23 Vercelli to Pavia
86 m climbing
6h 53m elapsed
22 sunny
78.96 km
4h 19m moving
63% off-road
Vercelli to Pavia GPX file
BEAUTIFUL MORNINGS
I’ve said it many times (I think) but getting up early is a major thing for me on the Via Francigena. The feel of leaving the quiet city centres through the slightly busier suburbs and often quickly out into the countryside is amazing. But this year seems extra great because the weather is slightly cooler and its giving rise to very misty mornings. The sun is also rising slightly later because I’m in September, rather than July or August as I’ve done in previous years. The mists and the sun rising are creating some mornings where I spend a lot of time just stopping and breathing deeply.
This is very pretty, but at home we’re fighting a Japanese Knotweed infestation, and all the greenery in this shot apart from trees is knotweed… there’s some serious problems here.
Nice framing as you come into Palestro
MORE FLAT STUFF
Plenty of rice paddies today, all drained. I’m guessing they drain them around late August?
Another moan/astute observation: Italy has so many fantastic old buildings and even some great modern ones. So why do so many in the North here live in something resembling Osama Bin Laden’s compound only with a tile roof and a viscous dog? It seems equivalent to the weird British obsession for mock Tudor styling.
Can be difficult to find images that aren’t flat countryside. Here’s a typical route into one of the towns on the way.
And here’s a railway line. I think I crossed this 3-4 times today.
THE RIVER PATH INTO PAVIA
The route feels different coming into Pavia, after miles of open country and occasional small towns you’re now by the side of a large river: the Ticino.
You approach the Ponte Coperto from below alongside the river.
And I came up these stairs… carrying the bike.
The bridge is actually very busy, plenty of big buses and not much space for cycling.
PAVIA
This felt a very very studenty town. I think was because there were swarms of young folk all over, as they’d just started high school or similar.
Old Romanesque church
Plenty of these in Italy… building newer houses/buildings over the Roman ruins
Overnight: B&B Castellani
A pretty typical experience. Got met by the host very briefly and shown around. Then left to it. The hosts don’t really seem to stay in the house, whether that is Covid or just that these are specific rental properties I don’t know.
Was an ok place. Breakfast disappointing… dried stuff since there’s no “host” to make anything fresher. Breakfast in general in Itally has been disappointing, a bit like the pastries. Its kind of something “to get over with quickly” and move on to better meals later in the day.
