We did unexpectedly well with our billet last night. It looked as though the owners may have used enforced closure during Covid lockdowns to renovate their rooms, and ours was both comfortable and well appointed. The hotel was busy, and it has a good restaurant. We enjoyed a proper Italian risotto with a glass of excellent local red wine (Nebbiolo). An early breakfast enabled us to start walking by 0730.
As ever, getting out of town wasn’t entirely straightforward and we found ourselves between an industrial area and a very run-down housing estate alongside the railway before realising we should have crossed the lines via a footbridge.
Had we walked directly to Vercelli it would have been about 20 kilometres along a straight and very busy main road, which is thought to have been the route taken by Siguric about 1200 years ago when travelling was much slower. Instead, as modern day pilgrims, we mostly followed farm tracks either side of the road, with intermittent short stretches on the main road, clinging to the verge as heavy traffic sped past us. And speed it did, regardless of the speed cameras!
At the village of San Germano di Vercellese we found the church open, as were a couple cafe/bars doing a little trade, but otherwise it looked rather rundown with derelict houses along the main street. And, as we found all along our route today, there were abundant welcoming signs for pilgrims but little or nothing in the way of useful practical facilities, such as sources of drinking water. We were very glad we’d decided not to walk this far in the heat of July when the two litres of water we can carry would have been totally inadequate.
It turned out that San Germano was the only village on our route today, as we resumed walking on farm tracks passing through acres and acres of rice fields surrounding intermittent farmsteads. It wasn’t the most interesting of walking, but being flat we were able to get the kilometres under our belts reasonably quickly. Most of the farmsteads comprised of the farmhouse or several houses facing onto a large inner courtyard of farm buildings, some of which were in use and some quite detelict. As with farms everywhere each had its bone yard of rusting machinery and other ’junk’ lying around.
Along the track were quite a lot of small mushrooms, often growing amongst dandelions. There were a few other summer flowers hanging on, including pink clover, white campion, and some unidentified (though familiar!) small yellow flowers, but generally the countryside has a distinctly autumnal look, feel and smell.
Rounding the corner of the buildings of Cascina Castellone we found a stone table and seats placed by a local Rotary club, pilgrims for the use of, fortuitously at near enough lunchtime. The stone benches were cool and surprisingly comfortable for a short siesta.
Another rather fraught road crossing, and we then followed parallel to the main road for about a kilometre, to the almost abandoned settlement of Cascine Stra, an extensive collection of decaying buildings with just a couple of them still habitable.
It looked as though a lot of people had once lived here, but now the busy main road bisects the settlement. A plaque on the side of a building states that it is owned by Ospedale Maggiore di Vercelli. An internet search informed us that the Ospedale was founded by Cardinal Bicchieri in 1224 to provide for the poor, itinerants, and pilgrims seeking refuge. The foundation fell into disuse after the Second World War and was abandoned in 1960. There have been subsequent restoration efforts, but there is a very long way to go with that. Despite the dire state of most of the buildings, there were a few people and a dog living here still.
The signed route then sent us back in the direction we had just come or alternatively on a detour of several kilometres to another cascina before coming back up to the main road. Neither option seemed to make sense, so we gritted our teeth and hacked down the busy road for about a kilometre to cut out the detours and shorten what was already a long day’s walk.
Once off the main road, we crossed over the railway line to walk parallel to it for several kilometres, before crossing back and rejoining the main road. Our maps appeared to show a slightly shorter route across the fields, but lest we found ourselves having no way across a deep ditch full of water and having to backtrack we decided to follow the marked route.
The last stretch of the day involved walking on the busy main road, with no pedestrian refuge on either side, intermittently waving our walking poles at speeding drivers coming perilously close. It was rather nerve wracking! At the roundabout outside town we had to be quite assertive to persuade the traffic to allow us to cross the junctions. Even though this is the official Via Francigena walking route there were no pedestrian crossings, refuges, or lights to help us!
We then followed the main road into the centre of Vercelli, bashing along pavements for a couple of kilometres and, again, having to be assertive to get across marked pedestrian crossings which seem to be ignored by the majority of drivers. At this stage of a long day, one’s patience for inconsiderate drivers wears a bit thin whilst the drivers we challenged seemed puzzled or put out, but we were well past caring!
We found our B&B on a quiet residential street near the Basilica di Sant’Andrea, and were inside just as the rain that had been forecast for the afternoon began. Unfortunately it was well set in by the time we went out to find some supper, so we got soggy feet, but enjoyed a good meal and an excellent bottle of red Barbera d’Asti. Asti lies on the other side of the Po to the south of Vercelli and is famous, of course, for Asti Spumante. The Barbera is arguably rather better! It was the waitress’s recommendation and a very good one too.
Today’s walk was long in distance and short on interest. We are mightily glad we didn’t attempt it in July when the heat, mosquitoes, absence of shade and lack of drinking water would have made it intolerable. Tomorrow is a much needed rest day!