B&B Casa del Movimento Lento

Breakfast was a slap in the face: a small roll and little cup of cold coffee that had apparently been sitting in the can since the day before, in Italy of all places. The owners say they have no bank account, so payment is cash only, which is also against the law. There’s a camera in the kitchen, maybe elsewhere too, and that’s against the law as well. This house has a very cold heart, and the owners don’t practise what they preach. House of Greed would suit them better. Avoid it. A few kilometres farther is lively Cavaglia, with shops, restaurants, and a very good hostel for seven times less than the House of Greed wants to charge.

The hosts weren’t welcoming, and the breakfast was poor: one roll each, some biscuits, a little jam, and coffee and water from flasks that had been there since the day before, so they were lukewarm by morning. We were told to heat them in the microwave. A Nespresso machine and kettle for guests might be better. There was a video camera in the kitchen, signs saying not to use the oven or eat in bedrooms, and the bookcase was padlocked. Before we arrived, Susanna sent the entrance code and asked us to send passport photos over WhatsApp. After we’d walked to Viverone, we got a message telling us to meet her at the Casa punctually at 18.00. Very disappointing. I’d avoid this place and walk another 1.5 km to Viverone, where there are other places to stay.

The room was very clean and comfortable, and the hosts were friendly. Breakfast could have been better, though, as it was only black coffee and slices of bread.

At Casa del Movimento Lento in Roppolo, you can pick up the Oropa Camino Credentials at any time for a small donation, even without a SlowCard. There were plenty of envelopes so pilgrims could take their Credentials freely. We met many people without a “pilgrim passport,” which meant they couldn’t receive the Testimonium in Oropa. The list of stages and their stamps makes a nice memory. You can also contact them for the Credentials and a list of places to stay along your planned stages. But despite the promise that paying the SlowCard registration fee would get all stages booked, along with accommodation and meal discounts, they booked only one of the stages we requested and gave us a list of places to contact ourselves. About 90% of those were unavailable for our date.