Last night, Murat told me he suffers from asthma which often makes him cough a lot through the night. So I was prepared for a noisy night, but earplugs saved me. I didn't hear anything and slept very well. Around 7h, the square next to the hostel was already busy. They were setting up the weekly market. I was not in a rush and neither were Murat and his partner. We shared a nice breakfast. Murat was fascinated by my lightweight equipment. I still can't believe that he is pulling a 17kg trolley from Paris to Istanbul. The trolley is handmade. It is actually a big backpack on wheels which he attaches to his middle. When there are too many rocks on the path, he can still carry the whole construction on his back. Around 8h, Grazielle came in to clean the place. She was very friendly, but also made it very clear that she wanted us out. I exchanged numbers with Murat and we wished each other buen camino! The market attracted quite a lot of people. The church was being renovated and closed to the public. A big sign on the ground said I was 575km from Rome. And tonight, I planned to be 25km closer. First, I walked through the village of Orio Litta passed the stately villa litta carini. The village is very nice with different little squares to hang out. As soon as I walked out, I found myself surrounded by corn fields. A quiet asphalt road took me to Corte Sant Andrea 4km further. A guy stopped and offered me a lift. No thank you, I'm here to walk. He insisted and offered to take my backpack. Euh, do you think I'm gonna give you all I have and let you drive off with it? Is there crazy written on my forehead? The man probably just wanted to be nice, but I was not here to hitchhike. Suddenly, I thought I was going the wrong way. Was I going to Africa? A sign pointed to Somaglia, but apparently that is just the name of a village closeby. Corte Sant Andrea has an impressive arch at the entrance. Expectations were high, but disappointment followed soon. The row houses behind was very badly maintained and half of them were abandoned. Here I climbed back on the ciclovia del Po, a bike/pedestrian trail on a dyke road 5 to 8 meters above the surrounding fields. For bike fans, you can follow this cycle path from Torino to Venice over more than 600km. For me, coming on this path here was very special. After 10 days of walking through its flatlands, I had got my eyes on the river Po for the first time. What an impressive sight. I dropped my backpack and watched the flowing water for a while. The water level of the river was low, but the river was still very wide and fast flowing. Some fishermen were trying their luck. A lot of pilgrims book a boat ride here to the other side. It shortens today's stage. But you needed to book the boat, it costs 10 euro and you end up on the other side where you have to walk through an industrial zone. No no, not for me, I will walk all the way. But that meant I stayed on the left bank of the river and had to walk 20km on a dyke road in hot temperatures. Today, 32 degrees in the shade was forecasted. But there was no shade on the dyke. I started in good spirits. Because I was above the fields, there was a little breeze. The dyke protects the surrounding villages from flooding. But because the floodplain of the Po is so huge, I couldn't see the river from the dyke for most of the time. I saw corn fields to the left and corn fields to the right. Cars are only allowed on the dyke if they have an authorization. Maximum speed is 10km/h, but most read it as 100km/h I think. A floodplain can flood off course. On a little brick house, I saw that the water reaches this dyke if the river is higher than 8 meter. The last big flood goes back to October 2000. Water levels rose to above 9m, villages were evacuated but the dyke I was walking on stood strong. After 2 hours, I really needed a break. But along the dyke, I couldn't find any rest areas, so I sat down under one of the few lonely trees in the shade. Later in the afternoon, I continued following the dyke road. I thought it would just never stop. Some people on bikes passed, but not one hiker, it was just me. The via francigena cuts off a little bit of the dyke by passing through Valloria. It's a little village hidden behind the dyke and surrounded by corn fields. Most people living here are farmers. The church was open and gave me a refreshing break. Getting closer to Piacenza, factories started to appear and a busy road started running next to the dyke. By the time I arrived in San Rocco al Porto, I was really tired. And then I spotted a shopping center. Amazing, toilets, wifi, airco, drinks, food. It's heaven for pilgrims. Except that between the shopping center and my path, there was a big road which was impossible to pass. I had to go all the way around via a tunnel. When I finally got inside, I sat down for a minute before being told by a security agent that I couldn't sit on the ground. I bought myself a cold drink and a snack. The best ever! It was getting late but Piacenza was just on the other side of the river. To get there, I had to cross the floodplain on a viaduc. Now I really got a feeling of how big and mighty this river is. The viaduc is probably 1km long. The sun just set at the horizon. Days are getting shorter. Piacenza was one of the most prosperous cities in Europe in the middle ages. Streets are lined with impressive houses. Giorgio Armani was born here. But discovering the city is for tomorrow. Tonight I went straight to my b&b. The owner was not there but gave me instructions on how to get in. The B&B is called palazzo Malespina and is in the middle of town in one of the many nice houses. My room is impressive and I will sleep like a king tonight. Tomorrow is my fourth rest day. And more important, I'm half way in my hiking adventure to Rome. It has been amazing and I'm so grateful!
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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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