day 36 Fiorenzula d'Arda to Fidenza - day 3 for 2026

• day 36 - day 3 for 2026
• Wednesday, 29 April
• Fiorenzuola d’Arda to Fidenza – 22 km today
• 864 km on my Via Francigena
•   22 km for today
• 886 km on my Via Francigena (48 km for 2026)

Nadine and I meet in front of the Cathedral at 07h and are off. Again she has her maps well trained and I follow behind. About 10 minutes later Nadine stumbles on the uneven paving blocks. No cuts or abrasions and she soon recovers – we set off lentement (slowly).

Today is again fields but with a difference – some are bare, some have long shallow runs for about 100 metres, some are having water pumped into these runnels, some have shoots about 100 mm high and others have growth beyond a metre. My guess is to stagger the effort for both irrigation drawdown and planting now in Spring and for cultivation in Autumn.

Our walking rate matches our years and I am content. Despite being well into the country side our first stop after 7 km for a mid morning break comes on the bright side of 09h We encounter 1 couple leaving as we arrive and a second couple arrive as we leave. So six of us underway and there was a couple leaving the cathedral area well before our departure time. So eight knowns so far.

Shortly before our lunch stop a relative youngster catches us. This is Lassie (as I heard his name, from Norway. We exchange pleasantries, including his departure time of 08h45, before he quickly disappears, as it seems, into the distance.

Lunch at Castione Marchesi had a promise of goodness as at least two restaurants are shown on the map, but it is not to be. We do find a bake house that does ginormous pizza – one just orders the size you want cut off. The manager does us proud and set up a table and two chairs out of the sun ans it is 12h30. We have done OK for 15 km.

When we are done and ready to push-off it is 12h15. The heat of the day is getting to us both and we stop for a 30 minute siesta in a shaded place. The heat is slowing us both down and we find reasons to stop under trees to check our maps against the Via Francigena signs.

At about 15h30 we arrive at a cafe and enjoy a made on the spot orange juice and “frizzante” water before going to our respective lodgings.

And so to bed.

day 35 Cadeo to Fiorenzuola d'Arda - day 2 for 2026

• Day 35 - day 2 for 2026
• Tuesday 28 April
• Cadeo to Fiorenzuola d’Arda - 13 km today
• 851 km on my Via Francigena
•   13 km for today
• 864 km on my Via Francigena (26 km for 2026)

Nadine and I meet in the town square at 07h and are soon off. She has her mops well trained and I follow behind. She signals the turns well beforehand and Via Francigena stickers confirm. At 07h there is quite a bit of traffic on these back country roads and we stand on the edge (and even off when there is passing traffic). When walking in country areas at home I use the one finger salute and get a good response. Here I use a wave of the palm and are getting a very good response.

Today is, like Monday, as flat as a pancake. But to my right I can see the Pennine range. At this place it reminds me of the Tararua Range when coming down from Woodville to Greytown – there but not menacing – I take several photos to remind me.

There were two major items on the walk today – both were river crossings.

The first was quite benign: slow flowing clear shallow with a good base – easy peasy but still take care.

The second was a different kettle of fish:: faster with a sticky muddy base and muddy approaches. I was very pleased to have Nadine with me.

We were in Fiorenzuola d’Arda by 10h30 with a few micro pauses. After some orange drinks we inspect the cathedral. I then find my hostel and check-in. Then stay with Nadine until her check-some two hours later.

Time for a kip, a search for dried fruit and a lie down.

Eileen comes into my room.  She is an Australian from Sydney walking with her husbsnd.  They started at Aosta several weeks sgo.  She invites me to join them for a meal.  Another pilgrim, Lassie is what I hear, from Norway.  The only place open is a pizerria and between we demolish two and drink each.  On our return thirst again strikes us and we find a bar near the cathedral before returning to our rooms

And so to my bed.

day 34 Piacenza to Cadeo - day 1 for 2026

• Monday, 27 April
• Piacenza to Cadeo - 13 km today
• 838 km on my Via Francigena
•   13 km for today
• 851 km on my Via Francigena (13 km for 2026)

I am back on the road at last

To get here from London included attendance at the ANZAC Day service at 5 am at Hyde Park Corner, a barbie at the home of my London based son, his partner and my grandson before going to Gatwick for the 2 hour flight to Milan. The train to Piacenza (my restart point) had me seeing the sights I missed in 2023.

My accommodation is but 300 metres from the Via Francigena route to Rome. This is quite new with a good set up and E24 for the night.

Monday up, breakfasted and off just after 07h. As always, with the sun to the south, way finding can be check and check and check again. This time I had a major land based feature, the railway line always on my left both on the map and in reality.

After 6 km the only choice was the major SS9 highway: one lane in each direction and a barely adequate shoulder with some rough to use when large trucks rolled past. But well before 10h I arrive at Pontenure for morning coffee, church visit, note a new (2026) memorial “Ai Caduti “ (to the fallen), lunch break, encounter a French pilgrim (who is staying at the same hostel as me tonight), afternoon coffee before setting off with the sun behind me. The last 4 kilometres are also on the SS9 and takes a while. I stop for every big truck to pass. But a I arrive, get a key to the hostel and encounter, not unexpectedly, the French woman(Nadine from Loire Valley) from Pontenure town square. We agree to have a meal together. We don’t have a language in common so we use a translation app. She is from the lower Loire valley and knows of Le Puy-en-Velay in the upper Loire valley. The meal ends.

And so to our own beds.

day 33 bis London

 day 33 bis London

In late February 2026 I booked air travel to London for a few days after Easter and bought travel insurance for UK, France, Switzerland and Italy.

On 17 March I started my last training walk for at least 14 km into Hutt central and possibly another 4 km to Petone. One km before Hutt central I stumbled. The bumps and scratches did my pride no good. However, the small team that instantly gathered to get me upright included two registered nurses: from their very professional concerns they called an ambulance resulting in a good check over at Hutt Hospital emergency department before sending me home. A week later I consulted my GP. After a check over, she advised going to London and “testing the water” so to speak and then make decision whether or not to go to Italy.

The journey up to Shanghai was uneventful.  The journey from Shanghai to London was a sign of the times.  On two previous trips througgh China, the "grest circle flight psth was used.  This took me over, for exampoe, Ekatenburg and near Moscow before the descent into London.  This time the flight wsd directly east across China and the 'Stans, then across the Caspian Sea about 100 km north of Iran to join whst the flight path would be if coming Saudi Arabia.  And then heading for London.

In the two weeks since I have completed 10 of the 24 stages of the 244 km London Outer Orbital Path (LOOP) and a 20 km stage of Thames Path from Twickenham to Putney.

With some confidence I have booked a return to Piacenza, my last stop in 2023.

Like my efforts on LOOP, my daily stages between hostels in Italy will be less than 20 km.

I am now “resting’ in Hounslow for two days and taking in the local activities.

On Saturday, with my London based son, I plan to attend the ANZAC dawn parade at the NZ memorial at Hyde Park Corner.

Written at Hounslow on a sunny Thursday afternoon.