Day 38: Stage 32: Santa Cristina, 28 kms, Sun 29°

The Space Between 

As I sit in Santa Cristina drinking a nice cold beer and eating a panini while waiting for the ostello to open, I find myself reflecting a little bit on the day. As expected it was a long hot stage. It was also not a super exciting stage. Certainly it had its moments, but overall it was more like a transitory stage. I’ve been through some amazing areas in the past 5 weeks, and I know that the challenging Apennine Mountains lies ahead followed by the rolling hills of Tuscany and ultimately Rome. In my mind this is simply me moving from one interesting area to another…the space between. 

Things. here have become quite interesting. Since I arrived at the bar a number of the local men, and now a woman, have all arrived for an afternoon coffee and perhaps something stronger. I feel like I’m sitting on the edge of a fascinating conversation of which I understand very little. It’s like a spectator at a play where the dialogue is in another language and you have no idea what the plot is. In fact, it’s exactly like that! The conversation is getting more animated as it proceeds. One fellow in a lime green shirt is leading. 

This is so cool! You can’t pay enough for this type of conversation! I’m like the fly on the proverbial wall. Now they are trying to include me in the conversation! This is endless fun! A card game is breaking out with a woman holding court. Four players and the rest watch intensely. This has become way more fun than the walk today!😂

So back to the walk. The first half was pretty nondescript, but the second portion was more enjoyable. 

It started very slowly! 

A few moments later I was nearly run down by a huge peloton! Thought of you Dennis! Must have been 100 riders and they were moving!

Louise, as requested.

Road walking most of the day😵‍💫

Hard on the legs and tires you faster. Others coming in seem to have had a tougher time of it. 



I played with tractors and a million flies all day! 

Also stopped and watched something a little different!





Some of the walking was beautiful!



Gaudy must have visited at some point. It was very loud!



I’m in a major agricultural zone. I didn’t see them, but I could smell them for miles. Hogs!



It’s extremely dry here. I’m walking through the area most impacted by the worst drought in 70 years! 

A tributary of the Po regulated for irrigation. 









Bed tonight beside that church in a donativo. It will be basic with a shower and a bed. 

I think it took an hour to walk this last section as the trail went back and forth zigzagging. Very frustrating! 

The sunflower plants were about half their normal height. 



A cat for Bryan and Ken. 

Home tonight on the left. 

There are 5 of us here tonight. Only for pilgrims. One from Argentina, 2 from Gibraltar and two from Canada. 

Tomorrow will continue the transition as I think I’ll finally reach the Po River. Another ostello tomorrow. I think I’m in for a long night as my roommate is already snorting about 3 times per minute, and he seems to have no idea he’s doing it. He’s wide awake! The joys of communal accommodations. I think tomorrow might be my last on this walk.