DAY 160 - ODERZO TO CASTELFRANCO VENETO

29 September, 2011

30.7 miles (Total: 1569.1 miles) 61,400 steps (Total: 3,430, 801 steps)

The weather is unseasonably hot people tell me—great weather for walking—well to a point; sure it is better to have sunshine than thunder and lightning, but I yearn for colder weather and 34 degrees is still way to high. Though, as I discover from my friend Richard Vardy who flies in to offer a couple of days support, the north east is enjoying an Indian summer with temperatures soaring to 30 degrees. The point I am making, without the slightest bit of ingratitude, is that sitting out in the garden in 30 degrees is pleasant, walking 25 miles along busy roads is not quite as pleasant and temperatures between 10 and 20 degrees are perfect for me even with a little rain thrown in to remind me of home.

It is great to see Richard; he had flown into Venice, hired a car and we met up in the very pleasant Venetian town of Oderzo in time for dinner. In deciding where to eat Richard delivered the first of his messages from home—I needed to eat more meat and less pizza.  Fortunately Richard was generously paying so I ‘reluctantly’ agreed to accept his advice and go off to a fabulous restaurant called Sosteria (www.sosteria.it) which, if you are ever in say 250 miles of Oderzo, I suggest you pop in to. The steak was so good it virtually melted on the tongue—I then lowered the tone by ask for a side order of chips; the waiter looked puzzled and brought some halved roast potatoes with rosemary, olive oil and rock salt.  I responded “Well it’s not salt and vinegar, but it’ll do.”  Richard gave me that look as if to say “You can take the man out of Geordieland, but you can’t take the Geordieland out of the man”—I decided to take the hint and not ask for the ketchup.

If I could have written a job description for the perfect person to accompany me on a difficult stretch of the walk, then Richard would have been on a short list of one. First, he had tons of news from home in the north east then, as a second year theology student at Durham, we had a good theological discussion about what he had learned in his first year. Next, he was totally there to help when called upon – without following me around as if I am about to give birth to some Dali Lama style profundity on the meaning of life or the nature of inner peace, and then looking slightly disappointed when I start reeling off Tommy Cooper jokes and asking them to go off and track down the nearest MacDonalds or source a bottle of Diet Coke for me rather than finding some loaves and fishes for the poor. Next, Richard’s company was easy.  He was happy to leave me to do the walking and to lounge around at the hotel reading his Kindle without feeling guilty or making me feel guilty.  Finally, taking advantage of the fact that Richard had a car, I was able to set off without the rucksack and extend my daily walking from an average of 30km to an average of 45km, which kicked a big hole in the long stretch between Oderzo and Verona – much needed whilst the ‘good weather’ held.

Richard’s visit was just a complete and utter blessing and it provided me with a much needed lift as I pressed on to Milan.

Ps: If Richard and his family read this eulogy decide that it is clear that he must come out again soon then the plan has worked a treat!