Tuesday 7th June - Two Million Steps... One Million to go!!

We were all up early this morning, 6 am as we were on a 'double day' doing 2 stages... Hopefully!!

Starting at the bar was a nice smiley start to the day:

Soon we were along the busy main road for quite some time, then heading off across the fields into flat open countryside always with a church in sight, no matter where you were!!

I wasn't quite sure where I was, as we'd taken a different book to my guide, so I just kept following my Italian and 2 French 'guides' passing a village with a rather impressive 'Castello':

then back across goat farmland, with lots of low growing tomatoes planted out,

with the odd big house in the middle of nowhere, and grassland all around.

By late morning, before 11 we arrived in Fidenza, the end of the first stage for the day, took some time eating and a nice cup of tea... Then a visit to the Cathedral with its relics in the Crypt of St Donnino who was actually martyred here, his head being chopped off!!

The Verger was anxious to stamp our pilgrim passports, saying with a flourish... "2 stamps, - one especially for the Jubilee year of Mercy" - nowhere else had one similar - I felt quite overwhelmed with it, also going through their nice, simple 'Holy door'.

Then it was time to fill up with water at a handy water fountain, 

Then head off into the hot countryside for our next stage... Very very hot, good job I'd had plenty of water!! 

We passed a chapel dedicated to St Thomas a Becket (there's a coincidence!)

Eventually, just before 4 pm we arrived at Costamezzana, hot thirsty and ready for a shower, not before producing our credentials and money to the lady in charge, very pleasant and efficient, then getting into the communal hostel... Very clean and tidy!!

So the end of the first day of my ninth week of walking... And I've travelled over Two Million steps!!!
- it feels like it!! 

Keep walking with me...