On the Road to Roppolo

Roppolo, not to be confused with the coastal town Rapallo. “Roppolo vs Rapallo, aglio vs olio, uve vs uove, pesce or pesca” Ah the sometimes embarrassing, often hilarious, always frustrating folly of mispronounciations or mixing up closely sounding words by the novice Italian speaker. But, I digress. A lovely ride to Roppolo: not too long, mostly downhill, sunshine but not too hot. In Bollengo, Neptune was standing on a street corner and I had to stop and snap. Well, I think it’s Neptune. He has a trident and he is stepping on a fish. The nearby crucifix may indicate he is not a Roman god, but a saint. A Google search only turned up Neptune in Bologna. The Bollengo guy will remain a mystery. Extras: Some people living on the Via Francigena extend their kindness by creating a little Pilgrim rest stop along the road. These ‘Sosta del Pellegrino” are always a welcome surprise. The Alps still hog the beautiful landscape: above farmland as we pass through Piverone, and behind the lake as we lunch in Viverone. (I love the town names).