My name is Joshua Bell, and until proven otherwise I am the youngest pilgrim from Canterbury to Rome. I left Christ’s Hospital in July 2009, and just under a month later, began my pilgrimage to Rome, taking a month to go through England, visiting churches and cathedrals and generally warming up and getting into the pilgrim rhythm.
On September 14th I arrived at Canterbury Cathedral and from there I picked up the “Via Francigena” – a pilgrim route dating from the year 990AD or even earlier – which runs, fairly directly, to Rome and the Vatican. I arrived in Rome on 1st December, four months to the day since I left home for Cumbria.
For more information:
- Read the 2008-2009 issue of The Blue, which contains a very short piece about my pilgrimage and some photos. The article is on page 142 (the very last page!)
- A longer article, written by me en route, appears in the first 2010 edition of the Old Blue.
- Cara Hines, an American I met in Bolsena preparing to make a documentary on the Via Francigena, wrote a blog entry which features my exploits. Her website is www.carahines.com and it’s all good reading, but the bit that concerns me is www.carahines.com/journal/2009/11/26/a-pilgrim-and-a-pie.html
- Of course, the best way to find out what I did, and some of why I did it, is to read the articles on this blog! You will notice that in Pavia – almost a month before I reach Rome – the blog cuts out. I’m sorry for this.
- My book is now out! It can be bought via Amazon. All you ebook lovers can go here. There’s also talk of it being available on the iBookstore, but that’s not happened just yet.
Joshua, brilliant coming across your blog…what an accomplishment. I look forward to your book.
As an occasional but passionate meanderer along the pilgrim routes to Santiago de Composela in Spain, I felt humbled by your massive undertaking. I met an old italian man recently who told me of the Via Francigena..and it was whilst Googling this that I came across your blog.
I wonder where your life has taken you since returning?
I shall keep checking this site for info about your book.
buen camino, as they say in spain,
Alex
Hey, I writing this from near Lucca. I see you have a wickipidia entry. See, Im 19, only two months younger than you, and am also walking the via francigena, all the way from cantebery to Rome. Maybe I can be the second youngest pilgrim!