I barely scratched the surface of everything to see in Mantua, but it looks like a pretty cool place that I could add to the list of places that would be great to go back to. It’s a growing list!
In 2016, Mantua was named the Italian Capital of Culture, and then in 2017 became the European Capital of Gastronomy. The old town has been a UNESCO site since 2008. 
With my one dinner, I certainly appreciated the gastronomy part.
I stopped at the grocery store on my way out and bought a sandwich for the ride as well as some other snacks to fuel me along the way. The first part of the day I was riding the flat EV7 along canals and rivers, all full to the very brim.
Europe has had a wet spring and early summer, and the evidence is certainly in those waterways! Much nicer than when Chris and I were here a couple years ago and the rivers were very low because of a severe drought.
It being lovely weather on Saturday there were hundreds of cyclists out for a ride. There were some largish groups riding with identical electric bikes – obviously organized tours. And a bunch of older guys in full cycling kit out with their buddies for the day.
The percentage of electric bikes over here is quite amazing. Either people have nice racing bikes or electric bikes, with very little in between except in the middle of cities where bikes are used for transportation.
My first destination for the day was Pesqueira Del Garda, a beautiful if touristy town with a large castle surrounded by water, all on the bottom edge of Lake Garda. It’s stunning. It seems quite a few English speaking tourists come to Pesqueira Del Garda, but the accents I heard suggest that some of them come from Northern Europe, and speak English as a second language. There certainly was a healthy dose of Brits there as well!
As I navigated through the crowd and passed through the town, I could see the mountains I was about to climb reflected in the waters of Lake Garda. Also, I saw the high thunderheads growing over the mountains, reminding me that weather in the mountains can be dramatic. As I began climbing out of the plains, the air became cooler and crisper and vineyards bordered the route.
I had a few steep, short climbs today. One was steadily 10 to 15% grade, and it was hot and difficult to make it to the top. I didn’t have to walk, though! Neither did the older couple who sailed by me on their e-bikes, smiling.
The sky was bright blue, having lost the sullen haze of the last couple days with all the heat and humidity. And yet I could see in the distance the coming edge of a storm system and so I booked a room for a couple nights in an agritourismo to avoid the inevitable rain of the night and tomorrow.
I brought rain gear, so I’m not afraid to get wet, but I could probably use a day rest on my legs and my butt after the miles I put in these last few days.
I feel good! Before I left, I wondered if I would have the fitness to enjoy another ride like this (like when I was young). And now, after a few days, I can say definitively that I can.
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