Santhia to Palestra 10/8/17

10/8/17 Thursday
Day 14

Santhia- San Germano
San Germano- Vercelli by train 15 km
Vercelli-Palestra
Total walked: 20 km


1500: cloudy, humid, 26 degrees

Up 0530.Perfect day for walking. Enter rice-fields. Mist in the distant morning glow.
In San Germano we buy a ticket for a 10 minute train ride to Vercelli at a cost of 2 Euro.
Gelati just beyond the train station proves to be worthy of German pilgrim Rheinhardt's recommendation.
Visit the cathedral after which we promptly walk in a large circle before encountering a jogger and cyclist who instruct and escort us back in the right direction. Return to the VF and are warmly greeted by an Italian who is about to start a section himself.

Walking through a birch tree plantation and past a rustic farmhouse, I dig a hole under the trees and greatly relieve myself. No sooner have I concluded this transaction when an Italian farm girl called Carla pulls up on a scooter. She owns the birch tree plantation, enthusiastically greets and befriends us.
We walk on and on past disused and abandoned farms.
Storks in green rice fields.

Locate a B&B using the Italian simcard.
Ready to stop in Palestra, even though we have walked on an easy, flat route on gravel side-roads.
Left small toe is almost de-gloved. The blister-under-bunyon is stable.

By chance, we have just stepped into the quaintest little house which has everything for a pilgrim: books, medieval clothes, candles, swords, lantern, fire grate and a kitchen set up for breakfast with dainty cups and saucers.
Ordered in pizza with beer! Mosquitoes at night. Feet very sore.
Idyllic in the morning: church-bells and roosters.

And then the dog starts barking.


Phoned home.

25 B&B La Torre
2 Gelato
7 Lunch
2 Train ticket
4 Breakfast
9 Pizza and beer













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