until dinner and made our way over to Barcollo Caffe. Sitting just off the square at the entrance to Scheggino, this place is a hidden gem. They serve wine, beer, and cocktails in a relaxing little spot with outstanding service. The owner, Niko, even stopped by to say hello. Through him, we learned of the river trail that keeps you off the highway.
After dinner and a great night’s sleep at Torre del Nera, we were ready for another day on the Way of St. Francis.
Day 6: Wednesday, Sep 23 - Scheggino to Arrone (12 miles)
Sometimes, the Way of St. Francis isn’t all spectacular sights. Most of the walk from Scheggino to Arrone was a mercifully flat and enjoyable stroll along a country lane. Farm fields nestled up against the crystal-clear waters of the river Nera as we made our way along a valley lined with mountains. However, a couple of sections were dirt roads, with some homes in disarray and a power transfer station for good measure.
And then there were the mummies. We’d been told by a couple of folks, including our host Stephano back in Spoleto, that we should check out the Museum of the Mummies of Ferentillo. Since it was pretty much on our route, we dropped in.
The Museum of the Mummies of Ferentillo lies in a 12th-century crypt below the 15th-century church of Santo Stefano. Inside, you’ll find several people who were exhumed during Napoleon’s reign and found to be naturally mummified due to the dry conditions of the crypt.
I’ve got to admit it was pretty weird, and I’m not sure I was supposed to take a photo, but I did snap a cellphone photo of some of the skulls. After those little excursions, we pushed on to our rooms at Casa Argenti.
Once again, an uphill climb awaited us as we entered Arrone and sought out our lodging. As we made our way up, we noticed the only road was closed and only went so far before you had to zig-zag up a series of staircases. Check-in wasn’t until 4 pm, and we arrived at 2 pm, so we made the best of it sitting in some cafe chairs just outside of our place.
We’d been there maybe 30 minutes when a man came up the steps panting hard with one of our four suitcases (we are traveling with Brenda’s sister Diane and her husband Greg). The poor guy from our luggage delivery service, Beppino, had to park in the square and carry the bag up something like 10 flights of stairs.
I went back down with the delivery driver to carry up the rest of the luggage, which was met with much appreciation. At 4 pm on the dot, our host Elga arrived and showed us to our rooms. They were outstandingly large rooms which were both inviting and comfortable.
Since there isn’t much in the way of restaurants in Arrone, Elga offers guests a home-cooked meal that includes wine and dessert. We enjoyed an amazing meat-and-cheese board appetizer, followed by homemade pasta and local wines. This was all followed up with tiramisu. All the ingredients were as local as you can get and prepared to perfection. We left stuffed and very happy.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Casa Argenti offers laundry services. For a small fee, we had all our grungy clothes washed and dried. All ready to get them sweaty and dirty again.
Day 7: Thursday, Sep 24- Rest day in Arrone
Not much to say about this day as it was dedicated to rest. We were all worn out and needed the time off our feet. We wandered around the small town of Arrone and picked up some snacks for the trail at the Conad market just outside town.
We took Elga up on dinner again. This time, we had an eggplant and omelet with local asparagus appetizer and fettuccine Alfredo with chicken as our main course. Of course, we threw in a few glasses of wine and cheesecake for dessert. Elga and her family at Casa Argenti are the best!
Day 8: Friday, Sep 25 - Arrone to Labro (12 miles)
After lugging our bags down to the town square to meet our luggage transfer driver, we enjoyed a tasty breakfast at Casa Argenti. We took some selfies with our excellent host Elga and then made our way out of town.
I thought this segment would be short and easy. Once again, I didn’t factor in that we hadn’t been able to find a room in Piediluco, the town that marks the end of this segment. Instead, we found a place to stay in the next town down the trail, called Labro. What had been anticipated to be an 8-miler turned into 12.4. This is the price you pay when Chuck is leading the way.
The way started out easy out of Arrone, following flat country roads for a few miles. Then we hit construction. The guy in the ditch digger was waving us off. I looked for an alternate route on the map and didn’t see any good options, so we headed forward. Another worker came forward, and we told them that we were headed to Labro. They looked at their map and said something like, “No, it is complicated.” Then another worker came up, and he asked us to be careful of the ditch, and we moved by the machinery and on our way. Why, oh why, the man in the ditch digger couldn’t have given us just one minute to get by is a mystery.
With the construction crisis averted, we had smooth sailing to Cascata delle Marmore. This waterfall was built by the Romans in 271 BC. They are the largest man-made falls in the world, with water dropping 541 feet (165 meters). There is a dam at the top of the falls that generates electricity and controls the water flow. We made it just in time to see the falls in full action as they opened the dam above. It was stunning.
After viewing the falls, the only way to get back on our trail was to go up. As you may have gleaned, going up is a theme on this adventure. You have to climb a series of steps to get to the top. Think of it as the ultimate stair-master workout. Another way to look at it is going over 500 feet straight up. Ok, not quite straight, but pretty damn close.
After struggling to the top, we made our way to Piediluco. This picturesque town sits on the lake that shares its name. We stopped for pizza and these little rice croquettes called “Suppli”. We enjoyed the breeze off the lake as we enjoyed some food and a much-needed break.
In the distance on a hill we could see a small town. Brenda asked, “That isn’t Labro, is it?” With the map telling us we were only 2 miles away, I was pretty sure that hill up the side of a mountain was our destination. Sure enough, our level road became a rock-strewn trail up the side of a mountain.
Heads down, we pushed up the hill to emerge in Labro. Our accommodations were at Albergo Diffuso Crispolti, which we had to find by watching the direction arrow on the Gaia GPS app. Labro is a town built in the 10th century with weaving pathways, which makes me think of a rabbit warren. We followed the arrow until we found the door that led to a shaded garden and eventually the door inside. This trip definitely tests your navigation skills.
Settled in and showered once again, we enjoyed a fantastic meal at Osteria Le Cantine di Tullio before calling it a night.
Thanks For Reading
As I write this, it is Saturday morning, and the Sunday deadline looms large with a mountain hike ahead of us as we move on to Poggio Bustone. I hope this wasn’t too long-winded. I’ve got tons more thoughts that have been percolating as I’ve been walking to share, but I don’t want to wear out my welcome. I’ll wrestle up some gems for my next Sunday Sip, and I’m sure Brenda will have more great stories to share next Sunday. Cheers and thanks again so much for reading.
HEADS UP - Special Podcast from Italy on Friday, Oct 2! - We need your questions!
We are doing a special Life In Michigan podcast from Italy for next Friday, Oct 2. This marks the end of our walk to Rome! We’ll share our thoughts, but would love to answer any questions you may have. Send us a message on Substack or email us at info@lifeinmichigan.com with the subject: “Italy.” Grazie Mille!!
Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss
Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:
Nina Sophia EP Release at the Tangent Gallery in Detroit on Oct 2
Freak Fest in Ypsilanti on Oct 2 and 3.
Grass Lake Oktoberfest on Oct 3.
Oktoberfest Kalamazoo at the Old Dog Tavern on Oct 3.
2026 Beer City Brewers Festival in Grand Rapids on Oct 3.
Ogma Brewing 5th Anniversary in Jackson on Oct 10.
Doomfest at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids on Oct 10.
In Other News
Speaking of beer, our friend Dianne Stampfler has a great story on Elder Piper in Petoskey inside Michigan Blue Magazine.
Life In Michigan Podcast
Dining on the Deck at Lake Forest Golf Club in Ann Arbor
This week we’re chatting with Gilda Johnson, owner of Lake Forest Golf Club. She shares her unique journey into the golf industry, discusses the secret to their from-scratch dining scene at Ellsworth Food & Spirits, and explore why local wildlife seems to love the course just as much as the golfers do.
Substack Restack Attack
Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:
The Half-Grand Writing Contest from Charlie Finch generated a lot of great stories. Acme Chainsaw has the list of finalists for the first contest.
https://acmechainsaw.substack.com/t/finalist
As I’ve been thinking about noticing while walking in Italy, I thought it appropriate to share the latest from The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker
Over at The Art of Cover Art , Rachel Cabitt talks with designer Lawrence Azerrad, who has done some great work on albums from many bands, including Wilco.
The Boss just turned 77, and Theresa Kereakes from the River tour in 1980.
Adventures Yet To Print
Sitting on the back burner until we get home are stories on Venture Brewing and the River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Monroe. We’ll also share a bigger Italy adventure recap as a story on our website.
Sunday Sip Flashback
Now that we have a couple of years of Sunday Sips under our belt, I thought it was time to dip into the archives for a Sunday Sip Flashback.
🦉 Sunday Sip
Hello Friends! Ever wondered where hobbies end and obsessions begin? It's like trying to spot a line drawn in invisible ink! Figuring out when a simple pastime morphs into an all-consuming passion is tricky.
Sunday Sip
Anytime is the right time for a good story, right? Does that include Sunday mornings for your Sunday Sip? I think the answer is yes and yes. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy it.
What Are You Reading? What Are You Spinning?
As we are out and about the next few weeks in Italy (and eventually Prague), you’ll have to share with me what you are reading and listening to, as my turntable and books are at home until we get back.
That’s A Wrap
As my buddy Sturgill once said:
“Keep your head out of the clouds
And remember to be kind
And just stay in school
Stay off the drugs
And keep between the lines.”
Thank you for reading. Seriously, thank you! I hope your week is excellent! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!
Now, here is your moment of zen:
What a stretch of the Way. Since you stayed in Scheggino, it's fun to know the village has a small truffle museum run by the Urbani family, whose truffle business has been rooted in the Valnerina since 1852.
Enjoyed reading all the adventures! This is turning out to be an interesting trip.