Stage 10: Vercelli to Robbio. Delays and a detour. (Part 1).

I transferred to the new base in the graceful city of Pavia yesterday, of which more once I have had a chance to explore it. 

Today was warm, up to 25°C, and once I'd left the station at Vercelli, I retraced my steps towards the site of my benign kidnap, on the way narrowly missing a reprise as one of the hostal volunteers drove past and attempted to tempt me back with the offer to meet the director. I declined as politely as possible, as the sun was climbing higher with every passing minute.

After a 15 minute trudge along a busy road, I gratefully turned onto more rural tracks, lined with poppies and vetch. 

At the first farmhouse, they were cutting fragrant hay, and I was greeted by a young woman, hoeing her veg plot. The greeting turned into the usual queries about my origins and ultimate destination. I managed to break away politely and try to get going. The path wound around three sides of the farmhouse, and, as I walked on, I noticed her running around the other side to intercept me. Another far more lengthy conversation ensued, and an exchange of photos was required.

She was actually delightful, full of questions about Wales and brimming with historical information about this section of the Via which is actually the old Roman road. About 45 minutes later, I was able to escape when one of her acquaintances appeared from the other direction.

I ploughed on, the sun pretty well doing its full thing by that stage. I was thankful, however, that she'd alerted me to the track's Roman origins; it rises well above the fields, and you can see how it would have provided a safe path across the marshes which prefigured today's rice fields, which were only developed in the 15th century. 

 It was there for the next 10km, disappearing into the distance.