Out of the ostello leaving the back door keys on the desk (after some searching on Tim’s part, they were in his pocket) and the front ones in the key safe, We go back to the cafe we met Mario in yesterday. It is just opening we inquire about coffee and breakfast. “When the bread arrives! Only deici minute.” It appears forthwith fortunately. The next bar is 17km.
We romp across fields and waterways, many fields are flooded through the complex system of irrigation canals and ditches which are often on multiple levels so that one may cross above another. All cunningly evolved to minimise or remove the need for pumping. The largest canal is named after Count Cavour Ray explains his position as the main counterpart to Garibaldi in the unification of Italy. Given the complexity of both the unification of Italy and the canal system this seems strangely appropriate! We find the next bar and have some more cappuci the lady there says her brioche will be ready in dieci minute. Twenty-five minute later we get some lovely warm croissants with fillings. Something maybe wrong in the translation? Or just another example of Demani!
The farmers of the fields are out planting the Arborio rice the region is famous for. Others are also out and about in the fields we see small waders to numerous to recognise, grey herons, Little Egrets and large numbers of Sacred Ibis all hunting frogs and other delights in the growing or soon to be planted flooded fields.
We briefly leave the fields and in a very small village we find shade for lunch just by an old church we are tiring now it is quite a big day and a bar would be great. Tony suggests there is one 50M further it seems unlikely and we eat lunch. On starting again there is a bar 50m down the road, we continue, muttering.
We are soon in Vercelli and check into the great donativo hostel of Sancti Eusebi. It has a washing machine for 3euros and a drying area. Heaven!