Around midnight, I woke up when a storm hit Vercelli with lots of heavy thunder. The start of 24h of wild weather. Some scared dogs started barking. I needed my sleep, so I put in my earplugs and slept like a rock. Every day on this trip, I have been grateful for a dry comfortable bed. We too often take it for granted.
When I woke up in Casa di nonna, it was dry and quiet outside. I took the time to enjoy breakfast on the amazing rooftop terrace. The French couple in the other room left before me. They left a note saying they were very happy with their stay, but they would like the owner to provide electronical mosquito killers. Sounds like they had some zoom zoom bugs in their room. I took the time to say goodbye in person to Sergio the owner. Very happy with my rest day here. And then our roads went seperate ways. When you travel, you learn to say goodbye. The sky was overcast when I walked through Vercelli. Completely different vibe today, because their was a huge market on the main square and the streets around. A man was earning some money by playing violin. The same ferrari was in the same disabled parking spot as yesterday. The problem was that all those market stalls made it impossible to see the signposts. It was a bit of a search, but in the end, I found my way out of the city via the main pedestrian street Corso Liberta. Next mission: cross the long bridge over the river Sesia. Just when I started, raindrops started coming down. Not a good time to go into the rice fields. So I went back and found shelter under the roof of a little abandoned building. Today, I had planned only 12km because bad weather was forcasted. So I had time to wait. While more water came down, I enjoyed lunch. Around 14h, I spotted on the weather radar on my phone the famous gap in the weather. So off I went. On the menu today: corn and rice fields with a mosquito sauce. The bugs are ferocious. As soon as I stopped, they attacked in full force biting even through my hiking pants. Imagine having to go to the toilet on the way, a nightmare. Apart from that, the rice fields are actually relaxing to walk through. You see birds of all kinds flying up and down. I was walking towards a busy highway. When I got closer, a trucker horned and waved to encourage me. Or maybe to say that I was crazy. In a meanwhile, very dark clouds were closing in. The situation on the radar had also changed. At that point, I saw the tunnel under the highway that I had to pass. Just when I got there, lightning struck in the field next to me. A very scary experience. It was too dangerous to continue, so I had to wait. The radar confirmed that lightning struck only 400m from where I was. There were still 6km to walk, but one hour later the sky was still dark grey. When the radar confirmed the nearest lightning was 4km away, I gave it a go. I couldn't keep waiting.With my rain jacket on, I started the walk on a dyke which put me higher than the surrounding fields. With thunder and lightning still present, it didn't feel very safe. But my timing was not too bad. I escaped the hardest rain and walked in between two thunderstorms. I could even enjoy the views for a while. Half way, I passed an abandoned farm, the only building I would see upclose for 5km. Meanwhile, my host for tonight was worried and sent me a message offering to pick me up. Really kind, but I'm here to walk. First the dyke went through rice fields, later it entered a forest. An understatement to say that I was happy when the dyke ended. The sign 'Bienvenuti a Palestro' was completely overgrown. The bridge over the river had clearly had some damage after a flood and was completely blocked off. Could I pass or not? I decided to give it a go and I made it to the other side. It even stopped raining for a while. One more rice field before I entered the village with its castle tower already visible. It is the only building left of the old fortifications. Without noticing, I had entered another Italian region. I was no longer in Piemonte but in Lombardia. Palestro is a pretty ordinary village broken in two by a busy road towards Milan. The yellow church was locked. Luckily, the supermarket was open. I had booked an appartment in the house of Nik. When I arrived, there was not even a doorbell. So I called and straight away, the man showed up with his cute little daughter. Tonight, I would have all the luxury from home. It was not all super clean but that really didn't matter to me. After a quick tour of the house, Nik left and I could rest. What a day! I wasn't even that unlucky. The same weather depression caused massive floodings in Slovenia and 3 people died. I didn't even get very wet. Tomorrow, the sunny weather will be back. Then I will cover some more distance and hike 23km to Mortara.
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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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