Ok, I suppose it's just possible that Italy is a bit narrower than France but I still can't quite believe that I got across in four days. Mind you, I had a flying start since Cari & Mike gave me a lift round the Ligurian coast on their way to the second week of their holiday - it would have been a horrible ride!
Day 38
After being dropped off in Genoa at 12.00ish, I spent pretty much the whole day searching for and then climbing the SS45 up into the Appennine Hills.
To judge from the number of shrines lining its many hairpin corners, the SS45 is a pretty dangerous road. Fortunately I was riding it on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning when all the bikers come out to play.
My legs eventually called time on day 1 at a small place called Rovegno which is about 750m above and 40k from Genoa. Rough camp night.
Day 39
Got to my original day 1 destination, Bobbio, by about 10.00 and it was pretty much level - and scenic - going down the valley for the rest of the way.
In the end I decided to head up and join the main spinal road running NW to SE which really wasn't too busy, it being a Sunday afternoon. Managed well over 100k and also found the youth hostel in Parma: a vast and largely uninhabited place where I'll get a decent night's sleep and breakfast for €23.
Day 40
Best forgotten. I still spent a lot of time perched on the edge of the road between Parma and Bologna as lorries and vans squeezed past.
Day 41
The area between Bologna and Ravenna reminded me very much of the Fens: high quality fields being carefully prepared by the farmers, high-level roads that ran at right angles round the fields, drainage ditches and, of course, endless roadside fruit shops!
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