13th June 2017

13th June 2017

Ivrea to Ropollo 23kms

Shortly after we set off a car stopped by and the driver introduced himself as Walter Anselmo, one of the founders of the Via Francígena di Sigerico which aims to recreate the original path walked by Sigeric in the year 950. 

After some kms mainly walking on minor roads we got to Bollengo, Where we had a couple of drinks. About 1.5 kms out of the village I stopped to wipe my brow and found to my horror that I had left my glasses behind in the bar. Ana Maria offered to go back for them but I did the honourable thing, left my rucksack with her and then doubled back to the village. Suffice to say we wasted one hour and I was a little bit kna....ed at the end of it all. I won't be losing my glasses again in a hurry!

The rest of the afternoon went well as we visited a number of small beautiful villages along the way including Palazzo Canavese where they had the Palatium Acqua. This is an automated water dispensing system that dispenses cold still and fizzy water for 5 cents a litre! Needless to say we filled and refilled our water bottles! The village also boasts a fantastic bell tower. Later in the day we went through fields and woods. The latter was full of mosquitoes and poor Ana Maria got bitten badly. Other sights during the afternoon included a medieval city gate in Viverone, the ruins of a 13th century chapel in Gesiun and the superb views of Viverone lake, where our friends Peter and Johanna camped a few days ago! As we entered Ropollo we stopped to enter a beautiful Benedictine abbey chapel from the 9th century. 

Tonight we are in a superb B&B Le Lune, with our charming hosts Rinaldo and Mimma.