Vandre – Following your feet

Day 194: 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 193: 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 192: 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 191: 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 190: 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 189: 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 188: 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 187: Ilanz to Chur

I had a good nights sleep at the monastery, and went down to a good, but very quiet breakfast. There were more people at breakfast than at dinner last night, but nobody said a word. I hadn’t finally decided whether I would split today into two parts, walking ca. 25km and doing the rest tomorrow,…

Day 186: Disentis to Ilanz

Day 21 and the penultimate day of the 9th leg of my Sagres to Rome and Home walk. Today was very much a walk in two halves. The morning mostly along roads passing through small villages, and an afternoon along a path close to the Rein Anteriur river, with little to see, not even the…

Day 185: Acquacalda to Disentis

Wow, what a stage. This is certainly one of the most memorable stages I have walked, from the harsh terrain at the top of Lucomagno to the green rolling hills of the lower Alps. And throw in two suspension bridges and crossing a snow covered path with a drop on one side, this really was…

Day 183: Sementina to Acquarossa

The sun was shining this morning, which was a nice way to start a day where I will, depending on my legs, walk 42kms. As I get closer to the Alps, there is a gradual elevation from 230 to 570m. If my legs aren’t up to it, I can catch a bus and make up…

Day 182: Rivera to Sementina

Sementina is a kilometer or so off the trail, just outside Bellinzona, but I chose it to overnight after a short stage (18km) as there is a Tibetan suspension bridge close by (3km and 300m climb away) which I wanted to walk over. My worst fears for the day were confirmed when I woke up…

Day 181: Ponte Tresa to Rivera

Welcome to Switzerland and welcome to the rain. After a more or less rain-free walk for two weeks, and as soon as I enter Switzerland, it rains. It was a 5 minute walk to the border withe Switzerland. Walking was quicker than driving with a long queue of Italian cars driving into Switzerland, probably for…

Day 180: 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 179: 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 178: 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 177: 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 176: 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 175: 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 174: 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 173: 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…