February 25th 2024

It will rain cats and dogs from tomorrow on in the Milan region and everywhere south of the Alps. So I'm changing my original plan, which was to cycle to Como and then Domodossola.

I'll be cycling from Brescia to Milan and then taking a train to Domodossola, where I'll be spending my last night in Italy.

I have a strange feeling about leaving this country, where I've been wandering for over 4 months, as I gaze out of the train window at the Lago Magiorre coastline between Arona and Verbania, which I cycled along on the third day of my trip. 4 months that seem like so much more, with all that I've been able to experience, each day differently, all the encounters I've been able and lucky to make, and all the warm exchanges I've been able to have. But that's all relative, because I did the exercise a few days ago, and I can clearly remember every place I slept and every stage of the journey. I'm walking a thin line between big-bang and big-crush feelings...

The road to Milan isn't very interesting, apart from this morning's pastries in Ospitaletto (one Kranz, a Lombard-Venetian specialty with Austro-Hungarian roots and a Veneziana, a brioche with vanilla cream, which was particularly unctuous). And also apart from its ending, with more than 20 kilometres along a canal, among Sunday joggers, families on outings and people on all sorts of non-polluting means of transport. It was quite a slalom at times, ending with a nice downpour just before arriving at Milano Centrale station. I can't be as lucky as yesterday every day !!!

Ukanc to Cartigny