Massa

Day 54 – Wednesday, 25 September – Castlenuova Magra to Massa – 20km

I slept ok, but yesterday was harder on me than I realized. I had a really hard time getting up. Just extra pain today. And the threat of rain didn’t help. But it said it might not rain till 10, so maybe I could get a good jump on it anyway.

I dragged myself out of the door just after 8, and it was already raining. Just a little, but it was still raining.

I didn’t have to walk along the main road long before I connected with the Via. It was just through neighborhoods, avoiding the main road. Nothing special.

It rained off and on for a bit and I was hoping it would stay like that. But then it started raining pretty hard before 9. I got wet.

It was a long walk through town streets, and the rain made it longer.

It finally lead up the mountain. Through some grassy, vineyard paths, then rocky roads, then up a steep dirt path, then once I got up the mountain, it became an asphalt road that wound around the mountain sides.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, but it never turned into anything, thankfully!

The views up the mountain were actually pretty cool. Lots of vineyards up here.

You could see the ocean and there was even a cruise liner docked.

The sky started clearing and I was sure I was going to make it without more rain. I started descending into Massa. It was actually pretty cool.

I stopped in at the Cathedral.

I walked a few blocks outside the city center to my hotel an I got there right at 1, which is when I said I wanted to check in. Today was longer than I thought it was going to be. I was so glad I walked more yesterday. Today would have really hard if it was longer.

There is a guy on the facebook group, David, who left from Canterbury about a month ago and he does about 50k a day. He was going to pass me today, so we talked about meeting in Massa for lunch. He messaged me that he had left early this morning so was ahead of me. I assumed that meant he was well beyond Massa! Turns out he wasn’t, and I had just sat down and ordered at a restaurant before I realized it. But he had already eaten lunch as well, so he just came to sit with me and visit for a while. He said I’m the second American he’s met. He hasn’t seen many pilgrims, and because he goes so fast he never sees the same people twice. Except for this guy a bike that he’s seen the past 6 nights. Crazy.

I had ravioli and a mixed salad and fries.

Today has definitely been rough, pain wise. I hope I feel better tomorrow. Two more days to Lucca!

I went to the hotel restaurant again for dinner. I was going to get a pizza to offset the expensive lunch, but I’m still reeling from the bad pizza I had yesterday. I decided on another expensive dinner and got a caprese salad and some of the best pasta I have ever had. Really, really good dinner. Totally worth it. Everything is relative. I balk at paying 10 E a plate, but in France several times I had to pay 30 or even more for a dinner. It is good to save some money, but it’s ok to spend a little extra now and then for a good meal.