Italy – Following your feet

Day 187: Bourg de Saint-Rhémy to Bourg-Saint-Pierre

I started the day at ca. 1600m and ended the day at ca. 1600, but in between I climbed to the Grand Saint Bernard Pass at 2470m above sea level, before descending again to Bourg-Saint-Pierre where I spent the night. I was eating breakfast at 7.30 and on my way by 8.15. It was a…

Day 186: Aosta to Bourg de Saint-Rhémy

A short day in terms of kilometers, only 24kms, but a big day in terms of elevation gain. The difference between Aosta and Bourg de Saint-Rhemy, 7kms before the Grand Saint-Bernard Pass, is 1085m, reaching over 1600m, and the total elevation gain of ca. 1500m. In many respects it is an odd walk. The vast…

Day 185: Chatillon to Aosta

Another beautiful day. A day along the Aosta valley, just short of 30km, 1000m elevation and 30+ degrees. Although I finished walking more than a couple of hours ago and it is after 6pm, it is still over 30 degrees. Thankfully there is a slight wind. I wrote most of this post sitting in a…

Day 184: Forte di Bard to Chatillon

As I left Forte di Bard, it almost felt cold – it was “only” 25c and as I walked over to have an excellent breakfast it felt as though I might need my fleece. I soon agreed with myself that a fleece was overkill – it was after all 25c! After descending upon the five…

Day 183: Ivrea to Forte di Bard

I met the owners of the B&B this morning. It is the family home, and has been a B&B since his father died. It is beautifully renovated and a pleasant stay. Breakfast was also excellent. Living in Scandinavia the overwhelming position on the Russian-Ukraine war is that the Russians are the aggressors. The owners have…

Day 182: Santhià to Ivrea

Gone are the rice paddies. Not a single one after leaving Santhià. Officially today is the longest day at 38km. Many walkers split it into two stages of 24 and 14 kilometers. 14kms is short, so others do Ivrea to Vercelli in three ca. 20km stages. I took a different approach. I’d read that the…

Day 181: Vercelli to Santhià

After a total of 42km yesterday, today was a “mere” 26km. Whilst there was a light partial cloud cover, it was still super hot. I slept until 7am, had a leisurely breakfast and was on my way by 9am, walking along a ring road at the edge of town. I stopped at the supermarket next…

Day 180: Mortara to Vercelli

Not a particularly memorable walking day, but a day I’ll remember for my non-walking activities. I ended up walking 43km and was shattered upon arriving at the hotel I was staying. I was up at 5.30am, showered and walked the 2,5km to the station. I have left my toilet bag and medicine at the motel…

Day 179: Gropello Cairoli to Mortara

It was going to be a hot day. The thermometer had already passed 25C when I rose at 6.30. After an Italian breakfast with lots of cake, I was packed and on my way by 7.45. Well, I thought I’d packed, but I’ll come back to that. Today was going to be a 31km day,…

Day 178: Pavia to Gropello Cairoli

My wife had her second shingles vaccine yesterday and had had a rough night and was not feeling well. We felt it was probably just the side effects of the jab, and it would be silly to cancel when flights were booked, and she was fully fit tomorrow. It was with some concern that I…

Day 170: Santa Maria del Monte to Ponte Tresa

It was quiet at the top of the sacred mountain of Varese, and I had a good nights sleep. After a solid breakfast I was soon on my way. Walking up the mountain yesterday, I was thinking I could have taken the bus and funicular up and walked down today. Today the bus departures were…

Day 169: Castiglione Olona to Santa Maria del Monte

A yoghurt, donut and bottle of pear juice were the sum of this morning’s breakfast – not great, and my early morning nourishment as I set off on day 14. I walked back to the old village. It was packed with stands selling all sorts of art and second hand stuff. There were already quite…

Day 168: Buscate to Castiglione Olona

My 13th day walking and another bright and sunny day as I rose for breakfast. More UAE cyclists turned up for breakfast, probably flying into the close at hand Malpensa airport. After an excellent breakfast, I walked through town, which didn’t seem to consist of much more than a main street. Only the baker and…

Day 167: Morimondo to Buscate

I woke this morning, and was surprised to see that a market was being set up on the square in front of the hotel. I hadn’t heard a thing. At breakfast I met the two other walkers who stayed here last night. The Italian lady left just as I arrived for breakfast, whilst a Swiss…

Day 166: Torre d’Isola to Morimondo

I was up early this morning, and off to the laundrette, before joining a long queue at the bakers, having breakfast and saying hello to the owner of the room I was staying. She had sent me lots of info about Pavia during my 3 day stay. I took the bus just after 10am, back…

Day 165: Pavia to Torre d’Isola

A very short day, just more than 10km and more or less no elevation. The plan was to get to Torre d’Isola, eat lunch and catch the 1.30 bus back to Pavia. From today onwards, I am no longer following the Via Francigena, but instead the Via Francisca del Lucomagno. It is an ancient Roman-Longobard…

Day 164: Chignolo Po to Pavia

It was 40kms from Chignolo Po to Pavia. As I left this morning, I was planning on doing 22km to Belgioioso, but I ended walking to Pavia. A very long day, but a day where I met several other walkers, mostly from Holland. I was staying in Pavia and therefore needed to take the train…

Day 163: Piacenza to Chignolo Po

A long, pleasant stage, primarily walking on a poppy lined dike close to the river Po. The B&B had an excellent breakfast and I was met by a warm and sunny morning as I left the B&B. A couple of kilometers through the outskirts of Piacenza, passing the station, before crossing the ca. 2km long…

Day 162: Roveleto to Piacenza

After 6 days averaging 30km a day, 17km should have been easy. I left a 8am and arrived at 12.30, so it was pretty much as expected. But perhaps the most boring stage ever – which is partly my own fault. But a nice afternoon in Piacenza, made up for the walk. As is often…

Day 161: Fidenza to Rovoleto

After leaving the Apennines behind in Fidenza, I enter the Po valley where I will walk for the next seven days. I can understand why I have met a number of people starting in Fidenza going south, today’s stage is as fat as a pancake, where the biggest climbs were the overpasses over the motorway/railway…

Day 160: Fornovo di Taro to Fidenza

I left the B&B after a good breakfast, 30 minutes after my Italian fellow resident. It was a steep downhill into Fornovo di Taro and the bridge across the relatively wide river Taro. I visited a church in town, before crossing the bridge. I then followed the river on small dirt paths for the next…