The route between Bologna and Mantua is mostly flat, and I wanted to make some distance today since there are forecasts of rain starting on Saturday going for a few days. I could be in the foothills of the Alps tomorrow, and might find a place to hold up if the storm is as bad as forecast. Over an inch of rain is currently predicted on Sunday and Monday. It’s hot today for a long ride, but the forecast for the winds is light with a bit of a tailwind near the end of the day so I decided to see if I could make it to Mantua a bit more than 75 miles away.
I stopped at the co-op supermarket in Bologna and bought myself about three lunches and some hearty breakfast foods plus some fruit for the way, knowing that I would be out for a good long bit. I left Bologna a little bit before 10 AM and got myself on the EV7, which was well marked, and it was mostly paved which made the trip faster than riding on gravel or dirt paths.
The plains between Bologna and Mantua are like an agricultural heartland in the north of Italy. I passed so many miles of farms, vineyards, and fields today. Somewhat of a surprise to me was all the water that I was riding near. The track took me along rail lines, and also on the side of levees of a couple rivers. My total elevation gain for the day was only about 350 feet!
When I got into Mantua, I took a shower and then headed into the old town to see some of the sites and find a cold beer and some food. I was not disappointed on any of those fronts!
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