Stage 16: Orio Litta to Piacenza. Paying the ferryman. (Part 1)

In the tradition of the Via, Danilo Parisi is one of its most celebrated characters; he has taken more than 10,000 pilgrims 4km down the River Po. Reputedly he invites everyone he carries to sign a book which he keeps at his house.

In the winter floods of 2020, and during the first terrible wave of the pandemic, his boat was stolen and later found smashed up. A successful appeal was launched by the UK Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome to raise the shortfall between what his insurance would pay, and the cost of a new boat. He was also featured on the BBC'S 2018 documentary about the Via which sparked my enthusiasm to walk it. Meeting and travelling with him was something I was eagerly anticipating.

Pilgrims contact him the day before, and he will collect them from the embarkation point at Sant'Andrea, 

on the stage normally walked from Orio Litta to Piacenza. But finding out whether he was still offering the service proved difficult yesterday (all web references are pre-2022) and so I asked my outstandingly cheerful and helpful hosts at Mulino degli Orti in Piacenza to help. Initial suggestions to contact the tourist information office today (opening several hours after I planned to set off) were replaced by an offer to ring him. As far as I could work out from my end, the conversation went something like:

MdO: good evening, Signore, I'm calling from MdO in Piacenza. We have a lady pilgrim here who would like to travel on your ferry tomorrow morning.

DP: but why, if she's already in Piacenza?

MdO: signore, she will be walking from Orio Litta tomorrow, can you take her across the Po?

DP: but how will she get from Piacenza?

MdO: Signore, the details are not important, she has it all organised, and will use public transport to Orio Litta. Can you meet her at about 8.00?

DP: OK, I can make it at 08.30.

MdO: Great, thank you, I'll tell her.