I’ve really enjoyed the changes in elevation and temperature over the past few weeks. All reports of the upcoming stretch remind me of my long, flat, and straight distances through northern France. There, I dealt with rainy conditions (either falling on me or leaving mud to trudge through). Here, in the Po Valley in early summer, the forecast is for hot, dry conditions. I hope I make it through as well as I did nearly three months ago.
It looks like my rest day did its job, but I’m not taking anything for granted. I’ll continue to monitor my condition as I keep an eye on the inclement weather behind me and the flooding that just started in Ivrea. I got out of the Aosta Valley just in time!
Day 59 Ivrea to Viverone
It felt great to get out on the path today, although it was a fairly modest walk over the undulating foothills of the Piedmont Region (Piemonte). Forests, lakes, vineyards, medieval villages, 11th-century churches, bells tolling the hours, and plenty of friendly locals who really seem to understand what the VF is all about. Several of them stopped me to ask the Where do you live? Where have you walked from? and Where are you going? questions. In exchange, they shared their own experiences on the VF: when, what sections, and for how long. I didn’t meet any other current pilgrims, but I felt their presence, so I imagine our paths will cross soon.
Before leaving the city, I watched the rising waters of the Dora Baltea River delivering debris from the mountains. Flood warnings are now in effect.
Day 59 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 22.3 km / 13.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 428 m / 1,404 feet
Steps: 30,450
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vdvmJLRmNxO
Accommodation: Viverone Lake Rooms, Viverone
Day 60 Viverone to Santhià
Rolling thunder throughout the day, but no rainfall until a few minutes after checking into my accommodation. I met 3 new VF pilgrims – a young woman from Hungary walking the whole way (turns out we’ve been within 2-3 days from each other for several weeks), and an Italian father-son duo who walk 2-week segments each year (they’re on Day #2 this year). We had a lot of fun chatting and comparing notes, which proved useful when our only other entertainment was the corn and wheat fields and the first of many rice paddies.
Day 60 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 15.8 km / 9.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 199 m / 653 feet
Steps: 19,482
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv2neR9Xov
Accommodation: Hotel Ristorante Vittoria, Santhià
As of yesterday, my walking distance on the Via Francigena has been 1,324 km (822 miles) from Canterbury after 60 days. Added to my time on The Pilgrims Way, that means 1,558 km (975 miles) in 74 days on foot. I walked down the beautiful Aosta Valley, just ahead of the torrential floods, and am now crossing the wide Po Valley. The blue dot is moving!
Some of you have asked about the Po Valley, aka the Po Plain. Fun fact: it’s huge and is home to ⅓ of Italy’s population. Who knew?
Day 61 Santhià to Vercelli
It was forecasted to be hot today, so I headed out early. Clear morning skies allowed me to look back at the snow-capped mountains that I am leaving in my wake. The most interesting parts of today’s walk were the irrigation systems to bring the Alpine waters to the rice paddies, and the various examples of collective farm institutions that Sandy Brown describes in his guidebook:
Cascina a corte, a centralized, sometimes-fortified farm characteristic of the Po Valley since at least the 13th Century. In these walled clusters, family groupings of contadini, or peasants, lived and worked their entire lives under control of the manor owner. Bernardo Bertolucci famously depicted the 20th Century decline of Po Valley’s cascine life in his epic movie, 1900.
I’ve added that film to my watch list, as it was fascinating to see these compounds across the fields.
My destination town, Vercelli, is called “the rice capital of Europe.” Of course, I ordered risotto for dinner, and it was fantastic!
Here are the first of molte cascine a corte that I will see over the next few days.
Playing with reflections…
Day 61 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 25.3 km / 15.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 222 m / 728 feet
Steps: 36,676
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vdvmJM11BNO
Accommodation: Vercelli Palace Hotel, Vercelli
Day 62 Vercelli to Mortara
Today I combined two relatively short standard stages, and it was much like yesterday. Just cooler and without any views of the mountains I’ve left behind. More cascine. More rice paddies. More farm tracks.
Pilgrim Art
Day 62 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 33.7 km / 20.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 348 m / 1,142 feet
Steps: 44,213
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/v36AGEKGgGv
Accommodation: Hotel Il Polo, Mortara
I just realized two things: At some point today, I crossed into a new Italian region: Lombardy. Also, my total distance walked since leaving Winchester has now surpassed 1,000 miles! (1,003.9 miles / 1,616 km).
Day 63 Mortara to Garlasco
The large canals are back. I thought I had had enough of them in France, but it was nice to have a few today. Which means the crops are shifting from mostly rice to some wheat and corn.
Otherwise, there really wasn’t much else to see today, or this whole week. I am beginning to understand the early reports about this part of the Via. Oh well, it’s all part of the journey.
Day 63 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 22.8 km / 14.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 222 m / 728 feet
Steps: 32,770
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv2nePPj4v
Accommodation: Hotel Il Pino, Garlasco
Day 64 Garlasco to Pavia
It was a very hot day, but one of the prettiest this past week. Rice paddies, corn and soybean fields, old buildings next to older buildings. And a wonderful destination city that I will not want to leave in the morning.
Day 64 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 25.3 km / 15.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 288 m / 945 feet
Steps: 40,462
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vRO7epD3ZKq
Day 65 Pavia to Santa Cristina e Bissone
I find it curious that on these days when I’m feeling physically strong, I am also feeling less comfortable emotionally. On the one hand, I feel better able (even excited!) to get up and walk, day after day after day. Yet, at the same time, the heat, hazy skies, and unchanging views are taking their toll on me. You’d understand if you could hear my whoops of joy when I get a sight of the mountains in my future. I’m excited to know that I’ll be in them soon!
Public Art
Day 65 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 25.8 km / 16.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 304 m / 997 feet
Steps: 38,877
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vYvrQkL9ALq
Accommodation: Parrocchia S. Cristina, Santa Cristina e Bissone
Days 1-65 AllTrails Cumulative Stats
Distance: 1,456.5 km / 905.0 miles
Average Daily Distance: 22.4 km / 13.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 29,624 m / 97,192 feet
Steps: 2,242,587
