Farewell to the mountains.
We are soon out in the fields again along a gravel track raised above the surrounding ground. The Alps have disappeared in a haze of cloud, rain is forecast for later. Fewer fields are flooded but we see an ibis flying past, lots of Little Egrets and Grey Herons,and a Black Headed Night Heron a summer migrant wintering in Africa. Betsy claims the blackheaded night heron for yesterday but had not got round to checking photos after yesterday’s rather long day. When verification is carried out she has a fine photo of a female Stilt. Fritillaries and Little Copper butterflies flit about, frogs and Nightingales singing in the bushes abound.
We charge into Palestro the halfway point and get various drinks after seeing the tower with pronounced castellations but without machiolations the only remaining bit of the castle of the Visconti family from medieval times. Shortly after leaving town we are in Lombardy.
Once again the multi level nature of the irrigation system of ditches becomes apparent. More flooded fields and farmers harrowing and rice planting. Our hostess last night was saying the rice will grow quickly flower in July and be harvested in September. We did manage to have a quick stroll around Vercelli which claims to have been founded 600BC. It has a fine basilica and lots of other religious buildings. We find the ostello in Robbio easily it is behind the Municipio and the police station, and at the back of a loud clock tower. Hopefully this does not ring all night. The boiler works, the drying rack gets moved down to sunshine in the police car park! We hope it doesn’t get a ticket.