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17km not quite flat. We leave Lombardy for Emilia-Romagna
The fair was finished by 8pm and we found one Italian Oriental restaurant open with a good value 10euro fixed menu. In the morning the first of several cafes is open opposite Father Antonio’s parish rooms, where a good night’s sleep was had. Today is short to get nearly to the ferry across the Po, so we idle our way from cafe to bar across the fertile flood plains of the Po.
The second cafe lady obviously enjoys decorating our cappucini but the bar of the day award goes to the lady whose tapas include some sizeable chunks of panetoni made with orange peel and a toilet with a Plummer. We get a bag of panetoni to take away, and the bar has advertising from such illustrious names as Tennants from Scotland and Guinness from Ireland. But only Heineken on tap. This bar is spotted by the eagle nosed Tony and appears closed or defunct at first. All agree that the large pipe cleaners hanging in the doorway are a substantial clue.
The only other notable building en route is the Cusani castle in Chignolo Po, this had been in the family for five centuries. Now the lawyers have it it is a legal centre!
We reach the modern well appointed pilgrim hostel in Orio Litta and settle in quickly, the mayor arrives to check all is good and invites us to the running and cycling event passing through the town this afternoon. He speaks good English and stands chatting for a while with his little dog. We hopefully have him notifying Charon for tomorrow and he tells us of a restaurant with a pilgrim menu. The kitchen here is bijou!