Things improved last night with an excellent salad in the impressive main square – but otherwise Piacenza still didn’t really attract too strongly. This morning we left early – partly to avoid cycling in midday heat and partly to escape the smell of mouldy hotel ceiling due to the leaks in the bathroom above. You have to kiss a few frogs on these trips!

So here’s a shot of an early morning Po (if you’ll forgive the phrase). Since we left it near Pinerolo it has grown a lot.

For the first time since Annecy we were on a car free bike path, where minds could, and did, wander. Dead flat agricultural land beside the Po, with the bike path on top of the flood bank. The only danger is falling down the bank! We’ve done a few miles on these along European rivers in recent years and it hasn’t happened yet.

It was a short day, just 30 miles, and we crossed the river Po to Cremona on the north bank just before noon. Sadly, Helen did not like the suspended walkway beside the bridge and shot off before I had got the camera out.

But Cremona is great. We had lunch and generally sat around drinking in the atmosphere. We have a day off here tomorrow, so plenty of time then to be more inquisitive.

Meanwhile, Helen has found us an excellent Locanda in the countryside just out of town for our two nights here. A lovely peaceful spot.

Helen’s Track of the day:
Candy by Paulo Nutini
I know he is more Paisley than Piedmont but his songs keep coming up. Andy says we are now in Lombardy but I think we got the gist.