From Pavia to Garlasco
After a couple of months and few days here I am back walking on the Francigena. I left behind the two hottest and busiest months staying at home, but the desire to get back on the road was high. In the meanwhile I kept reading about the journeys of the others, most of all the one of Grazia Andriola . She’s a pilgrim who started her journey from Santa Maria Di Leuca that’s in the Apulia region and will walk for 5000 kilometers to reach out Santiago and she’s walking for a great purpose, to spread the message against domestic violence and women.
She’s walking through villages and cities talking about it to the associations, to the authorities and victims with their relatives and this adds more and more challenge to her task.
https://www.weworld.it/steptostopviolence/
Given she read a lot about my journey on this blog before starting hers and seeing I couldn’t wait anymore to be on the road again I thought it was nice to walk with her for some time, so I reached her.
I left the railway station in Pavia at 8.30 am reaching the covered bridge on the Ticino river and then got down along the bank on a dirt path flanking the river for at least 5 kilometers.
Once I get near a tavern I turn on a small paved road which is almost desert, I meet just some group of bikers training. The Francigena path, in theory, should be flanking this road but I can see just some signal because the tall grass doesn’t allow me to see something more.
After 5 more kilometers I get back on a long dirt path which runs along a drain near the paddy fields. Once it is over I get to an overpass on the highway and right after that I finally reach Groppello Cairoli.
Here finally I meet Grazie in person, we have a sandwich and a beer together while we chat and talk about our opinions on the Francigena and given there are only few kilometers to reach Garlasco we decide to take it easy, avoiding the afternoon hot and then we stop here a couple of hours. We wait together for her very nice friend called Erika who will be walking with us until Garlasco where I will stop for the night, while Grazia will get back with her to the city of Dorno, where she’s being awaited for one of those events I talked about before.
Tomorrow morning Grazia will come back to Garlasco and we will start our journey together.
The road from Groppello to Garlasco is running along an artificial drain which leads to the village doors.
Tonight I will be sleeping at the parish hostel in the center of the city, it is a cozy and nice and clean place and given August is almost over, it is almost empty.
Steps: 27861
SoManySteps 