Days 54-55 Pavia to Fiorenzoula D’Arda:
Came to realize we were getting tight on time as Mika has Schengen Zone limitations.
There were some unusual interesting markers coming into Oria Litta. ——
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The ex mayor Pierluigi is a strong supporter of the Pilgrimage and the Pilgrims making sure we had accommodations in town.
And the walking from the River Po ferry to Piacenza was all road walking on flat pavement.
And the scenery wasn’t too exciting.
Seemed like an ideal time to jump on a bus and train and get closer to the hills. We hope to go at an easier pace in Tuscany and have some time to enjoy Rome.
In Fiorenzoula we stayed at the Mathis Hotel and were paid a visit by Emanuele from Bobbio an hour or so away. He and I met a few times in 2014 on the Everest Basecamp and 3 Passes Trek. Kept in touch and had a nice visit. Our third visit with old friends along the VF.
The Mathis Hotel’s restaurant has a Michelin rating and they offered a reasonably priced pilgrims dinner including two local dishes; Parmesan Risotto followed by Braseola with Parmesan. Both excellent.
And we were delighted to see Gordon at the hotel, a pilgrim forom Germany that we had last seen at breakfast at Saint Maurice Abbey in Switzerland.