I’m back in the hot-seat after my “rest day” break. We did a lot of sightseeing and touristy things yesterday, which meant we walked for 6 miles. Luckily I had my crutch with me so I feel less pain and can walk more miles.

It was time to hit the road again! We were heading south to Pavia, a city 40km away. The route looked straightforward after the suburbs of Milan. I had my navigation helmet on today though so I was confident there would be no hiccups. Dad joined me today for today’s ride – here he is preparing with a fantastic exercise routine. It wouldn’t look out of place on a footy pitch!

The trip out of Milan was a lot easier than expected. The roads weren’t busy and there were even some bike lanes! Maybe cycling in Italy wouldn’t be that bad after all! The main road we then took wasn’t that nicest but it wasn’t that busy. We passed through lots of agricultural fields but these weren’t really very photogenic (just the main cyclist below haha).

At about the half way mark we discovered a cracking cycle lane next to a canal. The first part was gravel but it soon turned into smooth tarmac. What a cracking surprise! We loved it as it felt like we were back in France or Switzerland.

This beauty of a cycle track took us all the way into the centre of Pavia. We made our way to the cathedral and took a few snaps. The centre is a lovely spot- the kind of place I imagined an Italian city to be. Take a look below.

The last few kms of the ride were on a sandy/gravelly track next to the river. It had been an enjoyable ride and there were no hills so I didn’t feel too tired (see the stats below) .My fitness has really improved since the start and I’m very pleased that my hip is managing to deal with all this cycling! Proper chuffed.