Ravenna – Forlì May 12

I left Ravenna through one of its remaining old gates.

After passing through the suburbs, my route for most of today’s 32km followed a quiet road alongside the Ronco River.

Up to now, I’ve been following rivers downstream watching them grow bigger. Today instead I’m heading upstream as the river flows from the Appenine mountains, where I’m heading.

My walk was through agricultural land growing what looks like sorghum as well as fruit trees.

Apples seemed to be the main crop but I also saw cherries, peaches and pomegranates.

These look like radicchio.

I’ve seen quite a few memories to partisans from World War 2.This young man died a week after the German forces in Italy surrendered. Sporadic fighting continued for some time.

It was quite hot walking today and as usual I was sweating a lot. There was a man working in his vegetable patch and I asked him if he could give me some water. His accent was pretty thick but we a conversation about what I was doing. He said I’d be better off going by bike !

Now this part of Italy is called Emilia-Romagna, roughly divided into these 2 parts east/west. The name Romagna is a memory of the fact that as I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, the Byzantines ruled here for a long time . They considered themselves Romans as Constantinople was the new Rome and hence the name.

In any event the story goes that if a traveller knocks on a door in Emilia he gets a glass of water. In the Romagna he gets a glass of wine. This man however offered me sparkling water!

An abandoned church

A fellow traveller

And whilst we’re on the subject of insects …

I was caught out by a storm this afternoon and had to walk the last 5km with wet socks. I hope my shoes dry out tonight!

Off in the distance was this large circular church called the Santuario di Fornò. I would have gone for a look if it hadn’t been raining .

It was built in 1448 by an Albanian ex-pirate who had become monk.

Walking in the rain I’d been thinking how nice it would be to have a traditional dinner in the hotel restaurant . It was closed and the only place anywhere near was this one.

The rain had cleared the air and off in the distance I could see the foothills of the Apennines where I’m heading.