Guide Allegre (Cheerful Guides): Via Julia Augusta

The Encounter

Alice traced a line in the sand with her foot, searching for tiny seashells.

She watched Marco skim a stone across the water.

“One… two… three…” Plop. Plop. Plop… PLOP!

“Did you see that?! Four skips!”

Alice smiled, but then she noticed something strange...

The stone... was coming back! A seagull was carrying it in its beak and flying towards Marco.

It stopped in front of him and tilted its head.

It dropped the stone right at his feet and said:

“I think this is yours.”

The two of them stared at each other, wide-eyed!

Marco tried to sound confident and said, “Erm... Yes... Thank you.”

Then he added, “It’s a special stone. It skips really well.”

The seagull gave a little hop on the sand.

“Then I want to see if it’s true.”

And so they began to play.

Marco and Alice threw the special stone, counted the skips, and the seagull brought it back every time.

“One... two... three... four!” They even managed to get fifteen skips!

“You really have found an interesting stone...”

Just then, Grandpa Ettore came over. He watched them for a few seconds.

Then he looked at the seagull. And... he recognised him straight away... “Hello, Pico! How are you?” he said fondly.

Pico turned sideways, showing Grandpa his right eye, and... and... he winked at him!

Grandpa smiled.

Pico turned towards Alice and Marco.

“So...” he said in a slightly shrill but friendly voice.

“Would you like to go on a treasure hunt?”

The two of them quickly turned towards Grandpa, hopeful...

Grandpa smiled without saying a word.

Pico took another step forward.

“But not just any treasure hunt...”

He came a little closer, lowering his voice.

“An ancient treasure hunt... made of paths, stories and places to discover.”

Marco furrowed his brow.
“Really?”

Pico nodded.

“It is hidden along an ancient road. A road built more than two thousand years ago... and still walkable today.”

Alice fece un passo avanti.
«E dov’è?»

Pico smiled.

“If you want to find out... you’ll have to come with me.”

The Adventure

Pico hopped quickly across the sand, leaving tiny light footprints that the wind almost immediately erased.

“It doesn’t start here,” he said without turning around.

Marco ran after him. “Then where?”

Pico suddenly stopped and looked inland.

“It’s not where the sand ends... it’s along the way. You have to cross the present before you can enter the past.”

Alice narrowed her eyes.
“A road!”

Pico gave a little hop.

“Exactly! But not just any road...”

Before long, they were already prepared:

trainers, a water bottle filled with water, a nice piece of fresh focaccia and a slice of pizza,

the red kind without cheese, which Marco absolutely loved.

They were ready.

Pico hopped over to them and showed them the map.

“Look carefully...” he said, tilting his head.
“Here is the beginning of one of the oldest Roman roads... even older than the Via Aurelia.”

Marco’s eyes widened.
“Really?”

Pico nodded.

“A road that connected Gaul to the Po Valley. The ancient Romans travelled along it to journey, trade... and leave their mark.”

Alice and Marco looked at each other.
Then they set off.

Following the map, they walked carefully until... there it was.

A sign.

Right there, in front of them.

It clearly marked the beginning of the road.

“We made it!” said Alice.

Pico was already there waiting for them.
After all, being able to fly, he always got there first...
But he watched them from above, never letting them out of his sight.

He gave a little nod.

“Second clue.”

Marco stopped and looked at him curiously.
“Go on.”

Pico lowered his voice.

“Find the traces of those who are no longer here... but left stones behind to preserve their memory...”
ma ha lasciato pietre per tramandare un ricordo…»

Alice remained silent.
Then she started walking.

The path opened up before them.

And suddenly, the view changed.
Gallinara Island rose from the sea like a vivid green splash, surrounded by blue water and a bright sky.

Marco stopped.
“Wow...”

Then Alice called him.

“Marco... look over there.”

A little further along the path, some stone remains appeared.
They looked like parts of buildings... but very ancient ones...

They went closer.

They were ruins.

At that moment, a breath of air brushed their cheeks.

Pico was landing again.

“Did you find anything?” he asked.

“Yes!” said Marco. “But what are they?”

Pico smiled.

“To continue... you’ll have to find out.”

The two of them looked around and noticed a sign.
They went closer and began to read.

Then Alice looked up.

“A necropolis.”

Marco frowned.

“What is it?”

“A place where the Romans buried their loved ones,” Alice explained.
“Usually at the entrance to towns.”

Pico nodded, satisfied.

“You’re ready for the next stop.”

They walked a little further until the path widened slightly.

On the right was a wooden bench, right beside a bent tree that looked as though it were bowing to Gallinara Island.

The shade was perfect.

Marco took out the focaccia.
“Now this is an important stop.”

Pico landed on the branch above them.

“And it certainly is.”

He looked at them with a smile.

“This is a real stop on the treasure hunt.”

Alice sighed, then gave a little smile.
“I knew there was going to be a question.”

Pico looked at them one by one.

Which animals gave Gallinara Island its name?

The two of them began to think.

They tried one answer... then another.

Marco smiled.
“OK... now it makes sense.”

Alice nodded.

Finally, they looked at each other and said the answer out loud together.

Pico smiled, satisfied.

👉 (Take the quiz at the end of the story, test yourself and discover the answer.)

Pico made a little circle in the air.

“Well done. Now let’s head towards the final stop!”

„Gut gemacht! Jetzt geht es weiter zur letzten Station!“

After a while, it almost felt as though they were walking around the island, with the sea always beside them.

Then an arch appeared, and shortly afterwards, a little church.

Quiet.
Elegant.
Overlooking the sea.

“That...” said Pico, “is a special place.”

Alice looked at it.

“Could sailors see it as they passed by?”

Pico nodded.

“Yes.”

He gave a little hop and pointed to the church.

“When they sailed along the coast, they could recognise it from afar.”

“And every time... they looked up and greeted it.”

Marco furrowed his brow.
„Und jedes Mal... blickten sie auf und grüßten sie.“

Pico smiled.

“Yes. To them, it was a sign.”

“It meant they were following the right course... and that land was not far away.”

Marco stepped closer.
“What is it called?”

„Wie heißt sie?“

“Find out... and tell me.”

„Findet es heraus... und erzählt es mir.“

A little later, they found a sign.

Alice began to read aloud.

Marco smiled.
“OK... now it makes sense.”

👉 (At the end of the story, try Pico’s quiz too and discover your Pico Badge.)

They looked at each other and, together, said the name of the church.

Pico nodded, satisfied.

Se miraron y dijeron juntos el nombre de la iglesia.

Alice smiled.
Marco raised his water bottle like a trophy.

“Mission accomplished.”

„Mission erfüllt.“

“Well?” he asked.

Marco looked at Alice.

“Shall we walk back... or take the bus?”

Alice looked at the path.
Then at the sea.

“Depends how much energy we’ve got left...”

Grandpa laughed.

“Either way, I’d say an ice cream in Alassio is a must.”

Pico gave a little hop.

„Auf jeden Fall würde ich sagen, dass ein Eis in Alassio Pflicht ist.“

Pico sourit et fit un petit tour dans les airs.

“You’ve done a fantastic job. Well done!”

“You’ve finished...”

“Now it’s time for whoever is reading or listening to have a go.”

👉 (Test yourselves with the quiz and earn the Pico Badge.)