Our Favorite City: Piacenza to Cremona

May 9, 2012

We made our way to the river from where we stayed and finally started our ride along the Po. There was a bike path for part of the way from Piacenza to Cremona, our goal for the day, but it was only occasionally signposted. I had prepared a gps track that followed the river bank at times, and when the river made too many oxbow curves, we planned to take more direct roads. This worked out pretty well, although one time our nicely paved path on the dam ended in a rough dirt road. We backtracked and got onto the small roads leading from village to village. There was very little traffic and it was a lovely ride. I don't know why I didn't take any pictures.

Neither of us had ever been to Cremona before and our jaws dropped as we cycled onto the main square. Smaller than in Piacenza, more compact, and with more atmosphere, just beautiful.

We sat down at a small café on the main square for a sandwich and something to drink and enjoyed the atmosphere, trying to imagine what it was like centuries ago when this architecture could be taken for granted and there were no cars and no outskirts with big chain stores and ugly buildings. We then cycled to our hotel, a few kilometers from the center, not in walking distance but with a bike no problem.

Hotel Visconti was one of the best on the trip. As was Cremona our favorite city. The room was on the ground floor, the bikes were in the locked courtyard at night, breakfast was above average and the hoteliers were friendly and helpful. We decided on the spot to stay two nights and since it was still the low season, our room wasn't booked for the next night.

About a block from the hotel was one of the highlights of Cremona - San Sigismondo. I was there with my tripod and astounded to see that there were no other tourists and no one to tell me that tripods weren't allowed. I could take pictures to my heart's content.

The simple facade of San Sigismondo is misleading.

The church is a masterpiece of the Renaissance period in Lombardy. The interior, decorated in 1535, is a rare example of 16th century Mannerist decoration in northern Italy.

View to the ceiling, unfortunately too high to see well

Detail playing with perspective illusion

Here you can't tell where the painting ends and the actual arches of the interior of the church begin - perfect perspective illusion.

View of the church's bell tower from behind the church

Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 213 km (132 miles)

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