Monday 27 October 2014

DAY 62: SANTUARIO BASILICA to PAVIA.

Monday 27 October.


We were awake at 5 am this morning, not used to the clock change yet. We lay reading after I made a cup of coffee until it was time to pack then go for breakfast. It was croissants and coffee, I made sure to ask for 'cafe con latte' and we got a little pot of the black tar and a pot double the size with hot milk. We managed a cup each.

When we left the sun was up but it was cold, Moira had her rain jacket on to keep warm and I wore my waterproof pants. Before getting on the trail we visited the Basilica,

it was now very quiet and we were able to wander around, the main features were the huge domed ceiling and the ornate altar. The walls were painted with murals and there were some nice stained glass windows.


The markers for the VF started outside the church and we were back onto the side of the dry canal. The path was all right at first but then it became overgrown with long grass and it was wet with the early morning dew, our feet were soon soaking. We could see the town of Garlasco over to the right and the main route that went that way, joined us some distance along the canal. It was on the towpath now all the way to Gropello Cairoli.


On the outskirts there was odd shaped buildings all then same in a row. When we got closer it turned it to be a cemetery and the buildings were individual places for different family mauseliums . It was huge.

The town was another quite large place and the church at the entrance was rather strange. It had what looked like a fairly new front facade with a statue on top of what appeared to be St George killing a dragon. Behind this beautiful frontage was the main church, the building was of crumbling old red brick. Our route took us along the main street which was busy with people shopping.


Once out of the town we were on a country lane that ran parallel with a busy road before veering away to follow irrigation channels through the fields. The next place was a village, Villanuova d'Ardenghi, high on a hill. This was the first hill we have had to climb since the Valle d'Aosta. At the top and in the village centre we found a bench, they had them, for weary travellers, at intervals along the street; there we had our morning cuppa.


On the go again it was downhill on the other side of the village then flat again. The route followed a minor road for a few kilometres before turning onto a grassy track that ran on the bank of the river Ticino. The track sometimes grassy and at others a gravel path followed the river all the way into Pavia. It became a wide river that had a sandy shore of white sand. It was a change from the flat rice fields and as it undulated slightly we used some different muscles.



It was lovely river scenery and a lot of the paths went through trees. There was only one slight difficulty, we came to a part of the path that was flooded. We tried to make our way round the deluge but there was no way. In the end we waded through. We stopped at a picnic table just before the motorway on the outskirts of Pavia and had our lunch. After our break the river path went under the motorway bridge then the railway followed by another road before coming up onto the road at the Ponte Coperta, a beautiful old covered bridge.



We took the road down from the Ponte Coperta then missed our turning to the hostel. Moira had to get the iPad out to see where we were then backtracked about 500m. The web site had said that it was only open from 6 pm until 8 pm but when we rang the bell a guy let us in. He said he wasn't in charge but was attached to the church but he did all the paper work anyway and showed us to a small 3 bedded dorm. There was a kitchen and Moira went out to find a supermarket for food. I stayed in, made up our bunks with sheets and pillows cases provided then had a shower. Moira got all she needed to make a curry with the roast chicken that was left from two days ago. It was very nice and a curry made a change from what we have been eating recently.


The hostel was very nice and modern. The kitchen and dining room were beautiful and the floors tiled. There were one or two other people staying but we had our dorm to ourselves. There was WiFi and Suzy contacted us again on FaceTime, Hollie was feeling better and getting ready to go to bed. The woman arrived at 6 pm for the official opening time of the hostel for booking in and I asked her to phone about accommodation for tomorrow. She spoke good English and was happy to phone, it was successful and we have a place at a church hall in the village of Santa Christina.


After dinner and the washing up done we went to the dorm and I tuned into the radio on the Internet. We lay on our bunks and read while listening to some comedy shows for the BBC. We got to sleep,about 9 pm and it was very quiet and peaceful.

 

 

 

Sunday 26 October 2014

DAY 61: MONTARA to SANTUARIO BASILICA MADONNA della BOZZOLA

Sunday 26 October.


We knew that the clocks were due to go back sometime soon but didn't check exactly when. On leaving our hotel everything seemed very quiet and the streets deserted but we put that down to being Sunday. When we reached the town of Tromello I looked at the clock on the church tower and thought we have covered 14 km in only 2 hours. I then realised that the clocks must have changed last night. Moira texted Suzy and she confirmed it.


When we left Montara Moira led the way along the street she found last night and it was 2 minutes to get back on the VF. It was well waymarked to the church at Abbazia di San Accuina then something went wrong. The signs did take us onto the SS596 road but after going 500 m there were no more indications we were on the VF. Moira checked the map and it showed that we should have been somewhere to the right among the rice fields. The road had a wide shoulder and it was quiet, also the VF eventually came near the road shortly after the town of Remondo. We set out along the road at a good pace and it wasn't long before we passed the village Remondo. There was some waymarks now pointing down a gravel track which we took but soon realised we would be going a long way down the track to then come back again when the route headed towards the road. We returned and continued on the road, which was still quiet, until we came to the turning that joined the VF just about 50 m from the highway. Once on a nice track it was a relief to get away from the traffic even though it was light.


It was a winding track through the fields before it crossed the SS596 and into Tromello. That was when we 'gained an hour', so had plenty of time in hand. Instead of two hours it was three that we had been walking and feeling tired, ready for a break and a cup of tea. It was a long walk through the outskirts before reaching the centre and there wasn't a bench or good place to sit. When we reached the town centre and man shouted to us and wanted to know if we wanted our credentials stamped. Moira hadn't got them done at the hotel last night and it was a good opportunity to get a record of our time here. He now led us up to near the church and told us where the pilgrim accommodation was, but it was too early to stop here. He took us to what was either a barbers shop or a bar and stamped our cards. Next he enquired about where we were staying tonight. (Don't get the impression that he spoke English or our Italian had improved, it was all done in sign language and guessing). Eventually we were stuck and he went and got a young chap who was out at stall near the church selling something, he spoke English. The outcome of it all was that they phoned a hotel at the Santuario Basilica Madonna della Bozzole and got us booked in there. I photographed the pair of them and they gave me a packet of biscuits to eat along the way. A little later, a few streets away, there was a bus shelter and we had the biscuits with a cup of tea.

It was 7 km to the Santario Basilica and it was off-road. Part of it was beside a large canal but it was completely dry, I don't know if there was a drought or the water had been diverted elsewhere.

I had copied the route from Cicerone, it was different from the official VF way which went through the town of Garlasco. but this alternative was in actual fact waymarked and we reached the Santuario Basilica without any problem. It was just a small place with the huge domed church dominating the square. The hotel Margarita was on the side of the square so we found it easily, for a change.

We were shown to our room and we booked for lunch at 12:30 pm. The room was nice and en suite. The radiators were on and the room was warm; we showered and washed our clothes then hung them over the radiators to dry. Once clean and changed we went down for lunch. We had pasta with a tomato sauce, roast pork and a green salad and the half a thimble of strong black coffee. There was also a bottle of red wine included, it was fizzy but tastes all right once the bubbles have settled.


At last we had WiFi and I was able to get my blogs up to date and sent off a couple of emails. We were also able to listen to the radio via the Internet. Later in the afternoon we walked over to see the Basilica. There was a service taking place and it was crowded with tourists. We sat inside for a while and admired the magnificent domed roof but we couldn't stroll about. The original church was built on the site of a vision, by a deaf and dumb girl, of the Virgin Mary. She regained her hearing and speech while sheltering from the rain in a grotto where the vision occurred. When we went outside again there wasn't much to see and decided to return to our room, it was starting to get cold. Suzy phoned on FaceTime later and we saw Hollie, she hasn't been keeping very well this week but is getting better.


Moira checked on the Internet for a place to stay in Pavia tomorrow. All the hotels were expensive but she got the people here to phone the Youth hostel in Pavia and we are booked there. It wasn't cheap either, €50. We had what we usually have for lunch now in the room and then listened to the radio. It was now dark just after 6 pm with the hour's difference but if we leave in the mornings at 7 am the sun will be up.

 

 

 

DAY 60: VERCELLI to MONTARA.

Saturday 25 October.


We wrapped up well before leaving this morning thinking it would be cold again. Moira had on her leggings and I wore my waterproof trousers. I had on my beanie and a pair of socks as gloves. It turned out we needn't have bothered it was quite mild and soon all the extras were off and packed away. There was a thin covering of cloud and this stopped the sun blinding us for a change.


I had the street map for Vercelli to guide us out of the city. The route was round the Cathedral and down a busy road but it had a cycle way for us to walk on. We then crossed a bridge over the river Fiume Sesia and out of town. We were on a busy road for about half a kilometre, made worse with road works and we had to be very careful.


Once off the road and out into the countryside it was more flat walking. We were on a raised embankment running between the fields of rice, it looked as if it may have originally been a railway line. We passed a group of hunters out among the tree, their dogs were busy scurrying about flushing out birds or animals while the owners waited their shotguns cradled over their arms ready to fire. It must have been a day for hunting because as we progressed the sounds of gunfire could be heard from all around the fields.


The area being so flat all the towns and villages have water towers to distribute the water. While in France we could spot a town from a distance by the spire of the church here you can see the habitation by the tall water towers. The one for Palestra was visible for some time but the track seemed to circle round the town before heading through the fields towards it. Now from closer a viewpoint we could see the church spire and the tower of a castle. Just before entering there was a nice wall to sit on and it was time for our morning cup of tea.



For the next section, to the town of Robbio, Cicerone said that the waymarked route took a wide loop to avoid walking along the road, but it reckoned that the road wasn't a busy one and it would save a couple of kilometres. We thought about today's 32 km and anything to reduce it was welcome, we took the road. It wasn't that quiet but there was a little shoulder with a verge of rough grass in case of emergencies. It saved us about half an hour and we picked up the official route when we got into Robbio. It was another fairly large town but the route avoided the centre and we were soon out on a gravel track through the fields again. The route wasn't altogether very interesting, lots of fields of rice and the only attraction was watching the harvester at work as we passed. The hills and mountains of the last few days had disappeared somewhere behind us and it was flat to the horizons.


It was 6 km to Nicorvo and it was another town where we could see it from a distance but the road seemed to avoid it. We came to a cemetery just before the town with benches and there we had lunch. When we started again the road seemed to be by-passing the town then doubled back into the centre. This one wasn't very big and we were soon out of it. After a stretch on the road it was off onto paths following irrigation channels and ditches through the rice fields. The waymarking was a bit sparse at times but we were heading on a route between the main road and the railway so couldn't go far wrong. At the little hamlet of Madonna del Campo we had a 5 minute rest at the church before the final 3 km to Montara. It should have been only 3 km but it must have worked out double that. After a long detour to cross the railway line we began to look for our hotel, Albergo della Toure. Moira had an electronic pin on the map in her iPad and we followed that but it was somehow wrongly position and led us out of town at the other end. We began asking directions and were sent one way then the other, everyone having a different idea of where the hotel was. At last we found a man who spoke English and he said he was going that way and to follow him. We had been told to be there before 4pm or we would have to wait until it re-opened at 5:30 pm. We had reached the town at just after 3 pm and it was now approaching 4 pm. The man got us there just in time and we were shown to our room straight away, documentation etc could wait for later they were going for their break.


The room was small but better than last night's, it was also en suite and the bathroom looked good. One thing we can't understand about all these hotels is the lighting. In the bedrooms the lighting is poor and even with all the available lamps on it is difficult to read, but the bathrooms are like Blackpool illuminations. Moira went out again immediately to see about something for dinner, I stayed in and and a shower and a cup of coffee. Moira found the way we should have come to the hotel and it was only a few minutes from the road we came in on. She also found a mini-supermarket and got a roast chicken for dinner and a packet of mushroom soup.


After dinner I washed up the few dishes and Moira went down to fill in the forms and pay the bill. She also asked them to phone about accommodation for tomorrow. The one available hotel on our list was full but their was a pilgrim refuge further on, another 30 km walk then tomorrow. As we go along we will enquire about other places. Without WiFi or the Internet it is a problem arranging anything with the language difficulties. We got to bed wondering where we would sleep tomorrow, will it be our first night in the tent we have been carrying all the way from Canterbury ?

 

 

 

DAY 59: SAN GERMANO VERCELLESE to VERCELLI.

Friday 24 October.


Breakfast was also provided, the bill for B&B and our lunch yesterday including the carafe of wine came to only €50. The room was just €30 and they said they were very happy getting pilgrims stopping. Compared to some places where we have paid more than double this was a bargain. Unfortunately the breakfast didn't amount to much, a croissant and a cup of coffee. I am being a bit generous when I call it a cup of coffee, it wasn't much bigger than a thimble and he only half filled it. It was thick and black and tasted more like a dose of medicine.


The other people in the bar were all wrapped up warm and looked at us in amazement when we set off in our shorts. We understood why. It was freezing. It was a beautiful morning, a clear blue sky and the sun was just poking over the horizon but there was frost on the ground. It was lucky there wasn't any wind to add a chill factor. We thought about putting on extra clothing but the sun would soon be up and carried on with icy hands and cold legs.


When we left town the signs took us in a wide loop by a canal then through fields to return and cross the main road only about half a kilometre from town. It was to avoid the busy highway, Cicerone said it was extremely dangerous and there are shrines and flowers placed are numerous spots along it where people have been killed. Once on the other side the gravel track followed the railway line, although the sun was again blinding us we weren't too bothered about waymarks as we couldn't go far wrong with the railway on one side and the road on the other to guide us.


We were making good time and after 2 hours were looking for a place to stop for our morning break. We crossed the main road again and there was a village ahead, I took it to be Cascina di Stra but Moira said that according to her map we didn't actually go into the village. I was hoping she was wrong but about 500m from the houses we turned left to go through the fields. We decided to stop at the edge of an irrigation canal and brew up there. It was all right, the sun was now warming up and with no wind the cooker soon came to the boil.


From where we stopped we could see our destination for the day, Vercelli, in the distance; it is known as the Capitale Europea del Riso, the European rice capital. Our route now twisted and turned following irrigation channels on paths through the rice fields. The plant isn't very tall and initially I thought it still had a lot to grow but we came to one field where the combine harvested was busy at work. We went through a tiny little hamlet Montonero, just a few houses, a church and a water tap, this was the only habitation we passed through all morning.


We arrived at the outskirts of Vercelli at about 11:30am. We had covered the 18 km at a good pace and got there a bit earlier than I expected. But we weren't quite there yet, it was a much bigger place than we thought and the waymarks took us on a pavement beside what was a ring road round the town. We didn't know where we were and had to get the iPad out and consult the map on it. As is the case when you are lost your location doesn't come up on the screen, just a box saying ' unable to determine your position'. Fortunately there was a road joining the ring road and it had an actual name plate and I found it on the map. With this information I was able to navigate towards the railway station where Moira said all the hotels were situated. When we got to the city centre the wide street up to the station was partially a pedestrian precinct for a market, fair and food stalls. At present we kept to the pavement looking for at least one hotel but nothing. Fortunately we did find the tourist information office and the lady there booked us into the Albergo Valsesia which was 5 minutes away and cost €55. She stamped our credentials for us then we were off again.


The hotel was near the Saint-Andrea Basilica a modern fronted church with twin towers. We would never have found the hotel other than by the tourist office woman's assistance. The entrance was up a side street and you had to ring the bell, there wasn't a reception as such. After the usual documentation we went to our room. The pace was a dump, the worst we have been in since leaving Canterbury. The toilet and shower were out in the corridor and didn't look very attractive at all. After the nice place last night for €30 this was a disgrace, luckily we are only here for one night.


There was a notice on the door saying that under no circumstance was a stove to be used in the room for cooking. I ignored it and made a cup of coffee for lunch, to go with a hard boiled egg and cheese rolls. As soon as we finished we headed out to do some sightseeing and try to book accommodation for tomorrow. We were going to be walking about 32 km and want to make sure we have something booked at the end and not scratching around looking for a hotel.

First we visited Saint-Andrea Basilica which was 50 m away. It was quite modern inside with marble columns and high domed ceilings above the altar and each side of the transept.

It took 9 years to build, 1219-1227 but looked very modern. There was a service taking pace in a side chapel and we weren't free to move around easily. We left and went to the tourist information again. We walked down through the market, there were lots of food stalls but where the prices were displayed it showed it wasn't cheap to eat there. Other stalls had various cheeses of all shapes and sizes, similarly with the ones selling pasta and there were some vegetables on display that we didn't recognise, ones with wines and others selling beer. Also there were the usual flea market junk stalls with second hand clothing and old records and CD's.


When we reached the tourist office the woman this time gave us directions to the library where we could get WiFi. She marked it on the map and we set out to find it. It was a bit of a mission trying to follow the narrow streets that twisted and turned through the old town. One good thing was that most had the street names were displayed and this made life a lot easier. Eventually we found the library and Moira was able to pick up the WiFi outside without a password. She went into 'booking.com' but the hotels that came up for Mortara where we are making for tomorrow were either too expensive or miles off the route. The one from our accommodation list that we fancied wasn't on their list and Google couldn't find it either. We returned to the tourist info and the woman who must have been getting fed up with us by this time, but was still very obliging and phoned the hotel. It was no problem and we are booked for tomorrow night, just €50.


Now that weight was lifted from our shoulders we set off to get something to eat for tonight. We had passed a Lidl on the ring road when we arrived and headed back that way. It didn't take long now we were beginning to find out way around. Moira bought tuna, salad and coleslaw for dinner and yoghurt for breakfast. Now we made our way back to the hotel, we were putting in plenty of kilometres extra today. We had 5 minute break in the room then headed out again.

We visited the Cathedral another modern looking interior but was actually started in the year 300 at the desire of St Eusebio but was destroyed in 1570 then rebuilt between the 18th and 19th centuries.


Inside there was little declaration and the windows plain but also with lots of marble. We left the Cathedral and strolled around the Piazza Saint-Eusebio before heading back to the library and the Internet. On the way we looked in at the Archiepiscopal Seminary to view the cloisters but there was a function on and what we could see wasn't very impressive. Further along on the Via Duomo there was another magnificent church front with a tall tower, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, we went in and relaxed in a pew while admiring another huge domed ceiling.


We hadn't become as familiar with the town as we thought and it took a while to find the library again. We both had our iPads and downloaded the newspaper. I also managed to publish my blog. After that we had had enough of walking about and returned to the hotel. While I had a shower Moira made the dinner. It was really nice, tuna salad with coleslaw and a beer. It was again cold and we got into bed to read the newspaper where it was warm. We got to sleep about 9:30pm but were wakened by people taking in the corridor. It sounded like they were just arriving and the landlord showing them their room. It was noisy for about half an hour with doors slamming and toilets flushing but soon we were sleeping again.

 

 

 

Friday 24 October 2014

DAY 58: ROPPOLO to SAN GERMANO VERCELLESE.

Thursday 23 October.


It was a lovely breakfast this morning. Homemade muesli, yoghurts, jams and honeys, bread, croisants, cake, cheese, ham and orange juice. The only thing they skimped on was the coffee. We had a small cup each from a tiny percolator then he asked if we would like more and got the same again. We had finished packing before breakfast so it was straight off afterwards, just some photographs to take first. Our host suggested a quicker route for us to take but we have enough problems on waymarked ones without attempting the unknown.

The only hill of the day was out of Roppolo and it climbed quite steeply to the top of the town. Roppolo turned out to be quite big with houses all the way up the hill. There was the inevitable chateau overlooking the town and another nice looking restaurant as the road levelled out. From now on it was flat or slightly downhill, we were able to stride out and make good time but in the end it gets a bit boring and monotonous. After 3.5 km we reached Cavaglia, I expected another small village but it turned out to be a fairly large bustling town.

There was another castle and we missed a turning. It was a case again of the sun low in the sky blinding us as we headed east.

We came to a busy main road and realised we had gone wrong and backtracked only about 50m to pick up quiet lane. The route more or less followed the main road to Santhia on country lanes and gravel tracks. Suddenly the scenery changed from flat as far as the eye could see to snowy top mountains. At first we thought we had gone the wrong way and were heading back to the Alps but this was a different range. The ones we had crossed a week ago were still visible but now far in the distance. We had crossed the Turin to Milan motorway and this range of mountains ran parallel with the road running west to east but some kilometres away. The highest of he mountains had a really thick covering of snow and was impressive.

Moving forward again and ahead it was flat, we crossed a small canal and zig-zagged between fields to the town of Santhia.

I remarked to Moira that this town was like the ones on the Camino de Santiago in that you can see them ahead of you but they don't seem to get any closer. We had been walking for 3 hours, it had been cool initially but now the sun was higher in the sky and getting warmer, we needed a break. As soon as we got into the town there was a convenient bench and I soon had the cooker out for some tea. We didn't rush to get started again, we had only 8.5 km to do and it was only just after 11am. It was mid-day when we eventually got moving and felt better for the long rest.



After walking through an attractive town centre with nice shops we came to the railway station and made the first of three crossing of the railway line. On the other side was a large canal and the road ran straight beside it as far as the eye could see. We thought it was going to be a boring walk along the road to San Germano Vercellese as there didn't appear to be a decent towpath. Luckily when the quiet road joined a major one the VF turned away from the canal and crossed the railway again to a gravel track through farmlands. It was still flat and we made excellent time striding briskly over the good surface. The waymarks had been first class all day but suddenly we came to a y-junction where the signpost had been knocked over and lay in a ditch. There was no other indication which fork to take but we knew we had to cross over the railway line again and could see a bridge over it to the right. We went that way but didn't see any more waymarks. Once over the railway we picked up a path that ran parallel with the line and followed that. We should have taken the left fork and crossed another bridge further along but our path met up with the route anyway, so everything worked out well.

Where we met the VF route again was at the entrance to San Germano Vercellese and we took the road to the town centre and the church, we could see the tower in the distance. Moira had our location and the position of the hotel we were heading for on the iPad but we still had to ask directions to find it. The Leon d'Oro wasn't an expensive looking hotel but the service was good, we were immediately shown our room. It wasn't en suite but big enough and the toilets and showers were just down the hall. When we arrived there was a notice, menu of the day 10€, we went down after depositing our rucksacks, before the restaurant closed. We both had the same pasta in a meat sauce to start, very good, then pork fried in batter with chips, not so nice. We had a carafe of red wine, it was fizzy but all right.


After lunch we went to our room and relaxed for an hour before having a shower. The water was piping hot and it relieved the stiffness after our walk. Even though we didn't have the bathroom in our room it was luxury, beautifully tiled and the shower really good. There wasn't any WiFi at all so we spent the time reading, doing a crossword and listening to some music from the iPad. We had sandwiches and an apple for 'dinner' in the room. Below our window were the tables outside the bar and where the smokers congregated, it was quite noisy with people talking . Later when we put out the light to get to sleep there were still people chattering but it didn't last long and we slept all right.

 

 

 

Wednesday 22 October 2014

DAY 57: IVREA to ROPPOLO.

Wednesday 22 October.


During the night the wind was whistling through some opening outside. It seemed very strong which was unusual as it had been a calm and balmy day. The noise stopped later in the night and I thought it had been my imagination. But when we began walking the wind was blowing strongly and it was cold though surprisingly the sky was blue and cloudless. There had been reports yesterday of the tail end of a hurricane hitting the UK and this might have been the continuation of it. Another thing was the low temperature and guessed it would be freezing up on the St Bernard Pass probably snowing heavily. We considered that we had got through on time.


Today promised to be an easy day and it was. There were a few climbs but nothing serious, mainly it was flat and gentle. When we re-examined the route before leaving we found that we didn't have go all the way back to where we came into Ivrea yesterday but picked up the route just outside the hotel. A short distance along the main street a man waved us over to the other side. He had an office there and supplied information about the Via Franigena. He gave us a map, accommodation list and a badge, then he set up a cutout of the pilgrim monk outside and we took photographs. I think he was happy to get a couple of pilgrims come along, there can't be many at this time of year.


Soon we were on a minor road leaving Ivrea then a gravel track that headed for the woods. The sun was low in the sky blinding us and making us more vigilant at looking out for signs and waymarks at turnings. According to my reckoning and the direction we were heading in relation to the rising sun was north. Before we got too worried the track turned and pointed in the correct direction for Rome. The track made its way round a large pond with yet another chateau high up on a hill above.

We reached the village of Cascinette d'Ivrea in under half an hour and according to Cicerone it was 4km away. I assumed it was measured from where we entered the town at Lidl supermarket and we probably saved 2km from where our hotel was situated. Once we left the woods and into Cascinette it was on tar, minor roads and lanes to the next town of Bollengo. It was still flat and we continued to make excellent time. I thought it would be about 10 am when got there but we were 30 minutes earlier. We continued to Palazzo a further 4km before we had coffee. It was difficult to find a sheltered spot from the wind, not so much for our comfort but for the cooker, it takes an age to boil when the wind is blowing. There was a seat in the square outside the town buildings and I managed to set up the cooker behind some plant pots out of the wind.



After our break it was still on tar and a steady climb to reach the town of Piverone. Looking back now we could see the mountains we had come over a week ago and they were getting smaller and smaller as they got further behind us. In front now was the Lago di Viverone, a large lake that shimmered in the sunshine. After Piverone we went off road through vines and on grassy tracks to the ruins of the 11th century Romanesque Chiesa di San Pietro. We sat in the remains of the altar of the church for a rest before the final few kilometres of the day.


The track continued off-road, downhill now through more vines to enter the town of Viverone which was on the side of the lake. There was the steepest climb of the day as we made our way up the narrow street to exit at the top of Viverone from where there was wonderful view of the lake and the now much smaller looking Alps in the distance. Was there a bit more snow on the highest ones ?

It was now only a couple of kilometres to our destination for the day, Roppolo. There was another house with a sundial on its wall at the entrance to the village, a strange feature.

Just before our B&B, Le Lune, which we found easily there was a restaurant. We were looking at the menu on the door and the waiter came out and told us the menu of the day was only €11. This seemed reasonable and as there wasn't any shops in the village and we were going to have to eat out anyway this seemed a good option. We checked in at Le Lune first and they gave us coffee and biscuits while they finished preparing our room. It was a big room and the en suite facilities were first class. Also there was WiFi that we got into straight away without having to enter a lengthy password.


The restaurant was just across the street from the B&B, so no long walk. The service wasn't very swift but we weren't going anywhere and not in a hurry. For starters I had pasta with a Bolognaise sauce while Moira had crepes with a cheese filling. For main course we both had rabbit which was delicious, with mashed potatoes, carrots and green beans, done in a garlic rich sauce. We just had bottled water to drink and thought that would be extra but it was just the €11 each as quoted. Back in our room we showered then relaxed and listened to the radio which was loud and clear over the Internet.

The village of Roppolo was small and not a lot to do, all Cicerone had to say about it was: 'there are several interesting old houses in the main street'. We just spent the rest of the day in our room relaxing. Moira found a small hotel in San Germano Vercellese where we are heading tomorrow. It wasn't on 'booking.com' so she got our landlord to phone. There was, as usual no reply to the number we had, but our host recommend another hotel in the same town and we are booked in there. For our evening meal it was what we usually have for lunch, a hard boiled egg, cheese sandwiches and a beer.


It was getting cold as the sun set, winter must be approaching, we got into bed where it was warm. I don't think people put on the heating here until it snows. Warm now we lay back with the radio on and read until time to go to sleep.

 

 

 

Tuesday 21 October 2014

DAY 56: PONT ST. MARTIN to IVREA.

Tuesday 21 October.


It was another nice looking day, a slight scattering of cloud but no chance of rain. It was a bit cooler in the morning and perfect for walking, it warmed up after mid-day and we had to get our fleeces packed away. Breakfast wasn't as good as yesterday's, just orange juice, a croissant and coffee. The WiFi was all right downstairs in the bar and we managed to download the newspaper and I published my blog.


We thought the route today would be flat but it was up and down until about halfway at Borgofranco. It took us up at times to avoid the main road where we walked along the terraces with vines on frames on either side. Other times we climbed to visit a church which invariably were built on the tops of hills overlooking the town or village. It was still a very interesting route amongst the vines and through some 'olde worlde' villages.


The problem we are having in Italy is knowing exactly where we are at any particular time. There are very rarely any indication of the names of villages or towns, and where there is a sign it will say the Commune of 'such and such', this doesn't mean you have reached that actual town and you usually find that the centre of the commune is some kilometres away.


The route was to pass through Carema, Torredaniele, Cesnola, before reaching Pieve di San Lorenzo. We don't know if we did go through these places as we zig-zagged up and down the hillside passing different sets of houses congregated around a church. A few times we got on the wrong track, there were a number of different routes waymarked and easy to pick the wrong one. But we soon found our way again by dropping towards the main road below and down the valley. When we reached Pieve di San Lorenzo it was named and we had to climb a steep lane to reach the historic chapel with the tall square tower at the top. We stopped there for a cup of tea and a biscuit, it was a pleasant quiet spot and a welcomed breather after a tough climb.


We were now coming out of the high mountains and we could see the end of the ranges on either side of the valley tapering and flat open countryside ahead. Out track now descended on a narrow rocky path to pick up a wide flat gravel lane that took us to the town of Borgofranco d'Ivrea. There we found a bench in the square to have an early lunch. While we had our bread and cheese, Gorgonzola today, we consulted our maps and guide book to see how far to go. The little map book said 7.5km, while Cicerone had it at 10 km. we weren't sure which was right and even if they were following the official waymarks. We followed the VF waymarks and it didn't tie in with either.


Below one of the VF waymarks along the route there was a quotation from Nelson Mandela. It was in Italian, naturally, and the best translation I could get that more or less matched this saying of his I found later in Google:

I am not a messiah but an ordinary man who became a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.


After lunch we were hoping that it would continue to be flat to the finish. No such luck, the VF managed to find another hill, but the climb was worth while as it led to just below a wonderful castle/ chateau on top, the Castello di Montalto. The track circled round below the hilltop and made its way round a large pond. There was a view point on the other side and looking back over the water the castle dominated the scene. From there it was a delightful walk through the woods on a carpet of leaves and pine needles. We weren't sure exactly where we were but soon we crossed a busy road near habitation to a leafy lane that ran parallel. Soon it became a built-up area and suddenly we came to a Lidl supermarket in Ivrea. Moira did some shopping and then we went in search of our hotel. We went the wrong way at first then had to backtrack to the other side of town before we found it by asking numerous people for directions.


It was much the same as we have became used to but this time we were able to get WiFi in the room. After showering we stretched out on the bed and read the parer while listening to the radio. At 6:30 pm we went out to find a place to eat. We fancied a pizza tonight and in every little town we have been in there were dozens of pizzeria or restaurants but here nothing. In the end we walked all the way back to the other end of town where we were earlier before finding a place. It was a mild evening and it was a pleasant stroll with a large castle with turreted towers at each corner looming over us in the darkening sky. For dinner we shared a nice pizza but the carafe of house wine we had tasted a bit rough even by our standards. Our hunger satisfied we had the long walk back to our hotel again. We will have to come out this way in the morning once more to pick up the VF route out of town.


Back in our room Moira booked accommodation in the next town along the route, Roppolo. We tried to contact a pilgrim hostel but there was no answer on the phone so we are in a B&B this time. We listened to more radio until about 10pm then got to sleep.