The name of the ferry, the “Excellent” is perhaps an overstatement in regards to its amenities and maintenance. The ship has seen many years of service and it shows. The cafeteria was open, but little else. Nonetheless, we had a great time and had a wonderful sleep in our comfy cabin. The shower was great and felt like a luxury.
Culturally, the trip was very interesting for us as the route originated in Morocco. There was a mosque onboard and many Moroccan families were travelling for 3 days on this ship to Genova. As the only cyclists on board, I think that we were a curiosity for them as well.
The two storey rear deck was a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the fine weather and views. The swimming pool which is not functioning shows the disrepair that we saw on some of the ferry.
A happy sailor enjoying the sun on deck. We are so lucky to have good weather for our journey as our ferry departed at noon and we don’t arrive until tomorrow morning about 8:30. We spent much time on deck enjoying the sun.
It’s morning and we are waiting for our turn to disembark. The ferries are lined up at the harbour in Genova which is causing a delay.. You can see that Mary Ellen continues to be pretty uncomfortable sitting after falling in the shower about 10 days ago.
We finally have been given the green light to disembark. We are excited to be coming back to Italy, yet we decided to wait and let the trucks disembark first so that it would be easier to find our way. Little did we know that we would be crammed in with cars, trucks and motorcycles waiting to queue up for Customs.
We enjoyed the ferry as it was like a mini adventure - and best of all, we had a great sleep. It is quite hot in Genova. First stop will be to find a Bar and have a great cup of Italian coffee. The people who have been on the boat since Morocca seem really happy to be back on land, even though it was a smooth crossing.
..and now we are lined up for Customs. We have really developed confidence in these situations when in a crowd of cars and trucks. Initially off the ferry, it was a bit chaotic, but we held our spot. People in line were taking our photo and calling out to us with thumbs up.
But where is the sign for bicycles? The Customs officer was very friendly and did a double take when he saw our bike. He gave us a warm welcome to Italy.
Genova is a city full of surprises and beautiful buildings. We had few preconceptions as it was a place we chose due to the ferry. There are many Unesco sites in Genova, this being one of them. Beautiful paintings on the exterior are eye catching.
Leaving the harbour we rode up a narrow cobbled street and stopped at the first Bar that looked interesting - great coffee and sweets are just what we have been dreaming of!
We hit the jackpot at the Tourist Office in Genova. These two women were so helpful and full of enthusiasm. When we walked in and asked about the best way to ride a bike from Genova to Verona, they just shook their heads and said that there are no cycling maps for this area - too hilly. Simultaneously, they looked alarmed and concerned for us. The young woman on the left came up with the thought that Road #45 would be our best option and her colleague called her husband (a cyclist) who confirmed their idea. They warned us that #45 is famous as a ride for motorcyclists and dangerous for bikes. We promised them that we would be careful.
Next stop is the Italian Touring Club which sells great maps and books about travel. As mentioned by the Tourist Office, there are no cycling maps, but this woman found maps which had pretty good detail to help us get to Verona. We complimented the beauty of Genova and she shared her pride in her home. She said that it is an undiscovered gem as little is done to promote Genova. Nonetheless, it has much to offer and is highly recommended.
As much as we loved what we saw of Genova, we decided that we should head out after doing some sightseeing. We are anxious to get on the road and tackle the route ahead. The weather is very hot and humid, so we want to get ahead of the weather. Last stop is a late lunch .
We will need sustenance to make the climbs and ride that are ahead of us - so we stopped for lunch at this very popular bar. We both had a savour tart with salad - yum.
This was one of those bizarre and wonderful travel moments. We were wedged in the middle of masses of cars all trying to access a roundabout. This young man started talking to us out his window.and we gave him our card to help explain our journey. This traffic jam truly took nerves of steel as there was no traffic pattern at all. Barry did great and I did my best to show drivers what we were doing and keeping an eye. It was every man for himself. The truest form of chaos. Meanwhile, a woman on a scooter was trying to give us directions as we were riding as our turn was difficult to find. Anyway, we made it!
We started climbing immediately and it didn’t stop until we reached our destination. The heat is killing us and we have to be careful as some of the curves are pretty tight with no shoulders. The cars are pretty good, but the buses, trucks and particularly the motorcycles are a different matter.
There are many tunnels - too many to count. They are wonderful as they are cool and relatively flat. However the noise is thunderous and this one was almost 2 km long.
Charmaine RuppoltWow, I can't imagine biking in those tunnels...at least they are lit - and hopefully people gave you room... You need earplugs to make it through! :) Reply to this comment 8 months ago
We were beginning to get worried about accomodation as we were pretty tired. No camping up here at all. We asked at this restaurant and the owner drew a rough map on a placemat showing us where a B&B was.
And we found it...Le Torretta in Scoffera. Luca, the owner, kindly offered to make us dinner - ravioli, salad and apricot mousse for dessert. We were both exhausted and really appreciated his hospitality.
To say that we have had a remarkable day is an understatement. We arrived from Barcelona by sea, we discovered a gem of a city in Genova, met wonderful people and had one of the most challenging rides we have ever done, through heat, humidity and endless climbing. And then, we found this B&B tucked away in a wee village in the Appenine Mountains. Our room has a large terrace with a view across the tops of the climb we did earlier. Our legs and bodies are so tired - we both fell in to bed - exhausted but exhilarated by a tremendously rewarding day of travel.
Today's ride: 47 km (29 miles) Total: 2,276 km (1,413 miles)
Barry BartlettThank you Elodie. We appreciate your encouragement. It was a special day. We are now in Mantova and next is Verona. The heat is bringing thunder storms, so we choose to ride when it's good.. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
