Corte Lazzarini to Allocco

Saturday November 13, 2010

My campsite for the night, beside the Via Elisabetta Marchioni,  Corte Lazzarini.

Fortunately I had no more visits from the police overnight and I slept well. I got up after 9 am, packed up and set off.
I was on the main roads again, as I have been most of the time in Italy, and it was so busy, so much traffic. I didn't feel comfortable there in Italy at that time.
First priority of the day was to find a supermarket so I could get milk and cereal for breakfast. This didn't take long. I locked up the bike, leaving the panniers but grabbed my handlebar bag as usual. If anyone wanted to steal the panniers, they could, because I can't lock them up. I'm certainly hoping that won't happen though! In the supermarket, my handlebar bag set off the security alarm. It always seems to set off the alarm for some reason, in most supermarkets I go into. I don't know what's wrong with it. Usually I just keep walking in because it's obvious I'm not stealing anything on the way in. I keep walking on the way out too.
This time they wouldn't let me in though, and I had to leave my handlebar bag with them.
It took about an hour in the supermarket, very frustrating. I guess it was because it was a Saturday morning, lots of people were shopping and there were queue's everywhere.
I ate brekkie and hit the road again
The kilometres were really dragging by; I wasn't feeling it, again. Nothing much to look at, and can't really relax since I have to keep alert so that I don't get hit by a car and I keep myself safe.
Everything seems rather messy and unkempt and dilapidated. Is this because Italians are lazy? I see road works happening all over the place, but not much road work actually seems to be getting done. I like things to be organized and tidy and clean, not necessarily symmetrical, for example I don't mind creative abstract modern architecture and progressive or experimental music, but I don't like messiness.

On the Via Nazionale, just past Malalbergo, Italy.

My mind was back at home for some reason, and I was thinking of things like the dogs, hunting with the rifle, mountain biking in the bush, stopping at mineral springs and exploring old gold mining works, the things I did as a kid, being able to talk to people, being able to understand everything, such as road signs and food labelling.
I was very much looking forward to getting to Siena, and having this destination to look forward to kept me going.
I often have a wee on the side of the road without even getting off the bike, because otherwise I have to find somewhere to lean it since I don't have a stand. On this occasion, I got off the bike but it still wasn't discreet, and a bloke waiting for his bus over the other side was watching me, and he must have been needing a wee too, and thought "well if he can do it, then so can I," because when I turned around, he was also doing a wee on the other side of the road. I had to smile.
I got to Bologna and stopped at a pizzeria for tea, again. I wasn't very hungry, but I didn't think it would be a god idea to skip tea. And pizza is just so convenient in Italy. This pizza was small but thick, and tasted very good.

Pizza for tea in Casalecchio di Reno, Bologna, Italy.

I've had all different shapes and sizes of pizza in Italy on this trip.
Out the other side of Bologna, I accidentally took the autostrada (which cyclists aren't allowed on), because my MotionX-GPS didn't show the motorway being there, and I reckon the signs were wrong. I mean it didn't look right when I got onto it: "why is this minor road a dual carriageway?" is what I was wondering, but I persisted for about a kilometre as my doubts grew. The beep of a car horn finally convinced me I was on the autostrada. The "Open Cycle Map", which the MotionX-GPS uses is no good for this area, there are so many roads missing. Had to lift the bike over a concrete barrier and ride back down the autostrada.
Then I got back onto the quieter road, which was much better, not much traffic at that time of night.
The road was slowly climbing, as I headed deeper into the mountain range between Bologna and Florence, not sure what they're called, the Tuscan Apennines I think. Before long my intuition told me it was time to find a camp spot, and I felt it could be a good idea to turn, and in another minute or two, found a good camping spot, albeit unhidden, but I didn't think that would matter. Hopefully the cops don't wake me up again at 2:30 am! I'm pretty happy with the way my intuition is guiding me at the moment.

My route for the day, Corte Lazzarini to Allocco, Italy.

My route so far from France to Italy.

Ride stats:
Distance: 113.59 km
Average: 18.9 km/h
Maximum: 34.3 km/h
Time: 5:59:11
Total ascent: 648 m
Total descent: 511 m