Day 2: Treviglio to Cremona (the land of broken violins)

114 km (71 miles) – Total so far: 171 km (106 miles)

I’m only in Cremona to see the museum that houses the other Stradivarius violins of Nicola Amati.

You will recall that in “a very sporting gesture” she was leader of the orchestra and lent Emile Gilbert her own violin after he trod on his own violin when playing Tchaikovsky’s Contezana Apadouna.

(http://www.montypython.net/scripts/royal-fest.php)

Otherwise it’s way out my way.

I’m not generally going to ride such big days as today, but I guess wanted to prove something to myself.

Certainly it was tough, as it ranged from 27 C at 9:00 hrs to 34 C early afternoon. Nor will I stay in cities very often.

I wilted considerably after a good morning, and resorted to a doze under a tree on the banks of the Po at one stage. The Po is the largest river in Italy and basically runs along the 45th parallel. It passes through Turin also, and sort of through Milan, thanks to channels dug after Da Vinci’s design.

Tough day, but the toughest thing so far has been the language. After 5 years spent learning basic Spanish I fear my brain is full.

I’ve set myself a task also – to find hard-working Italians. 2 days with nothing, until the Head Waiter tonight. He ran around the place in still 26 C, and hurled abuse at the other waiters as they frequently took smoking breaks. It will be hard not eat pizza here.

Some statistics – I guess largely for my own record!

Set off at 9:15 hrs. 48 km until lunch stop at 12. Left 12:40, wilted at 14:00 – 14:40 hrs, in cafe. Carnegliano. Dozed under tree on off-road session 16:15 17:00 hrs. Much needed cafe drinks 17:30 – 18:00 hrs, arrived 19:15. Tucano Ludiglano. 114.3 km, roughly a third off- road, on two bike tracks for 80%. Moving time 6 hrs 28 mins, moving average 17.6 km/hr. Max speed 45.1 km/hr.

My quotation for the day is one I think of at the start of most journeys these days. It’s from Edgar Allan Poe:

“‘At length, in my old age, [these are the words of Sinbad himself, as retailed by Scheherazade]- ‘at length, in my old age, and after enjoying many years of tranquillity at home, I became once more possessed of a desire of visiting foreign countries; and one day, without acquainting any of my family with my design, I packed up some bundles of such merchandise as was most precious and least bulky, and, engaged a porter to carry them, went with him down to the sea-shore, to await the arrival of any chance vessel that might convey me out of the kingdom into some region which I had not as yet explored.”