In 2008 Phil McCarthy, a Bristol GP, walked 1,200 miles from Canterbury to Rome in his 50th year. Rome Alone describes the joys and difficulties of modern pilgrimage in an age of doubt and confusion. It is a vivid description of walking the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrim path from England to the Eternal City and how it feels to "roam alone" for three months. Pilgrimage has increased in popularity as church going has declined. Rome Alone is an exploration of the significance and possibilities of pilgrimage in the 21st Century.