News > I walked 1,000 miles alone through Europe and learned that fear is the price of freedom

I walked 1,000 miles alone through Europe and learned that fear is the price of freedom

The path, more of a faint depression in the field I had just crossed, disappeared into a wood: yes, I could see an opening in the vegetation. The day before, I had left the official walking route of the Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome, to stay at a B&B that was highly rated and affordable. The village was quiet. Not even roosters were up as I found my stride on a dirt path that would, according to Google, take me back to the route.