Back to the 80s

 For today I have booked a B&B in Berceto called "Casa di Marty", the house of Marty. Well, it has to be somebody's house.

When I reach the place and get shown my room, which is a whole apartment, it becomes clear that Marty refers not the owner of the B&B, but, "anybody home", Marty McFly.

The whole place is a homage to movies, pop culture, mostly 80, and most of all, Back to the Future. 

This is so awesome, I feel like a child again.

 

Into the mountains again

Stage 33: Fornova di Taro to Berceto (30,77 km) 

The landscape has changed. I start heading towards the Apennine mountains, the "backbone" of Italy which will accompany me throughout the remainder of my trip.

Do I feel lucky? I do. I am not. The path is steep, rocky and no fun.

But thew views are great and once I reach altitude, it evens out and takes me along a mountain spine for most of the afternoon.

The last couple of kilometres is all downhill. WTF? This is not downhill. Thank you komoot!

Sunday is Funday

 Stage 32: Collecchio to Fornovo di Taro (17,09 km) 

Whenever I plan my day, the basic question is: Do I follow the roads or do I take cycling/hiking paths? Both options can be hit and miss. The roads can be busy with trucks (often the case in the cast couple of days) or quiet and empty.

The paths can be nice, paved and tranquil, they can be rocky single trails or they can simply not exist.

Today is a short stage, so I decide for the path and this time I am well rewarded with a beautiful trail trough a nature reserve.

I also hit a short passage where the single trail becomes, well, no trail and I have to bush through a ditch and brambles, which costs me a flat tire.

But overall, well worth it. The day ends in a wonderful B&B, with home-cooked dinner.

Finally, the end of the Po valley

Stage 31: Castelnuovo Fogliani to Collecchio (34,05 km) 

I leave the Agriturismo in still foggy weather. It seems to be always foggy in the Po region in the morning. Probably due to the extensive irrigation. Also, every village seems to have an impressive church or a castle.

On my way I meet Snow White and her companions.

The weather can't decide what it wants to be, but it stays mostly cloudy, but warm throughout the day.

Crossing the river Taro, there is a drastic difference between the map ...

... and reality. Would be interesting to see how this looks in the spring.

This day marks the end of my hike through the plains, tomorrow I will turn south and towards the mountains again.

Meandering in more fields, a marker and a wonderful ending

Stage 30: Piacenza to Castelnuovo Fogliani (40,87 km) 

Another day, another hike along roads full of trucks and their courteous drivers, passing endless fields, that by now seen to be all harvested.

Flat, straight, uneventful, even the sky can't decide what the whether wants to be.

Somewhere on the way, as I backtrack on yet an other path that dead ends in a ditch that I cant pass, I reach the 1000km mark. I only notice at night, when I update my statistics.

The day ends well, in a beautiful Agriturismo. Beautiful place, nice room, gorgeous dinner where I meet a wonderful couple from Holland to talk through the meal.

Wash, rinse, repeat

Stage 29: Castel San Giovanni to Piacenza (24,99 km) 

Another nondescript day. Grey sky, straight road, fields.

Not even the river I cross seems to be alive anymore.

Piacenza, my destination for the day, treats me with a comfortable room and excellent Sushi.

Overall, I can't wait to leave this region. It might be touristically interesting, but for my trip, just not worth it. Two more days and I will turn south and enter mountainous regions again. More challenging, but hopefully also more interesting. We'll see.

 

Across the Po

Stage 28: Pavia to Catsel San Giovanni (35,99 km) 

Early morning Pavia is busy. Busy as a metropole. In general, there is noticeably a lot more business, traffic, work, movement going on in northern Italy than in France or Switzerland.

I find a canal that immediately reminds me of Mulhouse, but it is only short and not that nice for hiking.

After that, more fields, and the clear skies are over, it becomes increasingly cloudy.

Challenge for today is crossing a long, narrow bridge across the rive Po, but even here, the oncoming cars are calm and courteous. The bridge also brings me from the Lombard region into Emilia Romagna.

The area is packed with old churches and monumental buildings, often times I find it difficult to differentiate between the ruins and the buildings still in use.

Want to see what I see? Check out the video: