Day 36: Stage 31: Pavia, 25 kms, Hot, +30°

I Was Simply Missing The Trees!

I’ve actually been cooking a fair bit for myself lately, but last night I had a small room essentially in someone’s home. It was a very nice place, but last night it meant that I had to go out to find dinner. As I think I was saying yesterday I really wasn’t dressed to go to a good restaurant that I’d really wanted to visit. However, it probably was for the best because as I left my place the thunder started rumbling again and sheet lightning cross the sky. I’d picked a place close by, but unfortunately when I arrived Zit was closed for their vacation. I looked on Google maps and found another place just a little further down. I went there and as I was trying to sort out what was on the menu on the wall a woman stuck her head out the door and invited me in. I’ve got to tell you, the food was amazing! A couple photos from a great evening where I was really well treated and looked after. 

A great memory! Oh, and there was a very excellent red wine as well. 

Late last night I was on my phone trying to sort out transportation options for this morning. I sorted out the trains, packed up my gear and went to bed. About five this morning I was woken by the sound of mosquitoes around my ears. You know that sound, the one you hate. I got up and whacked a few of them, but I couldn’t get them all and I never did get back to sleep again. I’d plan to be up early anyway to head down to the train station and get my ticket before finding some breakfast. 

I arrived at the train station with train number and departure time on my phone. A young fellow in the ticket booth who claimed to speak English gave me my ticket, but as I walked away and looked at the big overhead train departure schedule it dawned on me that he’d sold me the wrong ticket. I again showed him the photo I took of the train number and time, but he wasn’t really paying attention. He told me to run for the bus to Mortara. I was actually aware of this bus/train combination, but it’s not what I’d asked for. That said, I was sure it would work as I’d looked at it last night. As I didn’t want to waste any more time with him, I ran. I climbed onto the bus just as it was ready to pull out at 7:33. No breakfast? 

I was pleased to see that I was still on a the Via Francigena. I was even more pleased to see that I was headed in the right direction!

I was thankfully dropped off at the Mortara train station. Of course my train was delayed by 23 minutes, but better that than the national rail strike that’s going to apparently happen across Italy tomorrow. I figured out which of the eight platforms my train was going to arrive at and confirmed it with a young fellow (aren’t they all young now?) who told me that he was going to be on the same train, direction Pavia. I’m pretty good English he explained that he was attending law school there and that he was into his final exams before graduation. He kindly made sure that I got onto the correct train, there was only the one, and that I got off 
at Garlasco. 

I hiked into town with just one thing on my mind, breakfast. The town was actually a pretty active place and had I not jumped the stage I would’ve spent a pleasant evening here. I found a little café and had a super nice cup of tea with two pastries. It had been my 1st cup of tea in four days. I’m saying this because some people if they don’t have their coffee for four days are a complete physical and mental wreck. No tea, no problem. Just saying😂

It was time to find the Via Francigena and to be on my way out of town. With the train being delayed and a late breakfast I didn’t get underway until 9:45. I had agreed to be in Pavia between 2:00 and 3:00 this afternoon to get my keys for the Airbnb I’m staying in. This didn’t give me very long to walk 25 km on a hot day, so I had to kick up my pace. Perhaps a little too fast. 

Saoirse, there were bunnies everywhere today!

I started off along side a beautiful wide canal. For the first time I was actually walking faster than the water was flowing. A sign of how flat the terrain was becoming as I neared the Po River. 

There were actually pump stations to boost the flow. You frequently see things like this in Holland.





What it change between stages! I realized what I was missing yesterday was all the trees. Full stages are just as flat, but to my eyes trees make a huge difference.

This church was of some interest. I guess when you have something this old hanging around you can’t bulldoze it to put a road through. In this case they built a roundabout to preserve the church. I’d been carrying a can of San Pellegrino from the day before, and in order to lighten my pack I drank it in front of the church.



This. 

From this. 

In Italy I’m finding lots of walled compounds. An open gate provide a little insight concerning what just might be inside. Nice!

Up on a dike I was eventually able to drop down into the river valley. 



It turned out I’d been following a tributary of the Ticino River. I soon found the Ticino. 

I eventually jumped back onto the dike as suggested that my guide, but the traffic up there, both cars and fast moving bikes, forced me to go back down onto the riverside trails. It was also somewhat cooler beside the river. In fact I deviated from the official route to stay even closer to the water. 



Pavia. 

Ponte Coperto. A wood covered bridge with a chapel at mid span. 

As I said earlier, I pushed the pace a little bit higher today to meet a timeline commitment. Once into my little apartment I began the rehydration process, lay down on the bed and promptly fell asleep for a half hour. The first time on this walk!

Pavia is apparently a beautiful city with a tremendous amount of history, one of the reasons I selected it for a rest day. It’s been 12 stages since I began climbing up to the St. Bernard pass. I’m feeling pretty good though a rest day isn’t a bad thing! A chance to eat and sleep, and eat and sleep! I’m exactly half way through the 61 stages of this adventure. Just thought you’d like to know. It’s all downhill from here😂😂

On a sad note, I just learned that Queen Elizabeth II passed today just a couple of hours ago. Her like may never be seen again during my lifetime. Respect for what she accomplished and her sense of duty. RIP.