After a good nights sleep, it was sunny but cold as I went down for a pleasant breakfast. As promised The owner of the agritourismo drove me to top of the hill, and dropped me off at the spot where I left the Via Francigena yesterday, thus cutting 150 steep meters and 1,6km off todays stage – which still came in at almost 32km and 750m elevation.
It was another beautiful day walking in the lush green, rolling hills of the Apennines. Apart from a 4km stretch, I followed the official trail. It was a mixture of road walking and paths, and whilst there were two major climbs, it was predominantly a downhill day, from a max elevation of 1.031m to an elevation of 128m at my destination and well over 1.000m descent.
Beyond the beautiful countryside, today will also be remembered for all the people I met, many of whom I spoke to.
I passed through Berceto, stopping off at the church and purchasing some fruit at a green grocer as I left the village. It was an uphill start, and a walk along a ridge, yet again with fabulous views towards Parma. Due to a landslide there was a detour.
I’d barely managed 2km before I met a Canadian couple doing the walk 10 years after they did it with their kids. A few kilometers later a German, Joachim doing it in bits and going home in a couple of days, and soon after an Italian, Walther, also doing the Via Francigena in bits. I then met another Canadian couple, taking a downhill path instead of the uphill path. I called out and asked if they were going the wrong way, but the husband was adamant he was right – perhaps he knew a shortcut?
There was a short road passage through Castellonchio, where I said hello to three Brazilians chatting away, and then back on the dirt tracks, I met Liam an Irish guy already 3 weeks underway from Aosta and heading to Rome. After Cavazzola I decided to follow the ever present SS62 and decided to stay on the road, instead of taking the tracks that anyway where close to the road. There was next to no traffic.
I made it to Cassio, after 12km, just as the bells were ringing for midday. I stopped for a coffee, and chatted with a French guy, also walking to Rome in stages, travelling home soon. The bar was off the track, but walking out of town, I didn’t find a way to get back on the trail, so followed the very quiet road for a few kilometers before stopping to rest my feet and eat one of the apples I’d purchased. I could hear a lot of talking whilst I rested. When I set off again, just around the corner from where I was sitting, there was a large group of Italians from Florence, also walking a week per year to Rome. It seems that many Italians walk the Via Francigena in stages.
It was very much down hill now, first on a dirt/stone track towards Terenzo, where I met Toni from Austria, who had started today. There was a sign stating 5hours to my destination today, Fornovo di Taro – it was a bit worrying given it was already nearing 2pm.
Out of the forest the views were sweeping and fabulous, it was hard not to stop up and take even more pictures. The small back roads led me through Bardone and onto the SP39 road for 7kms. There were a few cars, and a few shoulders and pavements, so it was OK.
I left the road at Respiccio climbing 120m in 0,9km, a killer at the end of the day. Higher up the views were 360 degrees – one could literally see for miles. I reached tonight’s B&B on the outskirts of Fornovo di Taro and 5.30pm. A large family home turned into a B&B with an excellent evening meal.
Another walker is staying here, he started at 4.30am from north of Milan, and started walking from Fidenza, my destination tomorrow, 34km away! He didn’t speak English nor understood French, so we communicated via Google translate – heavy going but worked quite well.
It was a long but extremely beautiful day.