10th - 16th April | underthesky

Week 2. Pavia -Siena 10th - 16th April 2023

3rd - 9th April

10th - 16th April.

17th - 23rd April

24th - 30th April

The Po river

10th April.

On Easter Sunday, we followed the Po river and arrived in Piacenza where we spent the night in a lovely studio.

11th April

We did a few extra km to find Camping Arizona at Bagni di Tabiano, Province de Parme. Campsites in Italy were not all yet open for the season.

Hotel Excelsor, Pavia

10th April. Leaving the hotel in the morning.

10th April

Pavia to Piacenza

The River Po

Our first view of the Po river.

Piacenza. Outside our studio.

The sky from the courtyard.

Swifts screeched across the sky.

Room with piano

The B&B was full so we had to had to do with this wonderful studio with a piano.

Piacenza

Basilica San Francesco d'Assisi

Easter Monday

Because of Easter, restaurants were closed. But bars were open, so instead of an evening meal, we had two apéros!

11th April Leaving Piacenza

The courtyard outside our studio. In the morning we discovered our first puncture on Michelle's trailer.

Piacenza

Basilica di Sant'Antonio

Salsomaggiore Terme

Most campsites are not yet open for the season. We had a long uphill cycle to find this campsite.

12th April

Leaving Arizona campsite.

River Taro, Province of Parme.

The Apennines

Today we have our first big climb. Cycling towards the Apennine mountains.

Click to continue to April 12th.

12th April

We headed towards the Apennine mountains for our first real climb. 55km with 12km uphill. +979m. Happy to make it thus far! We stopped for the night at Ostello di Cassio.

12th April

It looked like rain...but it wasn't.

De beaux nuages pour décorer le ciel. Pas de pluie!

12th April.

Ostello di Cassio, a stop along the Via Francigena, where we spent the night and met some people who were walking the trail.

We took a stroll through the pretty village of Cassio.

Balade à travers le village pittoresque de Cassio.

Balade à travers le village pittoresque de Cassio.
Click to continue.

13th April

87km. The last climb to Passo della Cisa (1041m) before a long 50km descent and at last we reached the Mediterranean.

13th April

14th April

14th April We cycled along the Mediterranean and then through the hills where we did a few km with a Belgian couple who left home last November! We found a campsite in the hills near Lucca.

River camping by the Magra

Province de la Spezia

A little stop by the Mediterranean.

Windy blue Mediterranean sky.

Mountain view from the beach

Piazza Duomo, Pietrasanta.

Piazza del Duomo, Lucca

Piazza del Duomo, Lucca

Lemon trees in the street.

Lucca.

Permaculture. Via Vittorio Emanuele, Camaiore, Province Lucca.

Piazzano

15th April

Camping at the farm, but we didn't see a farm! We woke to heavy rain but luckily it cleared up and it was sunny when we got on the road. We passed through Lucca the main town in the province. Our Belgian friends from yesterday passed by as we were having our picnic.

When we arrived at Castelfiorentino the sky was looking dark. The hotels we contacted were full!

Then a guy on a bike stopped to help. He even phoned around and found us a hotel. But that wasn't all - he guided us on this bike for several km to the hotel! Then the sky opened and it lashed rain!

To add to the adventure, hotel restaurant was closed, but the lady at the bar ordered some pizzas for us and when they were delivered she served them to us in the restaurant!

AGRI Camp, La Valle

It wasn't a farm at all!
It lashed rain all night, but was sunny in the morning. We dried out our tent in the sun before setting off.

View of the Campsite.

16th April

77km and a lot of Tuscany hills from Castelfiorentino to Siena where we found a spot in the shade at Camping Colleverde. We decided to stay 2 nights to visit the town.

17th - 23rd April