Today wasn’t without its challenges. Firstly, tidying up to leave the campsite at Orta took a while because the rain yesterday and overnight had left everything that wasn’t already packed away mucky. Then Molly’s oil warning light came on, alongside the already illuminated engine warning light. No!!!
By now, having stopped at Lidl, it was lunchtime and, typically for Italy, most places were closed for a couple of hours. We eventually managed to find somewhere to buy and top up the engine oil, then we headed to a Fiat Professional Service Centre to get Molly checked. Thankfully, all is well and we don’t need to worry, at least for now. Great service from the team and we were back on the road within an hour.
We returned to our original plan and headed to Pavia to stay in a motorhome aire by Certosa di Pavia. This is a marvellous Carthusian monastery and church dating from the 15th century and built over 200 years. We went on a guided tour led by a monk (the only way to see beyond the church) but unfortunately, it was in Italian, so we didn’t understand what he was saying!
The facade of the church is decorated with statues and intricate carvings and is an amazing sight. Inside is just as beautiful with decorated vaulted ceilings, renaissance frescoes and paintings, wooden carvings and inlaid marquetry, and marble tombs.
There are two pretty arcaded cloisters decorated in terracotta and we visited one of the monks’ cells. Some still live in the monastery, under strict vows of silence. They each have a small house with a garden, well and fireplace, and rooms to pray and study in. There’s quite a contrast between the lavish church and the simple lives of the monks.
Towards the end of the tour we felt splashes of rain and could hear thunder rumbling in the distance. One side of the monastery was in bright sunshine, while the opposite was shrouded in dark clouds. Thankfully, the storm didn’t come our way, and we arrived back at Molly without a soaking.
We’ve had a lovely Simply Cook meal for dinner… Chicken Parmigiana with garlicky green beans and new potatoes… yummy! 😋 Tomorrow, weather permitting, we’ll visit Pavia, which used to be the capital of Lombardy, until Milan took its crown.
Ramblings 
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