We’re heading for the Pixxeria.

May 21, 2023

Sento to Mantova

As Franklin (via Windy) predicted, it was a perfectly clear warm morning. I had but one layer on to start the day and lathered on the sunscreen with intent. We managed to leave by 10am which is pretty good for us after a mildly disappointing hotel breakfast.

It proved to be a much more interesting and varied ride today no doubt helped by the bluebird conditions. It was a mix of quiet country roads, cycle paths and single track with enough muddy puddles to keep us honest and the bikes dirty. They really have copped a hammering. Mondo has been performing brilliantly, all things considered, and the crack in the rim has not widened or lengthened. I did clean the chain yesterday which helped as well. I think Mondo is looking to put the pedals up for a while and get some proper qualified attention when we back to Australia next weekend.

This is a flood barrier that must have been working overtime in the last few days judging by the debris at the top.

Being a Sunday we bought some provisions at the first supermarket we saw which proved a good call as we didn’t pass any open shops or cafes when lunch was beckoning. The standard prosciutto and cheese sandwiches were joozed up with an olive tapenade that would not have looked out of place on the the high street of Twickenham.

We’re following Eurovelo 8, known as the sun route. Had I known that I would have started here 5 weeks ago.

Franklin having difficulty trying to explain to these gents that he is not Australian, using the only two words he knows in Italian. ‘Macchiato’ and ‘Frizanté’

We arrived in Mantova by 5pm and met our Air bnb host at our place right in the centre of town on Via Roma. I took charge of directions and led the others directly there without even looking at the map, knowing that all roads lead to Via Roma.

We were in this town about a week ago when it was wet and cold. We stayed at a hotel by the station and made a cursory visit into the town before heading off the next morning. It seems likely a completely different place on a balmy Sunday evening. There are people everywhere enjoying the warmth, the bars are packed and all the shops are open.

Even more stunning is the Palazzo Ducalle complex which covers one square mile and is a UNESCO world heritage site. I’m not sure how we missed that one but I’m glad we came back.

For the last week I have been copping a merciless attack from my so called friends because of an incident stemming from our last visit. We were sitting in a bar and I asked them the perfectly reasonable question “What sort of food do you get in a Pixxeria?”; as there was a Pixxeria directly across from where we were sitting.

The top sign definitely has ‘x’s’ not ‘z’s’. I rest my case your honour.

So now, whenever we are discussing what to have for dinner the option of having a pixxa is thrown around much to everyone’s childish amusement. Will these blokes ever grow up?

Serious cobblestones in Mantova. Mondo was not impressed.

After dining in said Pixxeria followed by a stroll around town with a pistachio gelato it was a relatively early night before we ride into Verona tomorrow.

Today's ride: 89 km (55 miles)
Total: 1,706 km (1,059 miles)

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