It's hard to believe but this really is the last blog of the journey. Walking into Lazio I was pretty relaxed as I didn't need to be in Rome until 11th September which meant shortish walks in increasingly cooler weather. The water above is one of a number of lakes (this is Bracciano) north of Rome. It was formed in the crater of an extinct volcano. Nice place to walk.
I'm now staying almost every night in a religous hostel. This one is in Bolsena and is run by the sisters of San Sacramento. Very nice they were and the digs were great.
Some of this bit of Italy is still a bit hilly and this is the basillica (right) and papal castle (left) on the hill at Montefiascone.
A place I really loved was Viterbo. It was a town where the popes often lived, especially when the Vatican was under threat or when there was plague in Rome. I was there on the day the current pope came to hold the Eurcharist ceremony, which I watched on a big screen. The locals were out in the medieval garb and these lads were leading a procession.
The pope's palace in Viterbo is beautiful and the town has lots of unspoilt medieval streets and squares with not a souvenir shop in sight.
Sort of a Romeo and Juliet balcony which you see everywhere in the old town. 
This is a photo of the staff of "Il Quadrante". I went there for lunch on the Sunday (a rest day)and they invited me back for a meal and drinks on the house in the evening as I was a Via Francigena pilgrim. Great food but I could only manage one meal (so it was vino only in the evening). They are dedicated to keeping the culture and cuisine of the region alive. One of the best places I've eaten.
Lazio province was much greener than Tuscany and the main crop there seemed to be hazel-nuts, so somebody must be eating a lot of nutella. Not only is it more green but has lots of tree cover. Flat countryside with lots of shade and in no real hurry; about as good as it gets for walking.
My last night outside Rome was spent with the Sisters of St Bridgita in La Storta, which is an outer suburb of Rome. Sister Christina had been the Mother Superior of a convent in Buckinghamshire for eight years and knew North Wales. A bit more expensive than most hostels but B and B, own room with en suite, dinner with very nice wine at 35 euros is very good for Rome.
I got an early start on Friday and was walking along the Tiber on the eastern side of Rome by midday. Jill and I had been there for the Wales v Italy rugby a few times so I was in familiar territory. I did have some mixed emotions as I came nearer. I stopped for a beer so that I could savour the moment.
And here it is. The end of the old pilgrim route, where Sigeric came to have his position confirmed by Pope John XV over 1,000 years ago, all 2,000 km. of it. I got my pilgrim passport stamped. At this stage I was just looking forward to seeing Jill who was due to arrive in the evening.
On the Saturday we went out to the Vatican again to re-visit some of our favourite places. We went to a bar/gelateria where they remembered us from the rugby trips and had lunch at a restaurant we had gone to years ago when we first went to the Six Nations with Dai and Vee Jenkins.
And here we are in that restaurant having lunch. The trip finished as it started with Jill and I enjoying ourselves in a beautiful city (Canterbury and Rome).I feel I should be making some really profound statements at this stage but what I really want to say is that I hope you've enjoyed the blogs and to let you know that the very fact that friends and family have been reading them has really helped. I'm still collecting for the Cobalt Unit and any cheques (made out to that organisation and sent to me) would be very welcome. Va benne.
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