Program 585: Pilgrim Trails of Italy; Wayfinding

What is relying on GPS doing to your brain? We'll explore our innate "Wayfinding" abilities with a science reporter who's investigated how some people are able to navigate with only natural features as their guide. Plus, enthusiasts of hiking Europe's medieval footpaths share what it's like to walk Italy's pilgrim trails to Rome.

• Rev. Sanford "Sandy" Brown, author of "The Way of St. Francis" (Cicerone)
• Erinn Zavaglia, president of American Pilgrims to Italy
• Journalist M. R. O'Connor, author of "Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World" (St. Martin’s Press)

• The AmericanPilgrimsToItaly.org website lists nine major cammini people can walk, and has information for applying for pilgrim route credentials. They can also be reached at P.O. Box 3012, Edmonds WA 98020.
• Sandy Brown is the author of a detailed guidebook to "The Way of Saint Francis: From Florence to Assisi and Rome". He also has a new guide to the Camino de Santiago in France and Spain, scheduled for release in January 2020.
• Caller Ryan wrote the guide "Walking to Santiago: A How-To Guide for the Novice Camino de Santiago Pilgrim" in 2016.
• Sandy and Erinn recommend the Via di Francesco website to help plan a pilgrimage across Italy. Sites they mention include the Santuario della Verna, Rieti, and the Benedictine monastery at Mount Subiaco.
• Science journalist M. R. O'Connor is the author of "Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World."
• The Polynesian Voyaging Society has information about the sailing legacy of the Hokulea and their other ongoing sailing treks.