Author: Grant and Barbara

Bobbio punches above its weight. Not quite sure why UNESCO has passed it by. The Val Trebbia (Trebbia Valley) was described by Ernest Hemingway as the most beautiful in the world. The Monastery here (now a wee bit run down private property) was the basis of the design Umberto Eco used in the Name of the Rose. The Church dates from the 11 Century. And to top it all it is meant to be the backdrop for the Mona Lisa which Leonardo Da Vinci finished here.

It has excellent gelato.

My Jeremy Clarkson farming fix yesterday was good preparation for another agricultural day. The ploughed fields have huge clay sods. The hills we go up are also sods. They offer spectacular views of the valley below.

Tomorrow back to the coast we left a few days ago. Nice. No it’s Genova.

PS. The Bishop of Bobbio has a good ring to it. Opportunities for a stanza. “There was a young Bishop of Bobbio, who went looking for a jobio. He went to the Church, but got left in the lurch,; he talked too much Latin gobio”. I’ll work on it…..

Some people are excited to learn that Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati have factories in this region. I’m excited to learn Lamborghini make tractors – fast ones maybe. It also is a cheese and ham area, tinned tomatoes and pasta. That’s a lot to take in at one sitting.

We also passed through Campagnola. Maybe we go through Shimano and SRAM later on when more folks join the group set. Now we are 8 the “content creator” is trying to think of a dynamic name. I suggest The Magnificent Seven – plus one. The plus one is the centre of his/her own solar system (didn’t learn from Copernicus) so will never spot the rest of us are circling the sun.

Fascinating fast changing and working landscapes: mainly agricultural with manufacturing. A lot of old dilapidated houses (aka ruins) with new housing nearby – a lot like the Outer Hebrides. The churches are a bit tatty on the outside – and actually look better for that, lived in faces with character.

Fields of sorghum looks a lot like millet except more difficult to pronounce.

Then to Parma via some gritty streets with a bit of edge – real life vs the central square mile. Luckily we can’t carry any more – so we’ll leave sans cheese.

Tomorrow some hills.

We almost made a circuit of the centre city of Ferrara before I spotted the ubiquitous UNESCO notice. Not really a surprise given the uniqueness of the buildings.

It was quite “cool” to be asked to leave the world’s oldest continuously open wine bar (though it might not have been wine in 1100) as certified by those wine merchants – Guiness. No non alcoholic drinks are served. Even on a day when it’s empty outside where we sat under the shelter of an umbrella to avoid the threatened rain.

We left Chioggia just after the most wonderful thunder and lightning storm. Thick black skies illuminated by forked shafts of power. I was doing a quick calculation whether I was safer on my aluminium bike vs Barbara’s titanium one. It wasn’t tested though.

We passed through landscapes that made the Cambridgeshire Fens look flat. Hadn’t expected the pink flamingos. Well white with a dash of pink. They were probably admiring the same church towers we were. Brick seems in common use here.

The River Po is our companion for a long while. It’s Italy’s longest river. Apparently the Po river has played a significant part in the development of the Po Valley. AI has got things cracked!

A two ferry day to get to the mainland. The number of bikes allowed on the second one is at the Captain’s discretion. That’s after it decides to arrive – who knew the one we waited for only runs on a Thursday?Noticing locals were queuing like Italians (ie not) we sharpened our elbows. All was well.

Chioggia is an absolute delight: a complete contrast to Venice less than 20km away. A small working town of 50000 folks with a fishing fleet, locals milling around, washing hanging out. Even a cruise ship (or floating noravirus container some say) didn’t seem too out of place. I lie. But as they tend to feed people on board the local feel wasn’t diluted.

It may not be UNESCO but has a fair share of 13,14 15 C Churches. One told of great things happening in 1760. Which begged the question what were we doing, Apart from starting the madness of King George. At war of course, in the middle of the Seven Years’ War. This was a far-reaching conflict between European powers that lasted from 1756 to 1763. France, Austria, Saxony, Sweden, and Russia were aligned on one side, and they fought Prussia, Hanover, and Great Britain on the other.

And passing the Somerset Road Act. That dates the pot holes.

Back to Chioggia and excellent cheap coffee. Perhaps one of the best places we’ve been through. Gelato too.