Samuele Salvia Along the Way of Gods

PRACTICAL ADVICES, FROM HIKER TO HIKER Close your eyes for a moment and imagine: you are walking in the greenest meadow, made moist by the night dew, on top of a hill. The air is fresh, the sun is still low on the horizon. Earlier in the morning, the climb was steep and demanding, but now, that you are here, you can finally breathe deeply. You get lost in the blue of the clear sky and in the song of the cicadas; you think about your traveling companions with whom you shared kilometers of road, improvised meals, difficult moments and many laughs. Your mind goes back to that first day, when, a little disoriented, you left Piazza Maggiore and, full of doubts and questions, you set off, leaving Bologna behind. Lost in your thoughts, you look up and you see it in the distance. Large, majestic, imposing. You freeze for a few seconds, while a shiver runs down your spine and your eyes suddenly moisten: you recognize it. The Brunelleschi's Dome is there, just a few hundred meters below you. Florence awaits you, your long overdue, dreamed and desired destination! With a big smile on your face, you can continue your journey: ahead of you there is a long and triumphal descent that will take you straight towards the city, the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. The book you are holding in your hands is the manual that, in retrospect, I would have liked to have with me on my journey. Drawing from my travel diary and from my memories, I have tried to collect in this book all the information that I would have liked to have and which would have significantly simplified my life, making my trip much easier. AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO THE WAY OF GODS This is not a simple guide to the Via degli Dei: the illustrations, created by Sara Bertoncello, make this book unique and will guide you throughout your reading and during your preparation for the Way. The Basilica of San Petronio, the famous Mount Adonis, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's Cathedral and much more: the iconic places of the Way and the key elements of the trekking come to life in the pages of this book, alongside the words of who, like you, decided to undertake the historic route that follows the ancient paths of the Apennines. THE GPX TRACKS OF THE STAGES The guide contains the gpx tracks of each stage: the best way to know the stages in advance! They will guide you through the trails and inform you on the elevation gains you will have to face each day.