This morning, I woke up on the fifth floor of an apartment building in Mortara. That was new. I went straight outside on the balcony. It was only 7h30 and the sun was already burning. Cristiano and Herika got up while I was having breakfast. Herika got fascinated by my hike. She had no clue that the road to Rome passed through her street. Cristiano was putting his suit on for a family dinner. It was Sunday. I put my hiking boots on and waved this nice couple goodbye. I also said bye to Pepe and Nina, two hamsters who live in the kitchen.
The streets of Mortara were still quiet. In the cathedral, the choir was preparing for Sunday mass. A begger asked me for some money. As soon as a city gets bigger, you get these problems which always makes me sad. Just outside Mortara, there is a special place I really wanted to visit: Abbazie di Sant Albina. The monastry is more than 1000 years old. When I arrived, there were lots of people for the 11h15 mass. The priest was busy, but when he saw me, he came straight towards me. If I didn't want a drink? Or food? Did I already have a bed for tonight? The hospitality was amazing. The man gave me a warm blessing and wished me buen camino before going to church. I stayed for a while. The church was packed with people. But then duty called. And that meant: corn and rice fields. There were 6km to Remondo. If you think my pictures are the same as yesterday, they are not. But the landscape is pretty monotonous these days. I don't mind. It is special to cross these flatlands of the Po river. First, a line of trees offered some shade. A cascina made publicity with the fact that they sold rice. In Remondo, the cemetery looks bigger than the village and that says a lot. The church and bar were closed. It was sunday off course, but I think it's the same for the other days of the week. These villages have a special vibe which I like. It's a bit like stepping back in time. I found a bench in the shade for lunch. There I discovered that my bed for tonight had been cancelled. Probably an overbooking, but what now? I started phoning and luckily, friendly Silvana had a bed in La casa del pellegrino. Fieuw. To reach Tromello, I had to walk another 8km. First, I passed along a big military installation. By now, it was very hot. I took some longer breaks than usual in the shade to avoid heat stroke. What surprised me was on how many locations rubbish had been dumped. Not just a bag, but chairs, tables, couches. Every time, there was a sign saying that authorities were aware. But what's the next step? Who will clean up the mess? At one point, there was even the wreck of a caravan in the middle of the fields. Suddenly at the horizon, I saw a colony of maybe a thousand white birds with black beak. I still don't know their name. They don't answer when I ask. They were facinating to observe. I didn't meet any human being on the trail except for one farmer on a bike. Tromello clearly got bigger in recent years. I had to walk past lots of new houses before reaching the old town. Two churches and two bars. The bars were open, the churches were not. Now there was only 5 km left to reach Garlasco, my destination for today. On this stretch, there was more corn than rice. And that means less mosquitos. Walking along one of the many irrigation channels, I saw a big muskrat eating from the algues in the water. Amazing to see animals like that in the wild. A bit later, I saw Garlasco in front of me. Always a good feeling to arrive safely after another day. I arrived on the road into town and the first building I saw was a big carrefour open 24/7. Just perfect. With groceries, I walked the last 800m to my bed for the night. People were enjoying icecream and drinks on the many terraces. In the shade at 19h30, it was still 31 degrees. I found the address. While I got the key out of the keybox, a man tried to get in with me which is forbidden. Everybody has to register first. He was clearly not a pilgrim. I refused and sent him away. Pilgrim hostels are not homeless shelters. To my surprise, I had the whole apartment for myself. There was a kitchen, a couch and even a washing machine. To avoid trouble, I didn't go out after dark anymore. I had all I needed for a relax evening before the 24km of tomorrow towards the vibrant student city of Pavia.
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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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