In the previous message I already described the problemsof walking in the Po Area: no footpaths so walking on asphalt roads, no shadow, extreme heat. Things even got worse. Although I am starting at 6 o'clock now, trying to catch as much coolness as possible, my feet are weakening in the mountain shoes. At the end I totally have had it. Luckily I will have a couple of resting days at a camping just south of Bologna. After the last climb I am stumbling into the camp grounds, being welcomed by one of the supervisors, Harry. Stop he says, now it is time to rest for a few days. These few days became 7 at the end because I have totally ruined my feet, with blisters, and I have athlete feet, a doctor diagnoses afterwards. So I have to recover and need more time.

The time at the camping is nice, I am just swimming, reading and relaxing. At night there is a common dinner prepared by the ItalianAnna and the DutchLia. Furthermore the other staff,Wim and Carla, are nursing me. So there is fun, meeting many nice people. After this week I resume walking again and reach the Via degli Dei, the road of the Gods. It is up to 1200 m height, the path is beautiful, although occasionally totally overgrown and you need in fact a machete to cut the forest. I don't have a machete, as you can imagine, so sometimes I am bleeding on arms and legs because of the thorns.

Finally I reach Florence. It is very early in the morning and the churches, such as the famous'Il Duomo', are not open yet. My pilgrimage pass helps me, I am directly guided into the church, leaving hundreds of people waiting in line, behind me. I get my stamp and am allowed to visit the church, nearly on my own.

The Dome of Florence is just magnificent; the building of the church started in 1296, but it was not until 1420 that Brunelleschi could start the building of the octaedral dome structure. His design was heavily critisized because people did not believe that one could make such a structure without continuous support. Nevertheless he built it in 16 years, rather spectacular. Internally the dome is covered with fresco's, something Brunelleschi had not originally intended.

The colours of the marble outside are nice, the white marble is from Carrara, the green from Prato and the red from Siena. The facade is very richly decorated, but because of the strict geometry it is superb. The campanile, the bell tower, just besides the church, designed by Giotto is also a masterpiece. I really enjoy the sight of both immense structures.

Of course I am also seeing the David of Michelangelo at the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio. But the city is extreme hot, and in the beginning of the afternoon I resume my walking again, re-entering the Apenninian mountains.