Day 7 Bologna to Mantova - total ride 500 k, 3952 m

It was a longer flat ride today through very good farming country, all of which was dedicated to croppiing, vegetable growing or orchards (even the odd Kiwifruit orchard. Having said that within the last 10 km's we past probably less than 10 livestock (cattle and pig) farms the animals we didn't see but the nose never misleads in that area.

The stand out thing from today's ride were the large number of vacant and now unlived in farmhouses. There must have been quite a large exodus from the rural sector as mechanisation and larger coprporate farms have taken over from the small family farm.

Some were quite dilapidated while others you could see have only been left in the last 5 -  10 years - most had TV aerials while some had satelitte dishes on their rooves. Real Estate agents would describe them as farmhouse or barn conversions just waiting for the  have new inspirational owwners. Clearly though there is no market for these properties as the people have just walked out the door and left them.

Sad..

But great subjects for photographic projects - a pity I don't time and my proper camera with me. Now that may be just enough reason to vome back here again (but without the bike) - I'd also be able to take pictures of the beautiful doors that have got to be works of art in their own right.

On the riding front, it was quite a pleasant temperature for the first few hours but then it warmed up and finished up once again in the high twenties..I had my first mechanical today with a broken chain - so that held us for 10-20 minutes while I got it sorted. 










 



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