Tabiano di Terme - Fornovo di Taro - Cassio 28 + 24 km. 29 and 30th of September

Yesterday, after a good breakfast at the spa hotel Plaza I left Tabiano behind for Fornovo with the sky slightly overcast and a temperature just below 20 degrees C which is ideal for walking. I soon gained a 100 to 150 meters altitude and the trail continued for a good stretch on the rim of the surrounding hils with a good view to both sides. Parma and Fidenza could be seen far away in the valley to the east. Halfway to Fornovo Google maps was good to get me back on the Via Francigena and from then on it was walking along the tarmac roads to the valley of the river Taro and the Parochia of Santa Maria etc. in Fornovo. Easy 28 km. Here it was a pleasure to meet up with the finish people Yarri and Tora and with Leonardo and Caroline again.

To day was a different kettle of fish though. We were going to cover 24 km without really knowing what was ahead of us. Først of all it started raining when we left the hostel, and it became rather worse during the day such that in the end, even though I wore a Goretex jacket and trousers, there wasn't a thread of clothing dry on my body when we arrived at the Hostel/ B&B where we are staying for the night. Furthermore we learned too that this etappe is said to be the heaviest on all the Via Francigena and we went from 150 m altitude to 925 'm height over steep limestone and mud covered paths that had turned into small rivers by the unrelenting rain. Walking through the clouds not seeing much of the beautiful scenery of course. So needless to say we were extremely happy to arrive at the B&B where a hot shower and the warm wood fired hearth brought us back to normal temperatures. Our clothing and shoes are still hanging to dry. The owners of the place, which they called Biutiful, Rossanne and Federico are a wonderful hospitable couple that cooked us an Italian meal mostly of the things they grow themselves (Federico is a farmer). Already looking forward to breakfast. Federico also organised our next overnight stay some 28 km on over the Passo della Cisa.

Still coughing occasionally but otherwise in good spirits.