Piacenza to the sea (nearly)

Piacenza is absolutely wonderful and is dominated by the Piazza Cavalli where there are two huge equestrian figures. The city is all about wealth, power and prestige and it does it pretty well. After a couple of days I did feel like getting a move on. When I neededa beer this couple advised me to go down to the retired genteleman's club in their village which turned out to be a swiss chalet type building. Totally out of place but what a view.

The next place of note I got to was Fidenza and was one of the places where you could feel the pilgrims passing through. The cathedral is small but covered with medieval carvings and you can imagine the mostly illiterate pilgrims looking at it like a DVD.

The carving below is of what happens if you are naughty. I love the little Marty Feldman figure on the bottom left. The next one is of a line of pilgrims on their way to Rome.

The HQ of the Via Francigena Association is also in Fidenza. The ladies below help run the association and the information office which is outside the cathedral.

As I moved out of Fidenza the hills started to appear and for the rest of the time I've been steadily climbing towards Passo Cesa, which is just over 1,000m, and coming down the other side towards the sea. This bit of the journey takes you out of the Po Valley and into the northern part of Tuscany and down to the sea. The climb takes you through Fornova up to Cassio, Barcetto and then down to Pontremolli, Aula, Sanrzana which is near to the the coast. It brings you down into Tuscany just on the Ligurian border. The picture below was taken from a bar in Cassio, as nice a place to end a walking day as I can remeber.

One for Dave. I saw this 500 in Fornovo and I know there are hundreds about but this really was in mint so I thought he'd like to see it.

Also in Fornovo I stayed in a three star hotel which was remarkable only for the grumpiness of the lady owner and the fact that it had a pool. I met Martin, a German pilgrim, by the pool and knew him to be a fellow traveller as he shared my tan (white feet and body and the rest well tanned). His daughter and son in law had come down in a hired camper and were acting as a support crew. Martin had walked from Koblenz and his right leg was in a bad state. He was still walking when I last heard. We had a morning walking together and I really hope he makes it to Rome.

In the mountains after Fornovo they really have got into the pilgrim spirit and the signage is brilliant.

The place below is a lovely seminary I stayed in Barcetto. It is probably one of the nicest towns I have stayed in and the seminary was great. Lovely grounds, own room with en suite and nice people running the place.

Walking down from Passo Cesa. This is the border between Emillia Romagna and Tuscany. Kiss goodbye the Parma ham and Parmessan cheese and on to wine country. Sorry, this is the view from the bar having seen it again.

A great bit of this trip is not knowing what the next place is going to be like. I walked into the town of Pontremoli through the old city gates and it was wonderful. The bit of the walk from Fornovo to Pontremoli has probably been the best bit of the walk from a scenic perspective. Lovely villages hanging on to moutain sides and all in the sun.

Hope to be by the sea south of Genoa in a couple of days then back inland to Lucca and Sienna.