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A henro (pilgrim) walks under an avenue of cherry blossom on the Shikoku pilgrimage

Shikoku Pilgrimage Stage 3, Japan

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Ehime Prefecture_Attaining Enlightenment 

Prologue

The search for enlightenment is the focus of Ehime, the third stage of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. As we cross the Matsu Pass, we question if it’s possible to find deep peace and see the world with great clarity in these turbulent, unsettling times. We have two weeks and a 400-kilometre walk through Ehime to reflect on our uncertainties.

Kochi, the second stage, featured long distances between temples and arduous henro korogashi climbs (‘where pilgrims fall down’). Thanks to the meditative nature of the walking and the fascinating encounters en route, the austerity and discipline of Kochi were not as harsh as we feared. 

While we wish we could speak more than a few words of Japanese, our lack of familiarity with the country makes every day intriguing. We’ve visited 39 temples and walked 615 kilometres to date. On day 24, we cross into Ehime, following in the footsteps of Kōbō Daishi, the great monk, administrator, poet and educator who henros believe travels with them on their pilgrimage.

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A henro walking the Shikoku pilgrimage along the Kochi coastline on highway 55

Shikoku Pilgrimage Stage 2, Japan

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Kochi Prefecture: Austerity & Discipline

Prologue

The second stage of the Shikoku Pilgrimage demands austerity and discipline. Crossing into Kochi prefecture, we wonder how the journey will test us and mark our lives. 

Tokushima, the first stage, represented the awakening of the spirit. We started our pilgrimage concerned that our scant knowledge of Japanese culture, language and traditions would find us wanting. However, the conversations with fellow henros (pilgrims), the ritual of temple visits and the kindness of local people shed light on the practices of Shingon Buddhism and the rich history of the 88 Temples walk. 

Over eight days and 188 kilometres of walking, we settled into our role as henros. While we wish we could speak more than a few words of Japanese, our lack of familiarity with Japan makes the journey intriguing as we search for meaning in everyday encounters.

On day nine we cross into Kochi, following in the footsteps of Kōbō Daishi, the great monk, administrator, poet and educator who henros believe travels with them on their 1,200-kilometre Shikoku Pilgrimage.

A maneki-neko, lucky cat, at Zenrakuji Temp,e 30
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A statue of Kobo Daishi looks out across dramatic misty mountains on the Shikoku Pilgrimage

Shikoku Pilgrimage Stage 1, Japan

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Tokushima Prefecture: Awakening the Spirit

Prologue

Our Shikoku Pilgrimage begins less than auspiciously. We asked the author of our guidebook if he knew of any reliable GPS tracks. His response is stern. A pilgrimage is not a hike but a path of ascetic training. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing; digital devices are unsuitable for the Shikoku pilgrimage. Getting lost is part of the journey. 

Chastened, we temper our planning for the pilgrimage but remain committed to following the footsteps of Kōbō Daishi to the 88 sacred Buddhist temples scattered around the island of Shikoku.

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Anna walking a winding dirt road towards Sutera nestled at the foot of Mount San Paolino

Magna Via Francigena, Sicily

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A last wander along the shoreline before we turn inland to walk across the mountains and plains of Sicily on the Magna Via Francigena. Fishermen mending their nets. A large-scale mural; a memorial to the magistrates Falcone and Borsellino, both assassinated by the Mafia. It is bold in its presence and tender in its rendering.

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Looking back on the Via degli Dei, a Medici villa sits high on a ridge, highlighted by the sun

Via degli Dei (Path of Gods), Italy

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Late one summer, we set out to walk the Via degli Dei, an ancient pathway travelled since the time of the Etruscans. The 130-kilometre-long path crosses the beautiful Apennines, linking Bologna with Florence. It threads through forests, across mountain ridges and in and out of old Italian villages.

Pagan divinities give names to the mountains that the route crosses; Adonis, Jupiter, Venus and Lua, the goddess of atonement. They also give the route its name; the Path of Gods. 

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Geoff and Finn examine the mural depicting each of the towns along the Thames Path

Thames Path, England

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Mid-Summer, 2022

Our Thames Path walk takes us from the source of the river in the rolling Cotswold Hills, through historic cities, quaint villages and beguiling English countryside before passing through the heart of London and finishing at the Thames flood barrier. It’s a meandering journey of 185 miles (300 kilometres).

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Michael and Anna riding a single BMX bike along the Dover waterfront

Via Francigena: Crossing from Dover to Calais

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An officious French police chief, an unsung Ukrainian hero, a native of Dover shining a light into the gloom. It’s the people we meet that make this journey so fascinating. 

After the lightness and brightness of the Kent countryside, Dover strikes us as dour and down at heel. Even its young people seem world-weary and bereft of joy. But then, over a glass of excellent English white wine, our waiter, a native of Dover, tells us of his boyhood roaming the chalk hills and exploring the tunnels under Dover Castle. The wildness of it, the depth of its history and the rhythm of a port town with people constantly on the move is what makes Dover sing for him.

At border control in Dover, an officious French police chief upends our plan to ride our hastily acquired BMX onto the ferry. He argues that two people on one bicycle, one pedalling and the other standing on the back foot pegs, is not only dangerous but absolutely forbidden. We plead our case but he threatens to arrest us if we don’t desist.

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Michael and Anna starting the Via Francigena on Pilgrims Way

Via Francigena: The Beginning

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The Via Francigena is an ancient road and pilgrimage route from the English cathedral city of Canterbury to Rome, Italy’s Eternal City. The 2,000-kilometre way was first documented by Sigeric the Serious, Archbishop of Canterbury. In 990 AD he travelled to Rome and back for his consecration using a network of Roman roads originally constructed to facilitate trade and conquest. 

Just as Sigeric did, we start our journey at Canterbury Cathedral. In the hush of early evening, we stand with Canon Emma Pennington by the eternal candle that marks where Thomas Becket’s body once lay. She prays that on the hard days on the Via Francigena we find the perseverance and strength to continue and on the days that the sun shines and the birds sing we open our hearts to the world and know its beauty.

The towers of Canterbury Cathedral glow in the late afternoon sun against a deep blue sky
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Brighly coloured glass-mosaic lamps hang in an Istanbul shop

Istanbul: a postcard from the lost world

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Istanbul is a dazzling, beguiling city. Once the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, its epic history was shaped by a myriad of cultures including Arabic, Armenian, Greek, Bulgarian, Jewish and Kurdish. Its waterways are mythic; the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara. Shimmering domes, minarets and medieval towers rise from its seven hills.

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