32km flat
We get directed by the mayor to a grand little restaurant a km out of town. It is not obvious when we arrive but our waiter is also arriving and ushers us in though unmarked doors. It is not quite empty but has a large car park, of the three other patrons two leave soon after our arrival but we get an excellent seafood meal involving pasta shellfish fish, cephalopods and chips. Complete with wine 20 euros a head. But the waiter goes to ask the other patron how much he should charge. He then gets to his feet to work the credit card machine. He is the boss. We walk back to town after a slightly surreal experience.
In the morning we are off to the ferry 3km away. The three Germans in the hostel are off before us, no stereotyping. But wait kindly to tell us where to get our timbros. We find the pontoon for the ferry down the bank as expected. The Po here is maybe twice the size of the Severn at Worcester in UK.
We wait there is no sign of the boat. Thoughts of Domani come to mind. As if to rub it in a woodpecker flits across the 200m of gently but steadily flowing Po. A cuckoo mocks from the far bank, a few more million gallons of water slide by. Tony communicates with the mayor who booked the ferry for us and the non Italian non English speaking Germans. A reply returns, Charon is busy he may be here at 11am. We elect to walk.
A very long walk down the Ciclovia Po ensues. It is some 10m above the surrounding fields and is a levee. Snow or more likely seeds from the multiple plantations of poplar trees falls freely and covers some fields. A fluviometer on the side shows a flood in 2000 almost over the top. There are few buildings along the bank except for one cafe at a summer campsite, open for coffee and cake, much needed. The only other bright spot is a sight of two hares in a nearby field.
Eventually,we finally cross the Po across an endless bridge into Piacenza.
We have been promised one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, but are it is raining and we are are tired so it’s delights escape us, yes there two large equestrian statues and some arches but……..
We refuel in an adjacent cafe before the final 5 k push through the city and out through the detritus of out of town shopping opportunities until we find our hostel for the night.
We get the keys from a local bar and promise to return later.
The hostel is good and and the water in the shower is warm even if hot means cold and cold means hot.
Later in the bar we worry about the cat we saw stranded on a high window ledge at last night’s hostel
Did the mayor manage a rescue?????