near Pavia to near Alba; Fiasco / Epic

I knew that this day was going to be a stretch goal when I planned the itinerary.  To try to shorten the distance on the following day when we headed to the Maritime Alps, I looked for a place to stay south of Alba.  A straight shot from the motorcycle track was around 70 miles on the GoogleMaps.  However, there was a sort of on the way cycling museum that warranted exploration in Novi Ligure   http://www.piemonteitalia.eu/en/component/gestoredati/dettaglio/1/musei/120/museo-dei-campionissimi-novi-ligure.html   Google Maps of that route was near 90 miles.  I gave Patrick the option and he decided to head for the museum as the direct route went through the city of Alessandria, we had enough of city riding the previous day with Piacenza. 

We were excited when we headed out into the cool of the morning.  I thought where there are hills, there is shade.  Patrick was excited to leave the long stretches of Po valley farmland behind and see what else Italy had to offer.  We didn’t get going as early I would have liked and the first 40 miles over flat ground were slow.  I felt a slight uphill grade under heavy legs.  Café macchiato was in order.   It took us quite a bit of scenic wandering around Novi Ligure to locate the museum.  The lady at the tourist office said that she could open the museum for us when she returned from her lunch break, in two hours.  Given our lack of forward progress to that point, we had to skip the museum and settle for pictures of the sculptures outside of it and a pasta lunch. 

Fully fortified with pasta, we headed up with full tummies on the first climb since the volcanos three days ago.  Thereafter we continued through rolling country to Acqui Terme.  Options to enter Acqui Terme were super hilly and steep or highway.  We went the highway route and I was a bit concerned when Patrick did not arrive behind me to the city.  I backtracked a bit and found him laying on a sidewalk, bike rather haphazardly thrown to the side.  It appeared to be a severe case of bonkiado ( a loving term for bonked that Patrick and I found in a  friend’s notes of  Puerto Rican cycling terms).  Fortunately, he was revived with Mantova cookie and a packet of electrolytes.  Up we headed on a monster climb out of town.  On a corner with bamboo, overlooking the city,  I saw the most disturbing sight of the trip.  Patrick, who had been zigzagging in the easiest gear the mountain bike cassette had to offer , unclipped.  This was not the sort of climb that I’d consider to be push able.  The top was not in sight and we weren’t due to find another flat road until we flew back home.  It looked like my engineering estimation of distances and reluctance to take rest days had pushed Patrick to the  limit.  I told him that we could turn around, coast downhill to Acqui Terme and find a hotel.   Then, I could look for a route south to Savona where we could find a train to Nice.  Patrick opted to push on up the hill where we discovered cycling wonderland.

The area that was described as hilly in the guidebook was incredibly hilly and beautiful.  Terraced vineyards, churches perched high, and killer smooth winding descents were the highlight.  Views were dramatic from roads up on ridges.  I thoroughly enjoyed sliding through the cool air as the sky turned pink and then stars came out.   I mentioned to Patrick that I was concerned we might reach the B and B after the owner went to bed.  Was he ok to ride another  7 or so hilly miles to the city of Alba if that happened?  We were two small figures descending a dark road, Patrick following my rear light as he had neglected to bring a front light.  We swooped around one corner for a view of a massive illuminated castle.  Truly incredible, but no time to explore.  More stargazing to be had.  Oops, we missed the intersection, said Patrick (watching the GPS).  Hmm, I said as I turned it around and dumped a handful of gears.  The road Patrick was directing me on went straight down into inky blackness.  Quite a little adventure riding these secondary roads in the dark.  We passed through a town and I thought surely we were close to the B and B.  Nope.

 Up we headed again, this time on a steep secondary road which required getting out of the saddle and mustering some fortitude.  “You go ahead” said Patrick when he started pushing his bike up the road.  “Take the GPS and get the room before the place closes”.  Splitting up seemed like a bad idea but I didn’t expect Patrick to reach the place before midnight if he was going to push his bike for 10 miles.  “When I get the room, should I follow the GPS track back to find you?”  “No, I might go another route with this map”.  Definitely a bad idea but I took the GPS and starting hauling that bike upward.  A medieval village was at the top of the climb and some people were enjoying a late dinner of pizza in a lit plaza.  It wasn’t clear how to get out of town, as the roads were a maze.  Up and up I followed that GPS route, until I realized it sent me off the side of the hill through someone’s patio.  I pulled out the reservation paper to see when exactly the B and B closed.  I wasn’t going to leave Patrick in the dark if there was no hope of reaching the room.  Place closed at 10:30.  Clock tower said 9:30.  It could be done!!   

Wound my way back down through the cobbled streets and found Patrick at the plaza.  What a joy to see him again!  “Let’s not split up again!, Get on my wheel and let’s go!”.  Back on some smoothly graded roads we went, winding along the hillsides.  At 10:30 we reached the dark street the GPS had as the address.  Didn’t seem to be much at all out there.  Panic set in quickly and I flagged down a car to see if we could use a passerby's cell phone to call the B and B.  Very helpful man stopped for us, but no answer on the phone.    I realized that we were foolish, certainly the place was just a little further down the road.  Sure enough, it was, and the man helped us find it.  Yea!!!!  Hotel room has never looked so good.  You too can stay there, I highly recommend it.  Book here.  http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/b-amp-b-in-langa.en-us.html?sid=4dd8004d8be4aaea46721b6985899eaf;dcid=2

 Ride came in at 110 miles with nearly 7,000 feet of climbing after lunch.  Split a bag of trail mix for dinner and ate a little packet of Nutella I had been carrying around.  

Top food of the day:  lemon pasta

Cremona to near Pavia; low key country riding

While we were sleeping, Cremona had transformed into a market.  Dresses, flowers, herbs, underwear, fish, fruits, honey, eggs, salami, were for sale on the street.  I bought a pair of sandals, some vegetables, and an assortment of candied fruits for the road. 

 

market day bicycles

 Our ride started with a peaceful jaunt on a road along a canal.   

 

This was headed the right direction and it looked on the map like we might be able to stay on it most of the day.  The road ended and we found ourselves within sight of a town but unclear how to get there.  Saved by the Italian post, when one of those little trucks appeared on the road, we knew there was a way out somewhere, that was the only vehicle we saw on our side of the canal all morning.  We came upon this wonderful church façade in the town.  I counted twelve Marys among the colorful  images of saints.   

 

 time to eat some gummi bears

 

The remainder of the 75 mile haul consisted of riding past corn fields, ruined estates, a power plant, and through yucky traffic in Piacenza.  We had hoped to eat lunch in a restaurant but hit the towns after lunch time and were unable to find an attractive open restaurant.  The candied lemon purchased at the market  turned out to be a real treat and consolation for no lunch.   We stayed in a rural area south of Pavia in a motel which caters to motorsport enthusiasts visiting the racing track next door.  Before checking in, we enjoyed watching some motorcycle racers practicing at the track.  There is really only one place in the area to eat, a simple restaurant behind the hotel.  Patrick ordered something which we didn’t know what it was.  It turned out to be a really great seafood pasta, one of Patrick’s favorite dishes.  We thoroughly enjoyed it accompanied by an amount of red wine which made us grateful that the ride back to the motel was on a dirt track, not public roads.   

Top food of the day:  seafood pasta

Mantova to Cremona; Cycling Cities of the Po

Explored Mantova on foot in the morning.  Lovely place with well dressed women and men heading to work on their bicycles and a smell of bakery in the air. I bought two cookies size versions of this local specialty for the trip as well as olive bread and croissants.   

The city is dominated by an extensive palace complex (Ducal Palace)  http://www.ducalemantova.org/?lang=en and we enjoyed a visit to the 40 rooms that are open to the public.  My favorite sight there was a room painted with the constellations.   I loved the intricately painted wooden ceilings in some of the rooms too.  We also popped into this church, decorated entirely with frescoes.  

Shortly after departing the city, we were cycling by cornfields and, for a little while, ladies cycling in nice dresses shared the roads with tractors.  To keep our energy up, Patrick and I eat carried a bag of gummi candies.  I decided to eat one every time I saw a shine to Mary.  Quite a few were spotted, but a lower rate than the previous day due to the fact that we spent most of the day cycling on a levee and passed by the towns.  We did cross a pontoon bridge which was fun.

And rode by a tree farm.

Midday we were cycling on a dirt road by a canal when it sounded like a gunshot went off.  My rear tire had blown out and the wheel had gone out of true.  Fortunately, Patrick was able to get the wheel in decent enough shape to continue.  We had gone through 3 tubes in a day and a half of riding and we only brought four.  We found a bike shop in the next city thanks to Patrick’s bravery in using the guidebook Italian to ask for directions and my good eye – trying to follow the directions,  we passed by the back of the shop which was completely unmarked.  We purchased a patch kit and 4 more tubes – which went unused for the remainder of the trip. 

We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the grounds of a castle in a small town.  We saw some cyclists out for evening training rides on the bike path into Cremona.  This is where we saw the first athletic female cyclist of the trip - she was wearing a bikini top for her workout.  We were happy to see many bicycles in the plazas.

 

 

 Two hour delicious dinner in Cremona, within view of this cathedral – my favorite sight of the trip.  

Top food of the day: rich, meaty raviolis