Duomo of Milan ~ Certosa di Pavia 26km

1. Today’s headline photo is the Po River and one of its watersheds, the plains of Lombardy. It is Europe’s independent civilization region with the Alps as its lifeline.

2. Although it is a small area in terms of administrative district, it has a population of about 10 million which is nearly 1/6 of the total country.

3. Looking at the map data analyzed by GIS, the pale green part of the pink plain in the Po River basin indicates the developed area of agricultural irrigation canal. This area overlaps with the Lombardy plain in large part.

4. Today is a 26km course across the plains to Pavia, which sits on the banks of the Po river.

5. After a day off, I arrive at Duomo Square by subway at 6 o’clock, just after sunrise.

6. The cathedral is delicate and splendid. It carries the energy that matches the status of Milan.

7. I look at the figure of this statue who accomplished the unification of the country,

8. I make sure of a successful journey to Rome.
I also seem to have a lot of energy because I ate well and rested well.

9. As heatwave is expected in the afternoon, I have to walk a lot in the morning.

10. I left the Duomo.

11. I start walking down the street at dawn in the center of Milan.

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15. There are ancient ruins all over the city.

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18. I wondered if a waterway appeared. But when I looked closely, there were traces of waterway used as a canal.

19. Historically, it is the tiny twin canal Navigli of Milan.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigli

20. If you look at the map of Milan, it is an inverted V-shaped blue line on the lower left. It is the right side line of the two.

21. The pedestrian overpass was elevated to allow the ship to pass.

22. When I searched for a map expanding this area into a wide area, it was a canal and waterway connecting Milan and Pavia below. At the top of the map, I can also see Lake Como, which I passed.

23. It is a lock gate with a step difference while maintaining the water level for each section horizontally so that ships can pass through.

24. It’s an elevator for ship. In the era when land transportation was not convenient, transportation of goods using water transportation was absolutely essential.

25. The abundant waters of the Alps have enriched living in Milan, including food.

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28. I walk on this road for a while.

29. I can also see the elegant arch bridge that crosses the canal.

30. As soon as I leave the city, I immediately see a place where rice is grown.

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32. In Europe, Italy is famous for rice farming, which refers to this area. Here’s an article from the peasant newspaper.

https://m.nongmin.com/plan/PLN/SRS/312113/view

33. Ducks also live in the agricultural waterways which receive water from the canal.

34. I order orange juice after walking 8 km for 2 hours without rest. Fresh oranges are squeezed and orange juice is made on the spot.

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36. If the water is abundant, the scenery looks rich. Even if southern Italy suffers from severe drought, this neighborhood is a different place.

37. The neighborhood likes Korea.

38. I met lock gate again.

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41. This person is a cyclist who does not avoid the hot sun.

42. Rice farming in this area is direct seeding by hand. Unlike our rice planting method, rice seeds are sown directly. Seed of rice is sown and raised while the paddy is filled with water.

43. Direct seeding by hand is being tried in Korea these days. Production is also quite high.

44. In order to ensure that rice sprouts have an advantage over grass, however, herbicides must be used before and after direct seeding. This is a disadvantage.

45. However, this country has accumulated considerable know-how in direct planting for a long time.

46. One of the Italian dishes is risotto.

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50. Such a good walking path continues.

51. As I passed by, I noticed that there were places where no water was added to the rice fields.

52. They are drying the bottom of the rice field on purpose.

53. Drying the floor frequently not only helps rice grow but also reduces methane. It contributes to climate problems.

54. Water always flows in the waterway near the rice field. If you block the exit of the water, the entire rice field is filled with water in an instant. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the paddy floor keeps horiozontal.

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58. Agricultural waterways are kept in three-dimension operation.

59. About 1/3 of the fields observed while walking, are dry rice paddies.

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62. There is plenty of water in every agricultural waterway.

63. The dry rice field is being filled with water.

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65. Small fish also migrate where the water is being filled. This is a great opportunity for birds.

66. A resident who exercised in sweat, welcomed me.

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71. Rice grows well even in considerable shade.

72. If there is moderate shade, you can reduce water use.

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74. It gets hot after lunch. I have to walk for about an hour on this road without shade. This time is a climax.

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76. I can drink cold bottled water when I meet a supermarket like this.

77. Nice country road.

78. I walk all day long looking at the Lombardy plain.

79. I can also see a net to catch pests.

80. I entered Pavia district. This is a splendid citadel with probable history.

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83. I got to the lodging around 2:30 after overcoming the heatwave. Although it is 26 km away, I arrived early because I left early at dawn. The building next to the lodging is splendid.

84. I’m glad I got away from the sweltering heatwave from 3 pm.

Categories: 27. Italy, Course and Diary