Last night, I sat outside next to my tent until late. The stars and the moon above the lake of Viverone were beautiful. And the mosquitos got less aggressive after dark. When you sleep in a tent, you hear everything: dogs barking, babies crying, man arguing with his wife that it is too hot in the camper. But I slept well and it didn't rain in the end. My body got pretty damaged by the mosquitos. I've got bitten more than 20 times, some bites were pretty swollen, but nothing to worry about.
This morning, I went straight to the lake to have breakfast. There was nobody there. I could see fish swim past, birds enjoying their morning dive. What a peaceful place. I could have stayed there much longer, but duty called. Today was only 16km, but it was also going to be hot again. At the start, I was a bit disappointed. I would have loved a walk around the lake, but the path went uphill into the center of Viverone. The main street first goes steeply up and then down again. Except for a bakery shop, there was nothing open. The next village followed only 1km further: Roppolo. I tried to buy a croissant in the local shop, but the old lady just before me bought them all. Then I treated myself with a slice of pizza. Not much going on here either. The library for example is open on wednesday and saterday from 18h-19h. Pretty limited if you ask me. The next three kilometers went over the last climb that I would do in probably 10 days. Via some forest tracks, I reached Cavaglia. Does that make you think of horses? Well, you are right, the town was used as a horse station by the Romans. I had lunch under a porch next to the church which is worth a visit. The dome in the ceiling is waw. An old man was praying to Maria. When he left, he gave the statue a hug. Cavaglia also marks the end of the Serra Morenica. From here, the flatlands begin. On this hot afternoon, I was in for 10km through rice and corn fields. So fascinating how fast landscapes change. The Alps were only just a shadow on the horizon. The long straight paths offer less distraction, but it is a great way to clear your mind. From time to time, a big farm pops up. A lot of these farms do something for the pilgrims. They offer accommodation via agroturismo or they just put a table and chairs outside where pilgrims can take a break. Some of these rest areas are little paradises. Main attraction of the afternoon: going over the busy highway and under the highspeed train tracks. Suddenly, the path wasn't straight anymore and I almost got lost. These fields all have ingenious irrigation channels around them. Needless to say that mosquitos love irrigation channels and flooded rice fields. They remain a pain in this area. Pretty fast, I saw the town of Santhia. But walking towards something you see, can be frustrating. It was like every step I did forward, the town did one backwards. But around 16h30, I reached the first houses of Santhia. This is a service town for the region. It's not big, but it has all you need: laundry service, supermarkets and restaurants. But first, I had to find my bed for the night. Not difficult, the pilgrim hostel is next to the cathedral. When I arrived, I had to call a certain Mario. Si Si, I will be there in 1min. And he was, on a bike with an orange t-shirt and a yellow hat. Hard to miss. The friendly man spoke a bit of French. I first had to register and then he gave me the key to a complete studio overlooking the cathedral. All for me tonight. And the price? Donativo, so you give what you want. I will pay him definitely a correct price. The evening was hot in the city. After a good shower, I went to the supermarket and the laundry service. Yes, tomorrow I will leave with clean clothes. And I will need them, because I will have to do a 27km walk to Vercelli. This is the rice capital of Europ. Maybe I will meet the real Uncle Bens? For tonight, I offered myself a menu peregrino in a restaurant next to the railway station. What a delight after a sweaty day. I will sleep well and all windows have mosquito nets here so these monsters will have to leave me alone until tomorrow.
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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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