Day 444 7th October
59 miles (Mantova to Cremona) Average speed 11.4 mph Top speed 27 mph
A good day if a little windy.
I got up at 8.30 for brekkie of muesli with warm milk and tea. I left at 10.30 but had to go back 4 minutes later when I looked down and noticed I’d left my water bottle on the sink. Then I regretted not studying map properly as I went to Soave along the cycle path, but then realised I couldn’t cross the river, so had to go a fair way north to Sacco on unmade roads into the wind. Then I got onto the road heading south and stopped for coffee just as the cafe was closing and was served by a beautiful young lady.
Beautiful day for bike ride
I felt better knowing I was on a good road and heading in the right direction at last. I turned right at Goito and the road was good, but it was hard to know which way the wind was blowing as it seemed to keep changing. I stopped to mix an energy drink that Kamal had given me a long time ago, but as there were no shops open it was good to have my back up supply, I had half a bar of chocolate too which gave me strength to continue at pace even though my knees were feeling it. I pushed on and joined the main road which had a good shoulder and I made good time so turned off at a village where I watched an incredible fishing competition going on at a tiny river where they had blocked off the fast running water to enable some very easy salmon fishing with small children catching too.
Fishing from a village street
Then it was onto the SP27 which had a good cycle path but was tough work into the wind. I found the campsite but it was closed so I returned to one I’d just passed which looked like camper vans only. I used the card system to gain entry and met a French hitch-hiking couple from Paris who told me that it was OK to camp and they were waiting for reception to open.
Moretti beer
So I found a nice bar for a well deserved Moretti beer and relaxed before setting up camp and shopping at Co-op for dinner of two burgers with chips, which took quite some time to cook but was delicious in the dark. I went into town for a beer at the Irish Times but didn’t like their choice of beer or their prices so ended up in a small Chinese run slots bar before heading back for a well deserved sleep.
Camping Po Park 5e