Italy

Through the Apennines to the Lombardy Lakes, that is to Italy for pizza

2011.07.03-25

Bologna – Ravenna – Rimini – San Marino – Florence – Parma – Verona – Milan

Map | Route | Conditions of Participation | Profile

○ Participants

○ Photo Hyde Park

After the long voyage to the Antipodes we are coming back to our continent, exactly to the sunny Italy. Why exactly there? Again it was decided to use the invitations from our friends who were travelling with us before, at this time from Carlotta and Oliver. In front of us a big challenge, because Italy at first sight doesn’t look like a favourable country for CROTO-travellers. Italy with its touristic industrialized coast, easily reachable during holiday, is becoming a desired aim for travel agencies and Sunday tourists.

When taking decision about the route in Italy we chose the north part: the Apennines and the Lombardy lakes, and travelling from the Adriatic to the Ligurian Sea. We are still not indifferent to the Italian culinary delights, and following the BC2007 tradition, when we have cycled to Turkey for a kebab, at this time we would like to ascertain what is the taste of pizza in Italy. We will check what does it mean the Tessa Capponni-Borawska’s expression „Italian Polish cuisine” and what is the difference between the most famous Polish pasta in Lublin and the same one, but Italian in Bologna.

During the trip we will visit five Italian provinces: the Emilia-Romagna, the Tuscany, the Liguria, the Lombardy, and the Trentino. We will start from Bologna and after three days leave the coast to start the route through the south part of the Northern Apennines. In this part we will travel by small, mountains roads, often gravel. That’s why we suggest to have wide tyres. Doubtlessly the relaxation after the mountain passes will be Florence, from where the route will take us downhill to the end of peninsula at the Bay of Poets. From there we will cycle to the north, to Parma, and after to the biggest Italian lake – the Garda. After visiting opera in Verona, we will reach the top of Mt Baldo massif and enjoy the offers of the Gardaland theme park. Next days the route will go along successive lakes: the Ledro, the Idro, the Iseo, the Endine, and famous vineyards of the Franciacorta area. We will finish the ride by voyage through the Como Lake and tasting the famous Tiramisu Cake in Milan.

Ride coordinators: Joanna Mikulska italy@bicycle.pl and Saulius Prabulis italy@bicycle.lt.