I woke late friday cocooned in our airconditioned room in Cremona but I quickly checked where we were staying that night in Parenzia and realised I’d got the date wrong in my fatigued state and booked for saturday !It was also one of those non cancellation ones..I tried to phone them, no reply then I emailed them and it was time to leave.

There were eurovelo routes on both sides of the river Po but with the river looping around both looked equally complicated. I chose the north bank ie. Same side as Cremona big mistake. We had to negotiate canals and the crossing of a tributary the River Adda, suffice to say there was a lot of retracing our steps to find the only bridges acroos canals or the river Adda.Coffee was had by hubby at a small bar in Crotta d Adda, to the amusement of the locals we cycled in had coffee and cycled out the same way realising there was no bridge across the Adda in Crotta d’ Adda.

We did finally see a signpost for the Po cycle route up to a very overgrown dyke so we ignored it but maybe we should have gone on it as those country lanes were very confusing.As we neared Parenza we realised we had to go on a seriously long busy road bridge, panic. Fortunately as we got closer we saw our cycle path looping all over the place, going under the road to come up on a cycle path on the bridge,relief.We headed off to the guest house no tney were full and if they did manage to use our room the next day they would give us 50% back. Fine we had nowhere to stay.

We had lunch and then headed off to the tourist bureau for help.They gave us a list of bed and breakfast places, I rang 2 no reply. The tourist officer then said she would do it for us as another person had come back from lunch, but didnt ask what we would like she just rang the first one on the list and that was it.!It was in an old appartment block one of those 15th century thick walled buildings , the owner Angela only spoke italian and some french so we got by with my limited french that I havent brushed up recently.She was a retired primary teacher but had a real interest in old books and paintings.So the bedroom was fine full of antique furniture, but outside in the lane our windows overlooked a small cafe/bar that was a hive of activity. We were tired after another hot humid day and it was still 30C at 6pm and no airconditioning.We did shut the shutters and windows and it did block out the noise and those old buildings are fairly cool, so hubby survived and I who can sleep anywhere enjoyed the springy bed.

Parenzania was a bit run down so not as attractive to walk around as Cremona and Mantova. Some of the old 15th century town walls remain but are in a sorry state.

We left the next morning for the station to catch the train to Milan, heat,humidity, lack of proper maps have lead to this decision! I saw someone pedal madly to the front of a previous train so I said to hubby it seems the bike carriage is at the front of the train. The train pulled in , no bike carriage at the front. We got on our bikes frantically peddling to the other end of the rain In future we will adopt our normal plan wait in the middle of the train.!

No sign of the bike carriage towards the back,, the guard was ready to blow his whistle, we opened a door and I hauled my bike up the steps.The doors shut on my panniers I pushed them open and was on the train.The doors were firmly shut and hubby was on the platform,aghast. I had his train tickets!I dropped my bike and pulled down on the door levers and somehow managed to open the doors. Hubby leapt up the stairs and we were on. The bike carriage we saw, as another bike got on later was one carriage down but we didnt dare risk getting on and off again. The train was already running 5 mins late after our escapade it was running 8 mins late, we did feel a bit guilty about that.

Milan was a very busy but glorious station, marble floors and colonnades.The streets of Milan are wide with beautiful separated cycle paths so it wzs easy to pedal from the station.Our appartment is one of the tall, old blocks with a coutyard below but this one has a really lovely well maintained courtyard compared to others in Europe, maybe due to the fact tney have a live in concierge.So o couple of days sightseeing before onto Geneva on Tuesday. Geneva is full only 1000 plus euros a night accommodation left so we’ll have to get off tne train and pedal out or catch a train out off Geneva,we are heading up the Rhone and into France.Homeward stretch!