22nd June 2017

22nd June 2017

Orio Litta to Montale - 26kms

Yesterday evening the mayor of Orio Litta, Pierro Luigi Cappelletti, came to the Pilgrim Ostello to have a chat and regale us with stories about the history of the area. It appears that around the year 1000 the land in the surrounding area was given to the Benedictine monks. They in turn created very fertile fields using clever irrigation systems fed by two local rivers. These of course are the now famous rice fields. Another interesting fact and a much more current one is that the cheese Granna Padano, which is known the world over, is made in Orio Litta.

Today we were due to cross the river Po, so we all went down to the river to await the arrival of the ferryman, Danilo Parisi. The crossing was fun and then we all traipsed down to Danilo's house to get our "Credentiales" stamped and also to pay him! €10 each. I have strong views about this which, in the spirit of our little adventure, I am keeping to myself!

We understood that the bridge over the river Trebbia had collapsed and we had to take a different route. Peter and Johanna had got lost on this stretch a few days ago, so we all followed Micheal, who claimed to know the way. After a bit of a struggle through fairly dense shrubbery we got on to the dry river bed of the Trebbia and walked across!

After that we headed for Piacenza. There we had lots of frustrating fun (some oxymoron!) trying to send a few surplus things back home. I never understand why you have to get a ticket and wait to be called to buy a box, then queue again after you've filled the box, only then to be told that you've got the wrong queueing ticket and have to go back for a different one and then be attended to by the same guy who asked you to get the right ticket. After much merriment and a lot of frustration I am glad to say that my backpack is now 1 kilo lighter! Michael and Els also came in trying to send their tent back. We left them struggling to get the tent into the box provided (they only have one size) and the tent poles were too long to fit inside the box!

After a nice lunch we headed off for Montale. My navigator (who shall remain nameless) overshot our turning point into Montale and we ended up further along near the village of Pontenure, where we booked into an hotel because I could not face walking several kms back to Montale. In the hotel they asked if we wanted dinner but we said no. (We had eaten a substantial lunch). Nevertheless we went down to the bar for a drink. After a while one of the bar staff came with a plate of delicious nibbles for us and later one of the kitchen maids also brought us another plateful of delicious snacks. Well done for caring!

Tomorrow we have another long day, some 26kms.