Day 18 Part III: Lido to Venice Mestre
We enjoyed a non-cycling day in Venice yesterday. We gritted our teeth to cope with the crowds of jostling tourists and sallied forth. It was raining heavily with storm-force winds buffeting the boats and creating waves with white horses in the lagoon. Back into our heavy-duty rain gear. Definitely...
Day 17 Part III: Chioggia to Lido
We skipped breakfast at the hotel and enjoyed a very pastry-focussed breakfast in a coffee shop. We then collected and assembled our bikes and boarded a ferry which ran from Chioggia to the next island - in a series of islands - going around the periphery of the Venetian lagoon - Pellestrina. We cyc...
Day 16 Part III: Porto Levante to Chioggia
The weather today was kind to us. Not only had the rain stopped, but the sun came out. It felt like a revelation. We had forgotten how pleasant it was to cycle in the sun and to wear just short sleeved tops without waterproof gear. We got out our brightly coloured cycling tops and enjoyed the sun. F...
Day 15 Part III: Rivà to Porto Levante
So today we achieved our technical task which was to cycle along the length of the Po from its source in the Alps to its delta in the Adriatic. 👏🏻. Thank you, thank you 🙇♂️. The day started drizzly, progressed to light rain where the Po meets the Adriatic and improved to allow beer on a sunny te...
Day 14 Part III: Ferrara to Rivà
So we all had a busy evening drying clothes on a heated towel rail. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner - people come from a way away to sample the food. In the morning we checked the weather forecast. Well - it was a little better but still rain for several cycling hours. Ah well - we are practiced at th...
Day 13 Part III: Ostiglia to Ferrara
The start of our final segment (we hope) along the Po to Venice. The weather forecast is dreadful. Heavy rain (up to 5mm an hour) all day. And windy (up to 25 knots). So we get wrapped up in all our rain gear. We assemble our bikes from out of Masoud’s van. Pump up the tyres etc. It is raining very...
Introduction to Part III
Part III: Here we are in October 2024. This starts the third segment of our extended and delayed cycle trip along the River Po. To recap:- Part I: in October 2022, Anna and I cycled up to the source of the River Po in the Mont Viso national park in the Alps and then we followed the River Po as far a...
Day 12 Part II: Gualtieri to Ostiglia
(PS if you tap our photos you will get a short caption/description.) Unfortunately, Ruth and Masoud need to return soon to the UK to travel to a family funeral. So today has to be the last cycling day 😔. We need to arrive at a town with a good rail service. We settle on Ostiglia on the north (other...
Day 11 Part II: Cremona to Gualtieri
(PS if you tap our photos you will get a short caption/description.) As we were planning our longest cycle day so far - 80 km - we worked towards an earlier start. As our hostel didn’t provide breakfast we packed and cycled into the main square for a pasticciera and coffee in the sun. We left at 9:3...
Day 10 Part II: Piacenza to Cremona
We had agreed to leave early (ie “on time”) after an 8 o’clock breakfast so as to get to Cremona with time to enjoy the Stradivarius heritage at his birth place and the Violin Museum (😳) in Cremona. Ruth and Masoud knocked on our door BEFORE we were ready 😱 so we rushed and went down for breakfast...
Day 09 Part II: Castel San Giovanni to Piacenza
(PS if you tap our photos you will get a short caption/description.) From a quiet agricultural village to another ancient beautiful Italian city. There was no discussion about the weather this morning. It was raining hard. The forecast was dreadful. However, we can do rain and we got well wrapped up...
Day 08 Part II: Pavia to Castel San Giovanni
(PS if you tap our photos you will get a short caption/description.) From an “ancient” city to a small agricultural town about halfway to Piacenza. Last night we ate out next door to our hostel (after we had watched the washing machine and then the tumble dryer 🥱). The proprietress was born on the...
Day 07 Part II: Cornale to Pavia
From a tiny agricultural village to an ancient town with cathedral, castle, one of the earliest universities and the tomb of St Augustine. We cater for all interests. Thank you. We started the day like yesterday evolving our thinking from “it’s just a bit misty” to “I guess it’s really raining” and...
Day 06 Part II: Casale Monferrato to Cornale
We woke up, stretched and noted we were in good shape with no aches and pains. We had a large breakfast from the buffet overlooking the hotel outside swimming pool. The windows and the blue of the pool made it look like a hot sunny day. In reality it was cold and wet. At first we told ourselves it w...
Day 05 Part II Chivasso to Casale Monferrato
It is 18 months since we completed the first alpine section of the River Po from its source to as far as Chivasso. Finally, we are setting out again - Part II - to cycle further across Northern Italy following the path of the River Po. Together with us this time are friends Ruth and Masoud. The furt...
Day 04 Part I: Moncalieri to Chivasso
Ho hum. Anna felt very tired last night and had developed a bit of a cold, bit of a sore throat and a bit shivery. Lots of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. Not feeling great. However, after a full breakfast we walked back into the old town from our hotel to visit the Royal Castle of Moncalieri - a World H...
Day 03 Part I: Paesana to Moncalieri
It was market day in Paesana so we bought some ciabatta and cheese for a picnic lunch. We retraced our cycling steps downhill to Saluzzo after a fond farewell to the two brothers who ran our hotel. Downhill in warm weather with just a light top - disposed of after a few km. Coffee in Saluzzo then se...
Day 02 - Coming down
So photos all round at the Source of the Po at Pian del Re (King's Plain). It just comes out of some rocks. Alistair filled his water bottle here. It's a lonely place and clouds were drifting across our view of the plain. In fact, the weather was getting mistier and the air was starting to get a bit...
Day 02 - Getting to Source of Po - II
So today is the day we try out e-Mountain bikes for the first time. Will we be spoiled for ever? We will cycle from Paesana (600m) up 25 km of a tortuous road to the source of the Po at 2,065m. We had booked two e-bikes in advance and we wandered around Paesana to find the hire spot. There is a larg...
Day 01 Getting to Source of Po - I
So this project is to cycle along the length of the River Po from its source in the "Cottian Alps" (yep, new to us too) to its delta in the Adriatic just south of Venice. A distance of 650 km. Its source is North West of Turin. It is 2,065 metres above sea level on a glacial ridge called the "Pian d...