Fedenza to Casio: Out of the rice paddies and into the Mountains

53km and 850 meters of climbing ( for those in Victoria that's 2.5 Malahats )

Gord: Today we left the rice paddies of the Po valley  and climbed into the Appennine mountains towards Tuscany.  Like the meseta on the Camino many pilgrims skip the Po valley.  While I am glad that we are covering the entire Via Francigena under our own steam, and there were interesting and memorable aspects to the Po valley, we are very pleased to move onto the next region on the route.  The villages already have a different look, huddling on ridges and nestling in valley bottoms.  The building material of choice has also changed to stone from the brick of the Po valley.  The villages also seem more ancient, perhaps because they did not suffer as much damage during the Second World War.

 

Ruth: We are staying in a hostel in Casio that is a pilgrim's dream. The Ostello Via Francigena charges only 16€ per person for a room that is more like a B&B then a hostel, but wait... that's not all. This place is not only equipped, it is overflowing with wine, beer, every food item possible (there is even a pineapple in the fridge!!!) All of this is available for a donation. We are the only people staying here and we have the run of the entire three story house. Pictures describe it better than words.

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Piacenza to Fidenza: Signs Showing us the Way

I think we might actually make it to Rome. The signs are certainly indicating that we are going the right way. Perhaps the oldest surviving road sign, however is the on on the Cathedral in Fidenza. A statue of Simon Peter faces Rome holding an inscription that says, "Here lies the way to Rome."

We are staying at the Cappuccini Monastery in Fidenza, each of us with our own separate cell. We are the only pilgrims here right now but there were 7 the previous night.

Ice cream flavors today: rocky road, coffee and cream, sunflower, and two other lovely mysteries.

The Po Valley Pavia to Piacenza: Bethlehem- No room at the Inn

Ruth: 85 km with the additional 10 added in.

Crossing the Po River

The very very flat Po Valley.

My needs are simple and, I suspect, not that different from other pilgrims on the Via Francigena or any pilgrimage route. At the end of a long hot day there needs to be a shower, some food and a bed. It is amazing how much I warm to a place when these three treasures are available. Generally speaking the VF has been excellent at providing these, but Pavia did not. After a long but great ride we arrived in time to secure a place and begin enjoying the sights. Unfortunately all of the religious places listed in our Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome accommodation list turned us away insisting that we return to the new Ostello Santa Maria in Betlem ( Bethlehem in English) when it opened at 6:30 pm!  Somewhere during the 10 extra kilometres wandering from one address to another I hit the wall of heat, fatigue and frustration. How I actually behaved will be left unsaid, but if Gord hadn't produced a Mars bar at a certain moment I don't know what would have happened.  

When the hostel opened however we were greeted by an apologetic man who informed us that the place was full. Our next option was the inexpensive hotel  Statione by the railway station but we arrived to find it permanently closed. At 7:30 pm we forked over 95€ for a room at a three star hotel. We limped out for some risotto and then collapsed. In spite of the well recommended sights we did not stay in Pavia for a second night as planned.

I have been able to fully enjoy our stay in Piacensa because my three treasures were waiting for me. It turns out the sights here including the Cathedral are also well worth a visit but for this pilgrim secondary.

Cavaglia - Vercelli: Che Dio Ci Aiuti

One thousand year old crucifix in the Cathedral in Vercelli.


In preparation for this trip Gord and I started watching the popular Italian sitcom, Che Dio Ci Aiuti ( God Help Us) on line to improve our Italian. It takes place in a convent that has fallen on tough financial times and must rent rooms to a colourful and very beautiful collection of female university students. The lead character, Sister Angela, is a reformed murderer who enjoys helping the police to solve crimes on the side.

Today as we headed towards the convent in Vercelli that welcomes pilgrims we wondered if Sister Angela or her equivalent would be there. While there were no supermodels to be seen, our welcome and stay so far has been magical. We were greeted enthusiastically in spite of our early arrival, and quickly invited to join the community for a meal. Momma mia! We thought the fantastic pasta and tomato salad was the meal and then out came the main course of stuffed vegetables, followed by fresh figs and coffee. Delightful! There are no longer any nuns in residence and instead the priest and the small lay community provide help to families in need and welcome pilgrims.

Today's gelato flavours: green apple, melon, watermelon and pear.

Location:Viale delle Rimembranze,Vercelli,Italy

Aosta Valley: Castles and the Devil's own Bridge

 

Ruth: The Aosta valley is a beautiful, lush area ringed by some of the highest peaks in the Alps. It is also a bilingual area where greetings are done simultaneously in Italian and French. Cycling down out of Aosta was a treat, with castles on almost every strategic promontory and Roman bridges in many towns. The the last of these was a magnificent arch built by the Devil himself. One of our pilgrim predecessors, a fellow name Martin, arrived in a village shortly after the original bridge was washed away. Learning that the village lacked the funds to rebuild, Martin offered to construct the bridge through a deal with the Devil. The Devil built a magnificent bridge in just one night. The payment he demanded was the soul of the first being to cross it. Martin tricked the Devil by throwing a piece of bread on the bridge and attracting an old dog to cross it. Martin was made a saint for his efforts, and the village renamed Pont-Saint-Martin. Of course nowadays this scenario could never occur because of the opposition from the SPCA. Gord will have to find another road to sainthood.

We are staying at the municipal pilgrim hostel at Cavaglia where we met our friend Paolo for dinner and a lovely evening.

Writing in the guest books is becoming my art form.

Today's gelato flavours: hazelnut, pistachio, strawberry/grapefruit and cream.

Location:Via Avvocato Ferdinando Rondolino,Cavaglià,Italy

Aosta: A Well Earned Rest Day

Ruth:  It was time for a rest day and Aosta is a perfect place to spend it. We are staying at the lovely Narbussion B&B  with our own 17th century studio suite right in the historic core of Aosta. The courtyard comes equipped with cats and much appreciated shade. The pace of our trip so far has been a little to fast for living in the moment and appreciating all the little things. This was partly because I booked our accommodation though Switzerlamd because I was fearful of availability and prices. Now it is time to slow down our pace and get into a good pilgrim rhythm.

Aosta is full of Roman ruins and surrounded by snow capped mountains. We took the gondola  up today to see Mount Blanc from the Italian side. It was stunning!  The Duch pilgrims that we met at the pass made it to Aosta today and we we met them for a glass of wine while they had their dinner. It is wonderful to now be on a part of the Via Francigena where there are more pilgrims.

We are now enjoying learning about the history and culinary secrets of this area as we read, The Italian Odyssey, written by our Canadian friends and based on their earlier pilgrimage on the Via Francigena.  If anyone is interested it can be downloaded at :

http://www.verderamedia.com/An_Italian_Odyssey.html

Grand Saint Bernard Pass: I did it!

29km & 1700 meters of climbing. The road was well graded although it averaged 10% in the last 10 km. The traffic was not a problem and it was lovely when we parted company with the main road which goes through a tunnel to Italy. This was the biggest climb I have ever done, and for those at home it was almost 5 Malahats!

We were not rested, our knees were already sore from two long days in the saddle, but we made it! I could have been in a Mars bar commercial for the enthusiastic way I fell on one each 5-10 km. We were incredibly lucky and had glorious sunny but cool weather all the way up. The highest temperature on record at the pass is only 20 C so we must be here on one of the few milder days.

We are relaxing now after a huge dinner at the Grand-Saint-Bernard Hospice, which has been in continuous operation feeding and sheltering pilgrims for almost a thousand years. And yes, there are still Saint Bernard dogs here, but when dog rescues are needed they now opt for the much smarter German Shepard.