My taxi to Fidenza arrived as booked at 7am, but the taxi driver, said: " is it OK if I have a coffee first?" and disappeared into the hotel. He was back soon and it turned out his wife is Australian, and he's invited me to chat to her.
On the outskirts of Fidenza, I met another pilgrim heading south, but he raced ahead, as the grassy path, lined with pollarded trees began to rise out of the plains.
It felt good to be walking upwards again, having to adjust my pace to the incline, and not always being able to see to the horizon as the path undulated in and out of trees. Walking on the flat paths has felt unnatural, alien and disturbing; now I was in my element as I looked back down towards Fidenza far in the distance.
I passed a castle
And then climbed up a farm track through meadows to a ridge, and suddenly, there it was, the Italy I had been waiting for, among the foothills of the Apennines.
Fields of hay, alfalfa and broad beans now, vineyards and pine trees. Hilltop houses and churches, and layer after layer of ridges stretching towards the mountains.
I walked up hills and down into valleys, along ridges and down farm tracks, fording a small stream and finding another field of poppies just outside Medesano.
This is glorious country, and the kilometres just disappeared beneath my feet. A beautiful day.
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