11th century pilgrims searched for salvation by doing something easy on the mind but grueling to the body like walking across Europe; today’s pilgrims seem to seek it by doing good deeds—like collecting money for good causes.
Pilgrim Route Finders documents a pilgrimage on bicycle with “the dual aims of producing a guide book and raising money through sponsorship for 3 Rotary projects – an orphanage in Togo-Benin, books for schoolchildren in Madagascar and medical equipment for hospitals in Haiti.”
What caught my attention was the stop at Bibola, a city with ruins of a castle that sits on the pinnacle of a fairly conical hill with a view over my valley in the Lunigiana. I’m always egging on Martha to drive up so I can take a picture, but every time we go there’s just enough haze to make the pictures a mess. What a thing to have to climb in a bike! It’s hard enough on the car.
Eric Sylvers mentions Bibola in this post. Eric was lusting after testaroli, and does a nice job explaining the regionality of food in Italy, especially in the Lunigiana, where the panigacci tradition (similar to testaroli) spans but two towns, Aulla and Podenzana.
(Here’s How to Make Panigacci and some of my pictures of making panigacci in Aulla)