My day started at 6:15 a.m. this morning from my humble pilgrim abode as I message my host and pass on the free breakfast at 7:00 a.m. (too late for me) and opt for a cream filled croissant and cappuccino at the cafe across the street. The barista speaks very good English and I figure out pretty quickly she doesn’t want me practicing my horrible attempts at Italian on her. She’d much prefer to practice her English on me (and remind the fellas around the counter sipping espressos that she’s the brains of the outfit). In an altruistic act of selflessness, I let her have her way … English it is. I finish the coffee and croissant quickly and I’m on my way. Good start …

My hike is uneventful and peaceful as I’ve accepted my views of rice fields spilt by gravel or two-rut dirt roads and I look for things of interest and beauty when these present themselves. One of the “rules of life” I attempt to abide by as often as I can (I began this practice a couple of years ago) is to ensure each day I find some form of beauty and pause long enough to soak it in. Beauty is really, really good medicine for the soul. It can come into the soul through any of the senses (sight, sound, smell, taste or touch) but it doesn’t tend to stick or reach the soul if we don’t pause long enough to take it in deeply. It can’t be hurried. This morning I took in beauty with my eyes (like the churches from yesterday; there is plenty of beauty for the senses in Italy) in the form of flowers. I don’t even know the names of those orange and a yellow (these are some form of foxglove and are plentiful on the trail in places) flowers above but they’re beautiful and I took them into my soul this morning. Note the happy bee in the yellow flower. She’s taking their nectar in too.

I won’t bore you with more pictures of dirt roads and more rice fields today as I’ve already proven those to be ubiquitous. It’s beginning to feel like pointing my camera to the sky (not knocking the sky) and sharing those with ya. Instead, I’ll share more small church pictures today and one Roman Catholic/community (almost one and the same here) cemetery (I like cemeteries).

By the way, it was a challenging day of hiking as there were virtually no towns with services (i.e., cafe’s, convenience stores, bars, restaurants) and it was nearly impossible to stop without being eaten alive by mosquitoes. I was very happy (and exhausted) to arrive in Pavia.

Churches

The Church of San Giorgio Martiri in Gropello Cairoli:

Church of Rocco and St. Croce in Gropello Cairoli:

Roman Catholic Cemetery

Also in Gropello Cairoli, was one of the larger and more beautiful Roman Catholic Cemeteries I’d seen during my visit the last 10 days.

Lining the exterior walls are monument rooms dedicated to families and in the interior courtyard tradition headstone and burial plots for families with pictures of the deceased. On each side of the courtyard and under the rear of the chapel (sunlit) are designated sections for mausoleum crypts.

While the cemetery in Gropello Cairoli was slightly larger and beautiful, it was not unique. In almost any town of any size, a similar facility would greet me as I entered the outskirts of town. The dead were to be buried outside the city and I often see this structure on the horizon as a town begins to come into view.

Pilgrims!

If you’ve read this far, through churches and cemeteries, you’re in for a treat (at least they were a treat to me).

Martin (on left) began in Rome 26 days ago. Sadly, they’re going in the opposite direction from me. Martin will exit the Via Francigena at Aosta in a few days for a 3-4 day hike to his home in Switzerland (he speaks French). Yoann is Martin’s Gabe. He’s joining Martin for a couple of days then going back home to Switzerland also.

I ask Martin and Yoann about other hikers and I ask about Andrea, Pascal and Ming (a/k/a “Speedy”). Martin and Yoann met Pascal and Ming in Pavia last night so I learn they are one day ahead of me. No chance of catching them. They ended their journey in Pavia yesterday.

Martin and Yoann have not met Andrea but did tell of a different Italian man. They didn’t catch his name but they described him as possessing a muscular build, mid-30s with a bushy beard (apparently pretty sun burnt too) ahead of me traveling in the same direction as me.

I enjoyed my brief visit and only regretted they weren’t also traveling in my direction. Nice young men (aging myself by saying that; but it’s true).

God answered this pilgrim’s prayers for more people engagement. In addition to my encounter with Martin and Yoann, I also enjoyed a very nice conversation with the geologist of Villanova d’Ardenghi. He was getting in his car in front of his home when I engaged him with a Buongiorno! He was curious about my journey and we began a conversation. We discussed the area ( he is the geologist after all), our shared love of hiking (he opened his home back up and showed me a collection of hiking sticks) and our shared experience on the Via Francigena and the Camino de Santiago.

I was encouraged by the day and the people in it (despite the never-ending fields of rice and the billions of mosquitoes being grown there).