VIA FRANCIGENA | Day 50

Vercelli to Mortara, 34 km

What I thought would be a 16 km day turned into a double stage because of a stupid mistake. Let me explain.

I woke up and had a late breakfast leaving town around 9:45 am. The first half of the day was a pleasant walk on rice fields with the occasional abandoned house to break the monotony.

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The midmorning break came at Palestro with a beer and a Redbull.

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I made it Robbio at 2:15 pm and nothing was open. This is where the error of my way came into full splendor. I had booked a room the night before in the B&B la Torre de Merlata in the town of Palestro now 8km behind me.

With no chance for lunch and no place to stay in this town, I decided to push on an extra 14km to Mortara.

It was water at the cemetery as the temperature began to climb into the 80s. I met a pilgrim around Nicorvo by a watermill as I was in a desperate search for a bite to eat.

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Giovanni lives in Vercelli and is on a day walk to Mortara. Lucky me. I ran out of battery around 7 pm on the outskirts of town but no worries as my new pilgrim friend led me to the doorsteps of the abbey of Sant'Albino.

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To my surprise, it was a full house. I had a full pilgrim meal and slept in an open dorm room.

Daily Cost Breakdown

€05.25 Breakfast

€06.00 Snack

€45.00 Hotel

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€56.25 Total