Hi, all.

In the past couple of days several things have happened that may threaten this pilgrimage, and as a result have caused some changes.

The first thing that happened is to do with my phone. As you are probably aware, I have been using Facebook and Google Maps extensively for contact and navigation respectively. Normally this is free for a month when I top up by £10, which I always do. However, it seems that halfway through this month, these services ceased to be free, for no apparent reason. This has ruined my credit and also means I can no longer use either of these services until the 8th, which is when my “month” begins next. Hopefully it will remain free for the entirety of the next month.

Another thing that has happened is that I have been looking at time. My route, according to the actually very punishing schedule I had posted, will get me into Rome in mid-late January. However, I doubt that I will be up to the mileage I had suggested, thus meaning that the trip would take longer than planned. Having looked at my bank balance, I don’t think this route is feasible, on account of money as well as time – this route would have me going through the Austrian Alps in the 2nd week of December – hardly wise.

Because of this, then, I regret to announce a number of changes to my route. It will proceed as normal until September 19th. From London, I will be taking a train home to pick up my winter clothing, and then returning to London and instead of walking through Chichester and CH etc., will be going directly to Canterbury, stopping at the places I had planned to but in reverse order (i.e. London, Dartford, Rochester etc.). From Canterbury, I will pick up the Via Francigena, an established pilgrims’ route through France and Switzerland. This route is much shorter than my planned route, and will get me to Rome over a month earlier than I had planned. There is a high mountain pass which leads over the Alps. This will be snowbound, but there is a tunnel that leads through the Alps under it, called the Great St. Bernard’s Tunnel. It is likely that a bus or suchlike would run through the tunnel, enabling me to avoid this dangerous section.

Thank you for your support at this time. If you are able to assist me in any way, whether you can host me for a night or have winter kit I can take or anything else at all, please do email me at joshua.campana@yahoo.com.