Cremona Day 1

July 18, 2021

Leaving Milan was easy. Our hotel was a few km from the station. We followed through another cyclist who had the route down using elevated walkways we hadn’t seen. Two trains would get us to Cremona and we picked the one leaving sooner with a connection on Codogno.

The first train was en route to Bologna and quite full. Speedy (100 mph) and super high-tech. Screens told you every upcoming station, side of exit and time. The second train was old-school and empty. We had an entire car to ourselves and there were 3 others on the train, far away.

Nevertheless a conductor came by to remind us to wear our masks. Every worker we interact with is masked and they get others to comply. Okay by us. Lombardy has been one of the places hit earliest and hardest by COVID.

Milan is less than an hour away. Feels like a century.

By the time we leave the Cremona station and get ourselves oriented it is time for coffee. We have ridden maybe 5k so far but needs must. Eventually we find the hotel, cannot check in, and set off for a ride.

This is our first use with the garmin in Europe so there is much beeping and ignoring. We arrive at the Po via a dirt trail when we can see others flying along on the nearby dikes. After a few km of this we find a sign pointing toward the dike with a bike route. It is paved and makes us feel speedy even on our Bromptons.

In no time we are at a crossroads with a station that is gathering cyclists like flies to honey. It is a water and repair station. The water comes non-carbonated or carbonated, natural or gas, and is provided by the local water authority. An entire mineral content is listed on the side of the unit. It is very hot so despite our current 15k distance we gulp down both kinds. Instant refreshment. The repair station is maintained by the local bike club and we see a few people pump tires.

The people riding up are of all ages, shapes, and sizes. It’s a delight to see grandparents leading littles around followed by a mountain biker and then an elderly couple with baskets. It is not glamorous instead it is what normal life looks like when you have infrastructure. People kept sort of distant and no one wore masks including us.

A youngish man is at the spigot and Ken asks him what is this place. The man shrugs and eventually says it’s the big branch. Maybe he is referring to the nearby tribuarary that is flowing into the Po? He waves down the road and says there is the river and a restaurant. We follow his direction and arrive at the riverside again, this time with lots of people coming and going. And the big branch? No, it was a big bench. An attempt to get people to take selfies and promote the region. We obliged.

Listen carefully to what people say. They might mean it. Big bench.

As we pedal along the differences from Germany and France assert themselves. Corn on a second planting (who knew?), a stand of Lombardy poplars — hold on, this is where they come from — and soon we see them planted in harvest-ready stands. Not usually a tree for cultivation.

The source of Lombardy poplar? Not just an alley tree.

We continued out on the dike to Brescone where we had snacks and decided to head back. As a first recon we were getting the hang of Cremona, cycling in Italy, and the Garmin.

Back to hotel, checked in, wandered around dithering about dinner. Turns out the apretiv culture (a drink and snacks) keeps us okay nourished. We swing by the grocery store for chick peas, salad etc. Horrid EDM music mars the evening for everyone in the piazza. Finally at 11 it ceases.

32k

Today's ride: 32 km (20 miles)
Total: 52 km (32 miles)

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Rachael AndersonYou’re going to love cycling along the Po River.
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3 years ago

Rich FrasierHi Zelda - you probably already know this but if you’re still in Cremona on Sunday you might check out the stradivarius museum. Every Sunday they pull out one of the old violins and play it. We loved it!
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3 years ago

Zelda MekThat sounds incredible. We tried to do the museum but missed the open time. Will need to put it on the list for our next visit! Turns out most museums and other public places are open Sunday and closed Monday.

Suggestions for Brescia or Bergamo?
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3 years ago

Zelda MekTo Rachael AndersonAgree! It is so easy to pedal here. The hills are 3% and so short. Sure we could make it harder but why? It is vacation.

As you have learned, Ithaca is gorges and that means steep. Our neighborhood access is a 2 mile climb from the lake that ranges from 6 to 16% before getting home.
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3 years ago

Rachael AndersonWe used to do a lot of climbing but I’m liking flat terrain on lot more, especially with panniers. I’ve been carrying a lot more stuff and can really feel it. I really prefer to do climbing when I’m hiking. We loved Ithaca and did some climbing on the bikes without bags but also really enjoyed the hikes to the different falls. What a beautiful place!
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3 years ago

Rich FrasierTo Zelda MekBrescia and Bergamo are still on our to-do list. I’ll be getting my tips from you! :) Enjoying your adventure - thanks for keeping this journal.
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierAre you still wavering between Brescia and Bergamo? Bergamo is pretty amazing but you have to love hills to get the most of it. Brescia is well worth a visit and much easier to navigate.
https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/dubrovnik2018/in-brescia-a-photo-gallery/
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3 years ago