- Day 33 - day 12 for 2023
- Sunday, 23 September
- Orio Litta to Piacenza 24 km today - 7km boat - 17 km walked
- 814 km on my Via Francigena (302 km for 2023
- 24 km for today
- 838 km on my Via Francigena (326 km for 2023)
The night before, I am told another group has booked the ferryman for 08h30. I am up early so I can make the distance (about 4 km) without panic - I am there a good 20 minutes before time.
The other group, husband, wife and friend are late 60s, early 70s, from France and have completed many pilgrimages together.
The ferryman arrives and has been told there is a New Zealander today: he turns his cap around to show the Rugby World Cup insignia: I am non-committal.
This is the mighty Po River, the same Po River I walked beside at Torino. Even though the banks are far apart, the flow is quite strong. I suspect any Pooh stick dropped in the River at Torino a week ago would have swept past this point not long after.
As we go down the river I am taken by the flat land to the left (north and northeast) and the Pennine hills to the right.
I have a decision to make - whether to carry on over those hills for about 10 to 12 days to a major pilgrimage town of Lucca - or whether to stop at Piacenza.
The river journey is tranquil. On disembarking, Danilo (the ferryman) takes us a short distance to his home. There we complete his register and are soon on our way on top of the flood protection embankment.
The village of Calendasco comes up soon enough and time to have a coffee and pastry. There seems to be some local celebration today with a local policemen in attendance.
There is little shade and the day is warming up. The rest of the journey is 7 km or so in rural countryside, a bridge ove a major tributary to the Po and 7 km or so trudge through Piacenza.
The night before I had emailed three hostels with a response from none.. I go to the address for one and find a church and nunnery. As I am trying the phone numbers a car enters and the occupants, in a kindly way, ask my business. No, it is no longer a hostel and if I can book a hotel room, they will take me there - done.
In the walk through Piacenza earlier that afternoon, I decide not to continue to Lucca. Rather, I decide to go to London and make some of the UK trips on my list.
The hotel is at the eastern side of Piacenza. So a side trip to a restaurant is in order.
And so to bed.
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