Walking with Angels. Fiorenzuola to Fidenza

We grazed the breakfast Buffett several times since it was included in the rent and they even had bacon and scrambled eggs. Our stuff us fairly well dried out although the boots are heavier than normal. The rain is still pouring down so it will be ponchos over the gore jacket and pants. We have somewhere in the low 20 km to go today. Since we just follow the VF indicators wherever they go, we really don't know what the distance really is. We had the receptionist speak to our contact in Fidenza and they are going to provide half board(evening meal as well as breakfast) for 10E each extra on top of the $45E. We rolled into Fidenza at 3:15pm and walked right to the Albergo Ugolini. The room is clean and the bedding looks okay, so were happy. We fought a heavy downpour most of the way today. We had put on our ponchos before we started today but rain with some wind gets pretty much into everything. My boots are completely soaked through to the insoles. They were okay for the first couple of hours and then with the amount of rain coming down, they eventually were water logged.

There is no hair dryer here so it is towels and newspapers into the boots. Half way here we were walking along a gravel road wondering if this was the right road, when we spotted a yellow pilgrim cutout on a sign in the driveway. We stopped to look and their dog barked and out came the owner.

He asked if we wanted a coffee and we said yes, that would be nice. Down went the packs in the garage and into the house for coffee which eventually turned into a pasta dinner with wine, local salami and parmasean cheese. Massimo and Claudia are middle school teachers and this was their day off work. Massimo has been welcoming pilgrims as they pass by his house. We signed the guest book and promised to email them so they can follow our blog. After an hour we were back on the trail toughening out the heavy rain all the way to Fidenza which seemed to get farther away the closer we got. Tomorrow we start to climb in the Apennines. It is a short day tomorrow but it will be using some tracks that with all this rain could make for some interesting moments. You don't get this on a cruise.

Walking with Angels. Piacenza to Fiorenzuola- d, Arda

Where to start. It is after 8pm and we have just eaten a very nice roast pork dinner. We are five kilometres out of Fiorenzuola in a up market hotel, Le Route at the best rate they could give us of $80E. We have everything we have with us, and I mean everything, hanging somewhere drying.

The day started out quite normal. We had a nice breakfast in the restaurant in Piacenza and started out walking at 7:15am. The markings weren't great but we were going along okay. Somewhere after a few hours, we missed a turn because of poor markings. We walked about 2kms past the turn and turned around and came back. This day was already in the 30km plus range so now it is in the mid 30's. It is now raining and the trail is not well marked. We know we have to make up some ground but we are bush wracking down along a river and it is starting to get muddy. Then the track leads us in the opposite direction and onto a busy highway to cross the bridge over the river. The rain has now increased into a steady downpour. We are now on and off muddy clay based tracks alongside plowed

Fields. After a few more hours we came to a hollow with water pouring over it and our boots so far had 

Held up to the waterproofing, but this was too much. Now we have wet boots and continue along until the rain gets even heavier. Now we have our ponchos over top our goretex, when we come to a stream over the track. It is less than a foot deep but the water is going by pretty fast. Off come the wet boots and socks and on go the crocs. Holding our boots we wade across the stream and climb up the other side. We find a place to put the wet socks and boots back on and down the track we go again.

Eventually we come to our destination about 3:30pm, 8 hours after we started. Now to find our reserved accomodations. After nearly an hour we find the hotel, but it is closed. We asked a young man at the gas station next door to phone the number on the hotel door, but there is no answer. Then along comes smother man and they discuss our problem. Then we get in the car with the first man and he drives to the three other hotels in town, but they too are closed. For what reason other than its Sunday, we don't know. Then he drives us five kilometres out of town to this up market job, and here we are. The receptionist downstairs speaks English and has made a reservation for us in Fidenza our next stop, 20 some kilometres away. This hotel has a shuttle they say we can use in the morning to get us back to where we came to in the afternoon. We both agree that this has been our most trying walking day since we started last year. Some people in town ignored us but two men took it upon themselves to bail us out and we were both exhausted.

Walking with Angels. Orrio Litta to Piacenza

After a nice gnocchi pasta meal last night we had a good rest. We were down to the local store before 8am and they made us up a fromagio and piscutto bun each for lunch. The three of us were off to meet Danilo Parisi the ferryman on the Po. It had rained during the night and was overcast and misty when we left. We only had 3 or 4 kilometres to the river so we walked leisurely knowing we would have lots of time. Around 9:30am we heard an outboard motor coming and it pulled into the dock. He greeted us with a smile and put our packs into the front of the open bow. Down the river we went with the three of us in the back with the cold misty weather. The wind froze us for about the next ten minutes, Simon and I both in shorts and Simon with no jacket even. Finally he pulled over on the otherside of the river. He told us that the river had dropped so much in the last three years, he can't get into his regular dock. Danilo booted up over the dyke with the three of us in tow. Then into his house where he brought out a humdenous ledger with over three thousand names of pilgrims who have passed through. He had us write our names, country, ages etc and then with much fanfare he stamped our credentials. He is very much into the VF and gave Charlotte and big bravo when he saw what her age was. He is an institution when it comes to the Via Francigena. Then it was on towards Piacenza and the tourist office. Simon wanted the train schedule and we wanted a place to stay here and in Florenzoula our next stop. This is where we say goodbye to Simon he us off on the train to Sienna and walking to Rome. He was good company and we will miss him. He reminded us of our son Richard, both in diimeanor and character. It might have been because of their similar military backgrounds. We are staying at the Affittacamere Locanda Commercio on Via Colombo 118 which is right on the VF going out of Piacenza for $40E pilgrim rate for two including breakfast. It isn't the Ritz and it is single beds again but there are good towels and clean sheets, even Italian TV.  After 47 years we seldom have slept in the same bed in the last three weeks. Finally found a supermercato and got some supplies for tomorrow. Have our orange jus and yogurt in the window keeping cool. Tonight we will eat in the hotels restaurant downstairs in hopes that the owner will let us into his wifi that I have detected on the iPad. Might even be able to post the last five days. Still no internet. Went down for a meal in the restaurant tonight. The waiter introduced himself as the brother of Diego, the owner. They brought us a jug, no a big jug of wine, then natural water(no gas)( I always want to make a comment, but don't). He then suggested that we should have some tortellini and ravioli. We should we argue. Fresh buns and another dish of fresh buns. The tortellini was melt in your mouth, what a meal. We couldn't finish the wine. He had also brought out a dish of antipasta meats prior to the meal. When I asked for the bill, he just wrote on a piece if paper 20E. Then he went and brought two glasses and filled them with a liquor. We are both holding onto our beds trying to keep the room from spinning, all for 20E. We are starting to like Italy. The family atmosphere in the restaurant is very strong. I have finally found a place I can eat different pasta every night. You don't get that on a cruise.

Walking with Angels. San Christina to Orrio Litta

We went to bed early last night, probably around 8pm. We had gone out with Simon to the local Pizza place. It is the only eating out place in town. Simon had a beer and we reluctantly ordered two pizzas.

Oh those pizzas were terrible. We could hardly get them down. I swear, I don't want to see another pizza. At 7pm every pizzeria has pizza boxes stacked sky high, just awaiting the rush of people to order them. We left San Christina about 7:30am this morning. Simon was just getting up. We have a short day and walked at a leisurely pace following the VF signs. We stopped in a village to check the book ans Simon appeared. His feet were much better and he was walking fine. We left and he caught up to us again about 30 minutes outside Orrio Littia. We walked together into town and stopped at a bar for coffee. A nice young lady said she could take us to where we are sleeping tonight, and she did. We were greeted by the mayor no less and he showed us to some rooms above the municipal offices.

They are clean with linen and the water is hot. A bar is going cook us some pasta at 7 pm tonight, no pizza. We will phone the ferry tonight at 8:30pm to meet us at the Po river and take us downstream and across to the other side. Simon has decided to leave us after Piacenza and take the train closer to Rome. He has two weeks or so left for walking and he would like to walk into Rome. I think we will try to get a B & B in Piacenza. We have had these Parrochial places for some time now and I think we need a break. We have not been able to get any internet services. Italy is really behind France in that regard. We have a very long day of over 30k on Sunday and leaving from a city is that much more difficult. One thing we noticed today is that we are leaving the rice country. We are seeing grapes again and pastures with more trees. The picture of the train is the one we see as we walk along. It stops at all the small towns to pick up passengers in its three or four cars. We have walked around the crossing bars many times as they come down when the train is nowhere in sight. We have also had to scurry out of the way when the arms start coming down.

Walking with Angels. Pavia to San Christina

A long tough day today. First of all we are billeted on one side of the city and our route leaves from the downtown through the opposite side of the city. We were up early this morning knowing we had a long way to go. After leaving the building before 7am we went across the road to the cafe and had a cappuccino and toast. Toast means toasted bread with ham and cheese. Still in the dark we made our way back downtown to pick up the VF signs to follow out of the city. After 90 minutes we are still in the city, perhaps some type of suburbs. We had stopped and got our standard lunch items prior to leaving. The route today had too many roads for our liking. They were minor roads but the Italians drive them like they are late for work. We took a number of breaks along the way to rest. The lower legs continue to be a problem. The calf in my right leg is determined to give me difficulty and pain is difficult to ignore hour after hour. I continue to slather on the anti-inflammatory cream and knock back the ....

We still have 32 stages or days until we get to Rome. It was about 2:30pm when we rolled into San Christina this afternoon. We never know what to expect when we reach our destination. Usually we are 

weary and sore when we arrive, making it difficult to figure out our next move. In this case as we approached the main street, a young fellow perhaps, nine years old approached us. It didn't take long to figure out he was very street wise and when we mentioned the name of the local priest, he immediately motioned us to follow him. Then he asked if we were Pellegrinis and when we replied that we were, he led us to the rec centre. Along the way he kept mentioning gelato. At the rec centre a lady motioned for our credentials and stamped them. Then she showed us to an upstairs bedroom with two single beds and a bathroom area. She gave yes two keys. I have never seen so many skeleton keys since 60 years ago on the prairies. One key was for our room and the other is for the outside door which she closes at 6pm. I had motioned for the young street urchin, to wait for us. We came down after making up the beds and sure enough, there he was. The woman running the bar scolded him for something, but I motioned for him to come over to the cooler and pick out something. He pointed to a cone item, so I gave it to him and off he went with a smile on his face. The cost 1:20E and we didn't have to wander around the town asking people where to find something. The room is not real clean but there were fresh sheets to make up the beds so that is a bonus. This rec centre is a hub of activity with young people coming and going, card games being played and of course the ever loud voices of the Italians. We had a fellow phone the next stop for us but after a lot of discussion we learned that we have a bed but the address has changed, that is so Italy. They took us over to a map on the wall and pointed out that we should phone the water taxi guy named Sergio. Sergio is kind of a VF icon that I have read about. We have decided to walk a short day tomorrow and stay overnight and then take the ferry the next day over the Po river. As I write this, another pilgrim showed up here. He is Simon and speaks English.

Walking with Angels. Garlasco to Pavia

Our sleep was disturbed by a large group of youth about 9pm last night. We had gone to bed earlier and I knew that the person who showed us in to begin with, said there would be students coming into the building that evening. The church bells were very quiet, so that was good. Over to the bake shop at 7am for breakfast and lunch goodies. We were walking out of town by 7:30 following the VF signs along the way. There are times when you don't see a VF indicator for a long time so you just keep going in a straight line unless you see one that indicates a turn. It was overcast again today and not too cold. We made a few stops to ease the legs and have some pizza or fruit but we didn't lose the trail anywhere. As we got closer to Pavia we followed a narrow path along the river for 8 or 10 kilometres. It was nice to get away from any road noise and traffic. On entering Pavia we walked along the river through some parks until the VF indicators took us across the river into Pavia. We found the tourist office and since this is the time that students write their exams, there were few rooms in town available for us. We had tried the Parrochial ones from Garlasco but they were all taken so we knew we would have a problem when we reached Pavia.The tourist office had a listing for a religious order that has rooms available and they were able to get a room for us at a pilgrim discounted rate. It was a long walk over after having already walked 25 or more kilometres and the legs weren't in that good a shape. The room is spotless with ironed sheets and a nice bathroom/shower. The name of the place is, Instituto Suore Missionaire dell Immaacolata Regina Della Pace on P.le Golgi 47/49

0382/525719. $44E for a double room with sheets and towels. We have learned to be very wary of the Italian drivers. On the roads out of town they don't slow down going past you and seldom move over as they approach you. In town, just because you are in a cross walk, doesn't mean a thing to them. You could stand there all day long before they might stop to let you pass. I have to start out on the cross walk and almost block their way, before they will stop. We went back to the copy shop to find out where a good place to eat might be. The person in there had directed us to our  accomodations earlier and even though he had little English he was willing to try. Charlotte stopped a couple of young women and asked them to phone San Christina for a room tomorrow night. They were a little hesitant but when they realized it was just so the language issue was resolved, they went ahead and made the call for us. It will be a long day tomorrow, possibly 28 to 30 kilometres. We have no way really of knowing since we just follow the trail.

Walking with Angels. Mortara to Garlasco

We had decided to start off with the guide book and follow it instead of just the VF signs. Little did we know how big a mistake this was. It started out fine as we left around 7:15am. For about an hour we walked following the guide book until the trail we were on abruptly ended. There was no where to go, we couldn't figure anything. Just then a man on a bike came along and showed us how to get to the village we were going to. Determined not to give up on the guide book, we tried to find the house number 33 where we were to leave the village from. After wasting an hour going in circles we finally located the right street and finally the right house number. When we found the track marking the VF trail, away went the book along with a few choice words for the author along with it. It was like a breath of fresh air walking along while watching for either the red and white flashes or the pilgrim insignia with an arrow. The only way we found our way on the right path from the last town was because of the graveyard. The guidebook had mentioned a graveyard so through many hand motions we were able to ask where the graveyard was. Since we had wasted time, we were soon on our 5km an hour pace and made up for the lost time. About 1:30 we arrived in Garlasco and walked along the Main Street until we came to a large church. While we were looking at our papers for the name of the church of San Rooco, a couple of local police were watching us. I walked over and showed them the name and one of them led us up a street to a large building. I rang both buzzers and the policeman stayed and watched. Finally someone stuck their head out the window and the policeman told him we were pilgrims looking for our room. The priest phoned someone and they came and showed us to a nice little room with three beds and a washroom. We have a key to the outside door and he showed us the mailbox to leave the key in when we leave. We asked the priest to make some calls to Pavia for accomodations for tomorrow night, but he couldn't find one for us. Charlotte asked a couple of ladies in a cafe and they made numerous calls for us and still no room. Finally we were resolved to having to get a hotel room in Pavia. So with our book marked with appropriate priced hotels, out we go. We stopped into a little store for tomorrow morning's juice etc and the store owner said he would make the call for us, and so he did. We now have a room in Pavia somewhere in the downtown for 50E. He also told us of the best pasta place here in Garlasco, so we are set for supper tonight. There are a lot of young men standing around with their tight pants drooping down, smoking and trying to look like James Dean from fifty years ago. We can't believe the number of people smoking, young and old, men as well as women. People riding bicycles smoking. They are certainly behind the times. It reminds us years ago in Spain with all the smoking.