My alarm was set at 5h30. That's very early, but today was going to be a very long day. I had to walk 32.1 km. While packing my backpack, I opened the window. You would expect it to be quiet on a saterday morning, but not in Piacenza. The rubbish collectors and street sweepers were in full action. Bad luck for people who wanted to sleep a bit longer. But these workmen wanted to avoid the hottest hours of the day. The heatwave was going to intensify today with temperatures above 35 degrees.
After a good breakfast in my B&B, I took off. The streets were not busy, but on the central square, the saterday market had started. Signs for the Via Francigena were not clear, but I found one and started following a boulevard out of town. At the ring road, I saw a sticker with an arrow mentioning Santiago. Funny, I thought, they are using the wrong signs here. Two steps further, I realised I might be the one wrong. I took my gps and realised I was at the completely wrong side of town. I had started following the road to Santiago. Three kilometers wrong, three kilometers back, one hour lost and I would have to walk 38km today. Not very smart Dimitri! When I finally arrived at the correct exit point out of Piacenza, there was a big statue of Romulus and Remus.This is were I had to be one hour earlier. But further I went. Walking out of a big city is not nice and Piacenza is no exception. For 10km, I would walk through residential and industrial areas. They had done their best to avoid the bussiest roads, but for a couple of kilometers that was not possible. Then I had to walk along the very busy SS9 road or Via Emilia. A historic route but now full of cars and trucks. There is no cycle lane or sidewalk. It would be fine if drivers would focus on the road. But half of them is busy on their phone and so they don't drive straight. At any moment, I had to be ready to jump in the ditch if necessary. Completely crazy! If you drive, put your phone away. It is the law, it shouldn't be the law, it should be common sense. Who wants to kill somebody for a text? A cyclist passed me and gave me a spontaneous high five. Be safe we said at the same time. After crossing the bridge over the torrente nure, I could finally say goodbye to the highway. The bridge was there, the river wasn't. The drought had left no more water at all. Via a calm path, I entered the village of Pontenure. An American pilgrim approached me. He was from New Hampshire and planned to walk to Sarzana. He had walked earlier from Sarzana to Rome. There is a big fontain in front of the church and that is were I had lunch. There were several shops open here but I decided I had enough water. That would later proof to be a mistake. Once out of town, I entered the fields but kept walking along the road. No more rice fields here, but lots of tomatoes. After 5km, I reached Valconasso. A traffic light turns to red if you enter the village with a speed higher than 50km/h. Car after car had to stop. The church was closed but I dropped my backpack here for 10min. Onwards I went, through more fields to Castello di Paderna. The area around Piacenza has lots of castles. An impressive gate but you don't get any further because it is private property. By now, it was extremely hot. I ran out of water with still 14km to walk. Not smart and even dangerous. Within 4km, there was the next village: Chero. Whatever happened, I needed to find water there. The Francigena continued on asphalt. A bird of prey flew over the dry fields. At the horizon, the Apennine mountains kept coming closer. Almost 90% of the path was on concrete roads today. The church in Chero was closed, the next mass was planned on Sept 3rd. Not a good sign. Pizzeria: closed until end of august. Nobody outside in the gardens of the houses. Last chance, the bar, but also closed. I rang at the door of the bar. Oo pellegrino. A friendly lady opened the door and let me in straight away. I could order what I wanted. A cool bottle of water, she saved my life. Five minutes later, a local girl came to buy an ice cream. Sorry, we are closed was the answer. I thanked the lady endlessly and rehydrated, I moved on for the last 10km. A bit further, an Italian lady started talking to me. From Belgium, mama mia. To Rome, mama mia. On foot, mama mia. Then she started a whole story in Italian which I didn't understand. I always kept smiling, said friendly goodbye, but no idea what she was talking about. Then came the attraction of the day. A river crossing on rocks. It can probably be dangerous in winter, now there was hardly any water. A local family enjoyed the shade there and started talking to me. They were so proud of their region. She said I should try the local dish tonight: pisarei e faso. It's pasta with beans and tomato. I promised I would remember. The last 6km were long, because I was getting tired. I was so happy to see the sign for Fiorenzuola d'Arda. Via a tunnel under the highway and a bridge over the river I reached the center. First thing I saw was the big water tower. But I quickly continued, because my friends Cindy and Charlotte were waiting for me. By now, it was 20h. I was so happy to see them. They had already arranged the hotel room, so I could go straight for the shower. We had an amazing dinner afterwards and yes, we tried the local specialty. It was delicious. Around 23h, it was still 31 degrees outside but our room had airco. After a quick walk around the city, it was time to call it a day. As from tomorrow, I won't walk alone anymore for a whole week. And today I walked 38km in 34 degrees with a 12kg backpack without any problem. I can't be happier!
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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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