Eva on the Via Francigena (and beyond)

Song of the Day: Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) — Looking Glass

“She hears him say, ‘Brandy, you’re a fine girl (you’re a fine girl), what a good wife you would be (such a fine girl) / but my life, my lover, my lady is the sea”

The name came up in a podcast I was listening to and naturally, this song has been stuck in my head all day. I used to listen to it all the time in Ubers back to my hotel when I was working in Atlanta, so I sort of always associate this song with the Atlanta suburbs.

Okay, a relatively short update today, sorry. I’m just completely exhausted despite a relatively short day of walking — not sure if it is the 20 miler yesterday, the return of 80+ degree days, or just a two-month slump, but I’ve struggled to do anything this afternoon, and the thought of writing a long post….well, not happening. Hoping tomorrow will feel better, despite the heat.

My alarm woke up the four pilgrims staying in the abbey. I realized I never described the sleeping situation: 4 cots in a large room that also served as the dining room! Anyway, I got decent sleep but was up a few times in the middle of the night, so at 6:30 was ready-ish to start the day. We were served breakfast by Franca at 7: bread, butter, and marmalade, and the four of us sat chatting for awhile, swapping tips and discussing the guidebooks. Franca was insistent that we be out by 7:30, so at 7:25 there was a scramble to pile up our dishes, put on boots, and pack everything away. I was the first one out the door, bidding everyone a buon cammino.

Immediately after leaving the abbey I was confronted with some unpleasant road walking, right by a McDonald’s preparing for its grand opening, across a busy roundabout filled with commuters, and then finally turning off onto a gravel track. From here I ambled along, passing rice fields, corn fields, and those weird tree plantations. The morning sun was not yet hot, and there soil underfoot had turned sandy — a nice reprieve from the uncomfortable rocks that make up most of these paths.

Crossing through a rice field I heard a loud whistle, and looked up to see a man and his dog. The man was wearing an orange cap and had something large in his arms. As I got closer I realized it was what I suspected — a hunting rifle. I paused as the dog was running back and forth, not wanting to interfere with its work, and the man waved me through. “Are you afraid of the dog?” He called out to me. I shook my head. Not the dog…but the gun, maybe. I asked if it was hunting season and he answered affirmatively, but told me I had nothing to worry about. I thanked him but decided to strap my hi-vis onto my pack anyway, as I could hear the crack of gunshots in the distance.

I passed quickly through the town of Remondo, stopping quickly to visit its church which had an interesting grotto…statue…situation? See below and let me know how you would describe it. Leaving town I had a…frankly, kind of boring walk through fields of manure and corn. It was already hot, even though it was early, and I was swarmed by flies. I also passed an abandoned campervan and some semi-abandoned homes that were a bit creepy.

All that said, I was excited to make my way into Tromello, which I have heard is a pilgrim-friendly town. It’s outskirts were bigger than I expected, but I was keeping an eye out for “the cafe under the big clock” which Patrick had recommended to me. Finally, I saw it (it was impossible to miss). A group of older men and their bikes sat along the clock tower — a classic Italian village vibe. As I approached they waved me down and asked about my journey, joking that I could have one of them carry my pack for me. I laughed and headed to the bar around the corner, where I was warmly welcomed by the man behind the bar. I had a cornetto alla crema and a cappuccino and chatted with the barman for a bit about the journey and why I speak Italian (a common question). Then, he stamped my credential, and handed me a pin which I affixed to my pack.

I ended up sitting in the square outside, surrounded by more pensioners reading the paper, when Daniel entered the square. I said hello and directed him to the bar for a coffee, and shortly after along came Joanne and Mariella. I decided to sit with the three of them for awhile and we compared our stamps from the long journey from Canterbury. Realizing I had been in Tromello now for over an hour, I decided to get a move on, as I was already feeling kind of stiff. Luckily it was a relatively short walk, only an hour and a half or so, into Garlasco, primarily along an irrigation canal.

In Garlasco I got a stamp at a cafe and stopped for a sandwich before checking into my Airbnb. My host, Fiorella, also had a stamp — this one very adorably included their bulldog, who was happy to come say hello to me. Exhausted, I collapsed into bed and did very little — some planning for future days, a lot of scrolling on Instagram (bad habit), and a nap. I just suddenly felt like all energy had been sucked out of me, and even the idea of getting up to go grab my laundry off the line seemed impossible. The only productive thing really that I did was pet the bulldog for a few minutes.

Finally at 7 I managed to get up and out and find dinner, after running into Daniel on the street. He has the pilgrim hostel in town to himself, as Joanne and Mariella are staying at a hostel just outside the city. I headed onto Garlasco’s Main Street in search of a restaurant. My meal was something I haven’t had since Switzerland: a burger! With delicious fries, a ginger beer, and a chocolate soufflé as dessert. It felt like I could have been in France, where burgers were always on the menu. And it was quite good.

When I came back, my host Fiorella came outside to meet me. She gave me some recommendations for restaurants in Pavia, and places to stop along the way. We also discussed my difficulties booking the next section — it’s hard finding places after Pavia! She said that this year on the Via has been very quiet compared to last year, which was interesting to me since this is obviously many more pilgrims than I was used to in France. But, apparently, it wouldn’t be uncommon for some of these hostels to be booked out completely — the idea that I’ve mostly been with 4-6 other people, maximum, is surprising to her. This is the first I had heard of this — very curious — and I wonder what the reason is.

Anyway, I was very grateful to Fiorella for the recommendations and for her hospitality. I thanked her (and asked she pass this along to her husband as well) and headed inside. Nathan helped me download a Lord Peter Winsey mystery on the iPad, so I’m looking forward to having something other than the guidebook to read finally!

Final mileage: 10.33mi
Walking time: 5h 11m
Elevation gain: 150 ft

Accommodation: La Casa di Nonna, booked via B&B. Fiorella and her husband are lovely, and I was glad for a bit of privacy after many nights in hostels. The room is just perfect for one person.