September, 10

Left Milano about 12:00 noon. Bought bike computer. Followed provincial roads.

Rho - Pregnana Milanese - Mantegazza Vanzago - Arluno - Ossona - Magenta (approx. 32.5 KM Milano to Magenta).

Sunny, mild. About 26 - 28° C.

Flat easy riding. Traffic OK.

Claudio accompanied.

Then Magenta - Abbiategrasso - Vigevano - Gambolo - Tromello - Scaldasole - Sannazzaro de Burgondi

Lovely little towns - always go via “centro” to see best sights

Lost bottle and had to backtrack to retrieve

90 KM

September, 11

Left family hotel 10:30 AM

Warm, sunny. Humid 25 - 28° C.

Corale - Molino dei Torti - Castelnuovo Scrivia (took photo of man at church).

Crossed Po river. Lunch just outside of Tortona (29.9 KM to Tortona).

Flat, agricultural. Sugar beets, Poplar trees, corn fields.The odd banana plant.

Hills begin, climb about 150 metres then downhill to Genova.

100.5 KM.

We caught overnight ferry to Corisca.

September,12

Arrived Bastia, Corsica on overnight sailing.

Casamozza - Barchetta - Ponte Novu - Ponte Leccia -

Inland to Corte, uphill, then down to Aleria campsite.

122.1 KM

September, 13

Left campsite about 8:45 AM

Cloudy in morning. Mostly flat.

Gisonaccia - Travo - Solenzara - Ste Lucie - Porto Vecchio

Hot 30° C, humid.

Many beaches for swimming. Many locations for camping. Porto Vechio - old town on hill is nice. Port itself not as great.

81.8 KM

September, 14

Left 8:30 AM. Porto Veccio to Bonifacio 27 KM.

Often you see signs “Corsica” instead of the proper French name “Corse”.

Many old corsicans speak Italian, newer ones speak French. Easy ride to Bonifacio.

Ferry to Sardegna runs 4 or 5 times a day. A short 1 hour ride across to Sardegna.

Initial impression of Sardegna: very flat and dry, arid. Much like Yugoslavia. Bonifacio if a beautiful port.

Arrived Santa Teresa Gallura then to Porto Pozzo - Palau 25 KM.

Then from Palau took a short 15 minute ferry ride to Isola Maddalena - very worth a visit.

Good beaches. Short ride around the island then back to town of La Maddelena. Many american sailors.

77.3 KM

September, 15

Left 9:00 am from campsite il sole on Isola Maddalena. Good connection with ferry only 15 minutes.

Then headed to Arzachena. Many hills. Then to Costa Smeralda - very beautiful.

Then inland to Olbia - a port city with ferries to Italy.

Then Porto San Paolo - Monte Petrosu - Camping at Budoni.

Narrow roads. Hilly but not mountainous.

102.9 KM

September, 16

Left 9:00 AM from empty campsite near beach at Budoni. Then up and down hills on secondary roads past Posada - Siniscola - Santa Lucia - Orosei

Very little traffic.

Then uphill to Dorgali - 387 m.

Stayed at very good hotel with good view.

78.9 KM.

September, 17

Left Dorgali at 8:30 AM.

Climbed uphill for about 3 hours to 1,100 m (Silana Pass).

Then easy ride mostly downhill past Baunei on hill to Lotzorai on coast.

Then flat to Bari Sardo, uphill to Jerzu.

Goats on road. Lots of changes in vegetation with altitude. Highly recommend this area. Roads very quiet. Away from the coast you are not going to find camping sites.

Jerzu is a nice hill town with old costumes and customs. Men wear hats, woman wear dresses. Local food includes a pasta like perogees with goat cheese and tomato sauce, zuchini pizza and a crisp flat bread.

96.9 KM

September, 18

Left Jerzu 8:30 AM. Downhill more or less to Muravera. Quiet - few cars. After Muravera, start to climb. Difficult climb you find yourself in uphill then downhill sections in a valley - eventually you get to top at about 426 m. Then more or less down with some flat sections to Cagliari. Ignore signs on highway to port - just go straight to centre of town. Ferries go once or twice a week to Trapani / Palermo. Ferry to Trapani - they only take cash, no credit cards accepted. Overnight sailing.

129.7 KM

September, 19

Left ferry very early, at dawn. Trapani: a big, ugly port town. Then headed uphill on s 187 - a good road because very light traffic. Then inland theough hilly country - eventually to Castellammare del Golfo. Some good scenery - beaches, dry mountains to edge of sea. Stayed at camping at Isola delle Femmine just outside Palermo.

99.7 KM

September, 20

Left campsite about 7:30 AM. Had coffee 2 times.

Then headed to Palermo an S187.

Getting into Palermo not bad - you just keep going until you get to sea. Lots of fish stalls and ruined old buildings. Road after mostly flat.

Watch out if you are going inland when you don’t need to. Follow 1143 through Termini Immerse and on to Cefalu. Cefalu is a beautiful sea town well worth a visit.

93 KM.

September, 21

Left 8:30 short uphill then followed highway 113 to Acquedolci with little traffic. Then turned right and up s289 to San Fratello - 675 m.

A very nice hilltop town. Has 1 albergo. We were the only clients. People extremely friendly.

72.8 KM

September, 22

Left San Fratello about 8:15. Uphill to top of pass at 1,500 m. Basically a forested area - cool. Not too many viewpoints.

Then down to Cesaro and combination of small downhills and uphills to edge of Mount Etna at Randazzo.

Pass through Parco dell’Etna and see lava flows from various eruptions. Then down coast at Fiumefreddo and up to Taormina, a sort of tourist area with many hostels and restaurants. Very humid and hot at Taormina. Stayed at Hotel Riviera - good place with reasonable prices, just off beach.

103.8 KM

September, 23

Left Taormina at 8:15. Fairly easy riding to Messina - a rough port town. Took ferry straight across to Villa S. Giovanni. Would recommend that you take ferry direct to Reggio di Calabria. Then passed through rough roads next to sea and on to Melito di Porto Salvo - found a small 1 star hotel in centre - not bad.

Calabria is a little “rough”.

103.2 KM

September, 24

Left Melito di Porto Salvo 8:30. Road was completely flat to Soverato via Bova Marina - Brancaleone - Bovalino - Locri - Siderone  — Monasterace - Soverato.

Hot, humid. Cactus, banana, figs, date palms.

Great beaches, along sea. Good space on road for bikes, not too much traffic, road more or less smooth. Lots of camping, not so many hotels. Met a group of Italian cyclists.

136 KM

September, 25

Left 8:30 hotel at edge of sea. Hot morning, hot day. You do a fair uphill to cross into Isola di capo Rizzuto. An isolated area, not too many hotels, otherwise road more or less flat, except for some climbs near sea just after Soverato.

Found great hotel at Ciro Marina - Hotel Gabbianno.

121 KM

September, 26

Left 8:15 from Il Gabbianno - a very good hotel. Road more or less flat. Via Cariati - Rossano - Sibari - Trebisacce.

Very hot - low 30’s and humid. Stayed at hotel Stellato by the sea - good hotel. Very few tourists. People very friendly - a woman below a bridge offered us eggs and fruit.

100.6 KM

September, 27

Left 08:30 Trebisacce via Nova Siri - Scanzano - Taranto.

A difficult day due to lots of road construction, crowding of traffic, trucks etc onto S106.

Hot, humid, nothing much interesting in terms of scenery.

117.3 KM

September, 28

Left Taranto 9:15 - very hot and humid. Had difficulty finding proper road to brindisi. Finally after some traffic got established on old roman rout via Appia we made way to Brindisi.

Flat, much agriculture, olives etc. Arrived Brindisi 3 PM. Got on to ferry to Patras, Greece after several hours waiting until after dark.

84.6 KM

September, 29

Ferry to Patras, Greece. 17 hours.

September, 30

Road from Galaxie Hotel in Patras to Xilokastro. You must find the old road when leaving Patras. Go up 3 or 4 blocks from sea, turn left.This road will eventually connect with the old national road. A good road, a little rough but low in traffic. Hot. Many markets, rooms, hotels and campsites.

98.5 KM

October, 01

Left 9:00 AM from beachfront hotel. Hot. More or less flat until after Ithsmia, then very beautiful section until outside Athens. Hard to find hotel. Smog and dust in air makes eyes read and sore. Stayed in Chancres Hotel - expensive but good.

103.4 KM

October, 02

Day of rest in Athens 0 sightseeing. Saw Acropolis and Parthenon. Lots of stray cats and dogs. Old Athens is nice.

October, 03

Ferry to Paros. About 6 hours. Greek islands very gorgeous. Many hotels, restaurants and tourists facilities.

October, 04

Ferry to Thira, Santorini. Very beautiful place. Steep uphill to about 240 m after port. A disturbing practice of charging 3% - 55 5 extra in town to use credit card.

Very touristy, prices a bit high.

Greece is very good for hotels. Putting bikes close to front desk in sight of reception - best country for bikes at hotels.

October, 05

Took ferry from Thira back to Pireus.

A bit of an ugly town - expensive and dirty hotels. Had poor, dirty meal, watch out for restaurants trying to entice you inside.

October, 06

Took train from Pireus to Patras. Cost is very cheap. You cant take intercity trains (faster) with a bike, but there is one at 9:20 AM, stops at smaller towns but has baggage car for bikes. Get ticket, then go to baggage area for ticket for bikes, self-load bikes onto baggage car, then go. There are seat numbers on tickets, but people seem to ignore. No smoking signs obeyed. About a 6 hour ride to Patras. Met a german who had cycled to Turkey, got an eye infection and had to return. Late at night we caught a ship to Trieste - a very nice, ocean liner type., with inside cabin and a little expensive. Arrives in Trieste after 2 nights and one day. Midnight departure a little late so you have to hang around Patras all night - not bad if you can go to the bars etc.

Tip - if knees hurt, try raising seat a few centimetres.

October, 07

Day on ship to Trieste. Time passes very well if you have a cabin. About 32 hours total from Patras - Trieste - 2 nights, arrive 10:00 AM, leave midnight. For sit down dinner, you purchase coupons - they feed you a standard menu. Credit cards only for purchase of meal coupons.

October, 08

A big drop in temperature for morning of arrival, cloudy, about 7° C. A very cold day, unseasonable. Snow in nearby towns reported. Relatively easy day of riding via Monfalcone to Grado. Well recommended to see Grado (the old town). Sort of a small size Venice - clean, many hotels and camping sites.

55.2 KM

October, 09

Left 8:30 or 9:00 from Grado. Very cold, 7 - 9° C in the morning.

Aquileia is a place with roman ruins and a basilica, well worth visiting. Lots of tour buses. Grado was built before Venice. Then on to Cervignano and un-remarkable red road through Portogruaro (camping now closed but hotels are there) and on to San Dona di Piave. Many hotels. Road narrow, not much space for cars, but smooth and flat and the rows of trees either side of the road make for a good ride if not much traffic - try to do this stretch on a weekend.

90.7 KM

October, 10

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATRIZIA!

Left 9:30 or 10:00 AM S. Dona di Piave. After Musile de Piave, followed yellow roads to Caposile, Portegrandi, Mestre, Venice.

“Trinket” is a kind of causeway having a highway, train and bike path to get to Venezia.

Roads flat but too narrow. A bit stressful in traffic.

Venetians are very comfortable with lots of tourists. Hotels everywhere, but good selection can be found (as always) near the train station. Train will take bikes, but only a few times a day and with difficult connections.

41.6 KM

October, 11

A late start, left Venice about 10:15 - 10:30 AM. Took bike path opposite side of causeway - a bit of walking on side of road to get into Mestre. Then Zelarino (all flat) - Maerne - Noale (hotels) - San Dono (woman gave us coffee) - Messanzago - Camposampiero - San Guistina in Colle - Villa del Conte - San Giorgio in Bosco - Gazzo (nice stretch!) - Lanzé - Vicenza. See the centre of Vincenza!

77.2 KM

October, 12

Left 9:00 AM from Vicenza, along highway 11 via Olmo - Alte Ceccato - Montebello Vicentino - San Bonifacio - Verona (good town for visit - many hotels, campsites) - Castelnuovo del Garda - Peschiera del Garda - Sirmione.

Road mostly flat with a few small climbs. Many hotels in San Sirmione, also steam bath and roman villa, castle. Well worth visit.

92 KM

October, 13

Left Sirmione 10:00 AM to Desenzano del Garda then 1.6 KM tunnel Lonato del Garda - Rezzato - Brescia (very nice roman ruins and centre worth visit - Ospitaletto - Coccaglio - Palazzolo sull’Oglio (very beautiful town with river and towers - see the centre) then small roads to Telgate - Bolgare - Bagnatica - Seriate - Bergamo. In bergamo see the “Alto Citta”. Some hills (smallish), otherwise mainly flat. Agricultural with some hill towns, edge of mountains.

100 KM (ODO 2640)

October, 14

Last day Bergamo to Milano

Approx. 80 km, no diary entries made