Stage 28. Lucca to Altopascio. Barrage balloon and tarmac.

Not the prettiest of stages this, as it's almost entirely road walking through industrial areas without even any interesting WG.  I set off towards the sun, leaving the imposing walls of Lucca behind me, having failed, once more, to find a stamp for my pilgrim passport. 

The Via winds through the suburbs, eventually reaching Capannori, with a tethered balloon (barrage?) suddenly appearing overhead.  

After a much-needed coffee break I almost went the wrong way before meeting a French GP who had just finished her PhD and is apparently giving thanks by walking to Rome.  

Along the way there are several of these rather fiercesome crosses, known as Crosses of the Passion, erected by a 19th century religious movement.  They can be quite complex, with swords, lances, hammers, crowns of thorns, sponges and other symbols.

One facet of the otherwise pleasant experience of having the company of interesting people from other countries over boring stretches like today's, is the need for greater concentration on the conversation, which may be conducted in one or several languages.  I find the surroundings fade a little, but I did manage to spot this rather fine doorway to a hairdresser in Porcari.

A brief passage through woods, past a ruined abbey housing a pilgrim hostel, where my companion peeled off, and through more suburbs to my hotel on the outskirts of Altopascio.  Then washing, showering and boot cleaning and this blog.