PC615 back north on the Via Francigena part 3<: Stewart Green Travel's July2011

PC615 back north on the Via Francigena part 3


Wed 13- July	Altopascio
	- eve - saw big running event, then was world's worst cover band, the music police should have arrested them. I ran ...good
Thu 14 -	- internet, but can’t stay extra day Altopascio - walked 8Km on.
	- todays disaster - my friend who used my toothbrush has tested positive for hepatitis C
Fri 15 -	8am took blood test - have to phone on Mon - for results - walked thro - Lucca to Valpromaro
Sat 16 -	explore Valpromaro area
Sun 17 -	to Camaiore
Mon 18 -	to Pietrasanta
Tue 19 -	to Massa - Met Mario Adreozzi student going to Norway
Wed 20 -	to Carrara - the city of marble - internet 2 hour wander ..walked on 5Km to Avenza, pelligrino rifugio, not much to see
	- todays disaster - collected my parcel containing my trimmers, cut my beard and posted it on. NO ... Lost my phone stylus as well and got shouted at by V - Met - Morrocan kids

Thu 21 -	Avenza to Luni - boring archaeological site of Roman city, Red route becomes confusing as someone is using red and white for a local path. pelligrino rifugio, not much to see - to Sarzana

Fri 22 -	LEFT PATH FOR 4 DAYS Fri - bought a bus ticket ..to visit Lerici etc ..waited and waited ..Shoppero ! the flaming bus was on strike ..and the kind Italians hitching was easy NOT ..I walked the 8 Km singing "Albania Albania is is so much fun, Albania Albania is number 1 ..Italy is not .....later met kind people at ARCI like Gambassi

Sat 23 -	La Spezia - Ugh that walk ..especially Cinque Terre was so horribile in comparison to walk from Rome ... so many things wrong with it. They make you pay even though one section is closed, it's chock full of tourists ..it's clearly not a real tradional route, there is little shade .. thank god I met some real Italian people in a village near Lerici and Levanto wasn't so bad either

Sun 24 -	- Some machines at the laundry were labelled this machine doesn't give change.. The coffee machine was not labelled .but since in my experience in Italy coffee machines give change I fooliishly put in €1 and waited for change of course there was none; perhaps there was no 50c in the machine, I used the trick which works with telephones.. They can only give change from the coins you have just put in .. so I got 50c and put that in so it could refund me the €1 I just put in ... Evidently this machine doesn't given change at all . I noticed that the place was owned by the hotel next door, so I thought it was worth asking .. But she said "no my responsibility", then wen I suggested she put a sign she shouted back at me.. pity .. No ine can shout louder than me so I shouted baack .. She picks up the phone and I said fine "call the police if you want I'll wait."

Mon 25	- sightsee Levanto not much but some signs of the old port it was .. Train to San Stefano.

- UPDATE : Mega Flood : Bridges I walked over gone etc
Wow what a surprise
- where I walked the Via Francigena in Liguria, Italy 3 months ago
has had 100Km of valley and coastline flood disaster on Oct 26th.
- Map shows flood damage
- On the left at the coast is Cinque Terre,
- My Via Francigena is on the right walking on the road to the east of that blue river from Sarzana to San Stefano to Aulla (the name covered up by the red circle) & then north

- I could see that Cinque Terre path was not a real historic route ..as it wasn't practical. I couldn't understand why they hadn't repaired the 2nd stage of the route destroyed 8 years ago, but the fact is if they had it would probably been have destroyed this year again. Sarzana had floods in last Xmas also.
..some news/photos here http://pathtoselfsufficiency.blogspot.com/2011/10/narrow-escape.html
and http://alex-wilding.com/2011/10/flood-disaster-but-we-ourselves-are-ok/
and http://www.ilsecoloxix.it/p/la_spezia/2011/10/25/AOlH31GB-alluvione_centinaia_aiutateci.shtml

Mon 25 BACK TO VIA FRANCIGENA
walked to Aulla -

Tue 26 todays disaster - since SDA the delivery section of Post Italia has not replied or answered their phone since I sent a fax on Friday
- 9am I just went to Aulla post office - took like an hour while the guy phoned around ... His story was in Italy no Post Restante or C/O post office exists (he was wrong it's just got a different name), so when it arrived in Avenza instead of holding it for me they just sent it back.
- Dave in Palermo says that they don't delivery to your house instead they send you a card and then you have to drive to the local parcels office. The PO guy said no, they deliver to ypur house, but if you are not there then they take it back to the regional depot and you have to collect it.
- my parcel should be in Pontremoli tomorrow, but they only open in the morning...
Also 4 museums I went today were closed
-Went up to fortress it wasn't open so found myself locked in the grounds. It did open, but it wasn't free like the sign said. Then PO. Went back to the pilgrim museum to see the archaeological site inside the church, where they found the saints grave.
- Finally set off walking ..following the cycle route to avoid a long boring uphill/downhill section of the footpath. Passed Terraroosa castle closed for renovation of course. New bridge behind there is good alternative to present red route along the road. Crossed over big river through village to Lusuolo castle and emmigration museum closed of course with no opening hours, 5 Km later at Villafranca the museum which used to open in the afternoon doesn't. Walled vilage. Long forest walk walled village of Fillattierra friendlyish villagers.. Camped.
Wed 27 - arrived Pontremoli
..finally collected my 3Kg of clothes Post italiana lost, but next is a big hike over the mountain ..and they now say I can only post stuff to a house not to the Post Office
- todays disaster - waited 20 minutes and collected my parcel, they it was after 1pm before I got into the refuge. I waited 90 minutes in the office, but no one came.

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Mon 25	BACK TO VIA FRANCIGENA walked to Aulla -

Tue 26	todays disaster - since SDA the delivery section of Post Italia has not replied or answered their phone since I sent a fax on Friday - 9am I just went to Aulla post office - took like an hour while the guy phoned around ... His story was in Italy no Post Restante or C/O post office exists (he was wrong it's just got a different name), so when it arrived in Avenza instead of holding it for me they just sent it back. - Dave in Palermo says that they don't delivery to your house instead they send you a card and then you have to drive to the local parcels office. The PO guy said no, they deliver to ypur house, but if you are not there then they take it back to the regional depot and you have to collect it. - my parcel should be in Pontremoli tomorrow, but they only open in the morning...
	Also 4 museums I went today were closed -Went up to fortress it wasn't open so found myself locked in the grounds. It did open, but it wasn't free like the sign said. Then PO. Went back to the pilgrim museum to see the archaeological site inside the church, where they found the saints grave. - Finally set off walking ..following the cycle route to avoid a long boring uphill/downhill section of the footpath. Passed Terraroosa castle closed for renovation of course. New bridge behind there is good alternative to present red route along the road. Crossed over big river through village to Lusuolo castle and emmigration museum closed of course with no opening hours, 5 Km later at Villafranca the museum which used to open in the afternoon doesn't. Walled vilage. Long forest walk walled village of Fillattierra friendlyish villagers.. Camped.
Wed 27	- arrived Pontremoli ..finally collected my 3Kg of clothes Post italiana lost, but next is a big hike over the mountain ..and they now say I can only post stuff to a house not to the Post Office
	- todays disaster - waited 20 minutes and collected my parcel, they it was after 1pm before I got into the refuge. I waited 90 minutes in the office, but no one came.