Walking To Rome On The Via Francigena With Chandi Wyant

“Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” Soren Kierkegaard When life becomes unbearably painful, sometimes the only thing to do is go for a really long walk. In this episode, Chandi Wyant talks about how walking the Via Francigena in Italy for 40 days helped her heal after a painful divorce, and how the lessons of pilgrimage can take time to emerge. Chandi Wyant is an author, a Florentine Renaissance historian, and an accredited guide to Italy’s museums. Her latest book is Return to Glow, a Pilgrimage of Transformation in Italy. Show notes * Why Florence and Italy * What is the Via Francigena? * The spiritual lessons learned on pilgrimage, even if you’re not religious * The challenging emotional and physical aspects of pilgrimage * Digging deep to face the fears that come with traveling solo * How traveling can increase our appreciation for other cultures * Travel book recommendations You can find Chandi Wyant at ParadiseOfExiles.com My book, Pilgrimage, Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways, is out now. Transcript of the interview Joanna: Chandi Wyant is an author, a Florentine Renaissance historian, and an accredited guide to Italy’s museums. Her latest book is Return to Glow, a Pilgrimage of Transformation in Italy. Welcome, Chandi. Chandi: Thank you, Jo, for having me. Joanna: I’m excited to talk to you today. So, you’re American but Italy is your passion. What drew you to Italy in the first place and the Renaissance period in particular? Chandi: You’re correct that I’m American. I was born and raised in California, although I’m also British. My mother is British, as were my grandparents and my great-grandparents, everyone back on my mother’s side. When I was 19, I budget backpacked around Europe. This was back in the 80s. And, when I got to Florence, I was just astounded by the beauty of the city, and I thought the language was the loveliest thing I’d ever heard. And I became determined to learn to speak Italian. What was interesting on this trip is I went all over Southern Europe for 6 months, and, at the end, I was in Portugal and I thought, ‘I’ve got to get back to Florence one more time before I fly home.’ I did a 3-day train ride, that was before high-speed trains, to get back to Florence. I didn’t speak a word of Italian, this was before the internet. I thought, ‘Okay, how do I figure out what language school I could attend here?’ I opened a phone book and managed, I’m not quite sure how because I didn’t speak Italian, but to find the schools for foreigners that existed. I went knocking on their doors and asked if they were affiliated with a program in the U.S., so I could get credit. I hadn’t started university yet. I found a school, got myself signed up, and I returned…that was in September, I returned by January to spend six months there learning the language as best I could and taking some other courses. That was what kick-started it. And then, over the years, I just returned in various ways. It wasn’t until I was 40 that I went back to get a second master’s degree, this time in Florentine Renaissance history. Joanna: I’ve been to Florence, and some people listening may have been. But what is it about Florence in particular that made you want to re-cross Europe to go back there? And, again, when you’re 40, you have that ‘what am I doing with my life?’ moment,

Om Podcasten

Escape and inspiration about unusual and fascinating places, as well as the deeper side of books and travel. I'm Jo Frances Penn, author of thrillers and non-fiction, and I'll be doing solo shows about my own travel experience and interviewing authors about how travel inspires their writing. Interviews cover places to visit and tips for travel as well as thoughts on modes of travel like walking, cycling, and travel by train and other modes. Plus book recommendations for every interview so you have things to read on the move.