It has been amazing to hike together with Cindy and Charlotte.
This morning, getting up was a bit more difficult for all of us. The heat and intense walking should not be underestimated. But we love it! Because our alarms were not doing the job, the church bells gave us an extra concert. By 8h, our backpacks were almost ready and we had breakfast together in the comfortable hostel. One hour later, it was time to hit the road. Not much was going on in Medesano and we left the village by following a road downhill. Not for long. A steep climb followed and so our legs were warmed up straight away. The sun was burning as usual, 36 degrees had been forcasted. On top of the hill with nice views over the valley, there was a lonely tree. Under that tree, there was a mailbox with a pilgrim guestbook. These little places are magical. Cindy wrote a little message while Charlotte tried to photograph a bug. And I enjoyed the refreshing shade. What a team! After following the ridge for a while, we descended into Felegara. Along the main road, we found a bakery shop open with a nice terrace. It was extremely busy. We had no idea what was going on until we realised that today was a public holiday. We all have coffee to top up our energy level. Charlotte recommended croissants with pistachio cream and they were delicious. Moving on, we took a tunnel under the highway and ended up in the parco fluviale. Nice and flat walking surrounded by green next to the Taro river. We talked the time away and before we knew, we arrived 5km further in Fornovo di Taro. Here we had to cross the Taro river on a massive bridge. Impressive to see how big the river can be. Not today though, because water levels were really low. On the bridge railing, we found a tiny bronze pilgrim. Charlotte really wanted to go for a swim and we were easy to convince. We made our way through some green to find a little fast flowing stream on the wide river bed. After such a hot walk, the refreshing water was amazing. We had so much fun. When coming out, hundreds of little bugs came with us but that couldn't ruin this fabulous experience of wild swimming. Afterwards, we had lunch on a little square before continuing. Now, the crossing of the Apennine mountains would really start. The climb out of Fornovo turned out to be a tough one. Pretty fast, we had a bird's eye view over the city and the river. At the summit, someone had put down two red chairs. They were to tempting to pass. The water point gave us the chance to top up our hydration packs. Incredible but true, a new thunderstorm developed. It would never reach us, but the clouds covered the sun. Just like yesterday, a gift from heaven. A steep descent awaited us. Once downhill, we had to walk 6km along a road. This is never nice, because you always have to be on edge for cars. We played some word games, but half way, we needed another break. We ended up next to the ruins of a roman villa. After some food, we were ready for the last kilometers uphill. First, we passed Sivizzano. The church was open and worth a visit. The rest of the village gave a neglected feeling. After the center, the path left the road and went into the woods. There were two river crossings, but no water. Bardone lies at the top of a hill, so the last kilometer was tough. Our B&B was situated next to the church. The friendly owner was waiting for us. Our room was impressive with a fireplace and wooden beams on the ceiling. The shower was a gift from heaven as always. Later, we chilled in the cosy garden with colourful roses. Charlotte found a swimming pool, but it was only for private use. The owner made us a delicious evening meal. This is the region of the parmegiano cheese and there is nothing better with pasta. What an amazing day to remember. Tomorrow, we climb higher to almost 1000m. A tough 20km awaits us. Looking forward to it!
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AuthorMy name is Dimitri and I'm turning 40 in 2023. Through the years, I have tried to live my dreams. Everything is possible, the sky is the limit as long as you believe in your dreams and work hard to make them happen. Do what you never did before. Go where you have never been before. It will be scary, but it will also be worth it! Archives
July 2024
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