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Published: September 10th 2023
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After a last day in Switzerland this week has been all about Italy. I knew I'd have to work a bit to get out of Switzerland as there was a decent climb over the hill before Lugano. However my difficulties came in a completely different way. Not unexpected, just different. I got lost. Well not quite lost. I knew exactly where I was. It was just not where I thought I was heading.
Another one of my regular navigation mishaps. I started off following the cycle signs for Lugano, route 31 and Veloroute 5. For most people that should be easy.
The slight added complication was that for a short distance the same signs indicated route 3 to Lucano. Now you see where this is heading.
For some reason my mind switched to following the signs for Lucano and when the paths split I went the wrong way. I was flying along a lovely level path wondering when I was going to turn and face the inevitable climb, or did the path have some way round it. The hill was only a kilometre or so to my left.
Only when I got to Tenero did I check
the map and realise what I'd done. There it was in front of me, Lucarno.
It's a bit of a sinking feeling when that happens, but you have to deal with it. Allow a minute or two if cursing, silent if there are other people around, and then decide what to do about it.
A good 10 or 15 km back to the correct path. The thought of that and then having to do the climb, really didn't appeal. There was a train station about a kilometre away, Tenero, so I headed for it.
Now should I get the train back to roughly the path or press onto lugano? I took the easy option. Lugano. I wanted to get to Como and time was flying by.
Information available on multimedia screens at station was excellent. I managed to work out the timetable. It was easier to buy tickets online though. Bike goes at half fare here.
I did feel guilty as I saw the hill approaching and the train entered the tunnel under it. I consoled myself that I had resisted the temptation to take the train to the border, or even Milan! And now
rather than hop on a boat at the lake as the Earls did, I'd cycle along it.
Lugano is also popular with tourists. It's obvious why. A beautiful city on a lake shore. Can't really go wrong.
I pressed on along the shore and onto Chaisso. Then suddenly Chaisso became Como and I was in Italy. There was a border post, but as they just waved everyone through, there didn't seem much point to it.
The difference was immediate, the calm of Switzerland became a chaos of cars and scooters. The road surface was not as good.
I only noticed another big difference when I felt the heat of the sun. Looking back I could see that the mass of cloud above stopped directly above the border. It was really weird. Coincidence I know, but weird nonetheless.
Como campsite was just off the auto route. It was memorable because there were rabbits. Pet type rabbits had the run of the place.
The ground was harder than I've been used to and the night warmer.
I don't know if Italians are more accident/illness prone or it was just because I was on the edge
of a large city, but there were loads of ambulance sirens during the night. I can't help thinking the tones sound like the first few notes of an opera.
I was trying to make up some time, so I completed long cycling days. About 120km each day. For me that's loads. I stopped to check directions, to avoid major errors and for the odd photo. There were lots of butterflies but the only one I stopped for was a swallow tail but it fluttered on, so no photo.
The km flew by, my legs slowly recovering from the climbs. I enjoyed a couple days flat cycling, but they were hot and dusty.
The Earls seem to have kept moving through Italy apart from Milan, where they spent three weeks.
I only stayed long enough for a quick look at the castle and cathedral. A shame I don't have more time.
It's mostly agricultural area I pedalled through and with no campsites I booked a place in Pianzenca. I enjoyed the luxury of a beautiful apartment for one night.
After a long dusty cyle to Modena, next day I took the train to Ancona, about 300km
Lugano.
Not Lucarno. or nearly three days cycling.
From there I took the coastal route to Porto Recanati. Another navigation error saw me enjoy a rapid descent of about a mile only to discover it was a dead end and I had to slog back uphill again.
Taddhg devotes 25 pages of his book to Loreto. That's 50 pages in my book (pages alternate Irish and English translation opposite).
A footnote by Paul Walsh, the translator says "This long digression is of no historical value, but may be of intetest to students of the legend of the holy house of Loreto..."
The basic story is that this is the house in which Mary, mother of Jesus was born and reared and retired to. We're told it was miraculously transported several times by angels until it reached its current location in Loreto.
Tadgh recounts several tales related to the translocations and associated miracles.
As you can imagine the Basilica was very busy. I was lucky to get a quick walk through the house before it was closed to facilitate a visit by school children.
It was late morning and really hot by the time I moved on.
I was a bit worried if I'd get to Foligno in time to check into the hostel. I knew there were hills ahead.
The big climb came at the very end, to almost 3,000 feet. It was long and gradual, so I managed ok. The last 30km or so was all downhill and was absolutely brilliant. I found it hard to believe I'd climbed so high.
I gave myself a day off today. Only 150km to go. I'm enjoying a quiet beer in the bustling square outside the cathedral in Foligno. Only about 50m from where St Francis of Assisi sold his father's clothing.
The locals are enjoying a bowl of ice cream, a glass of wine, a cold beer. Mostly they seem to be enjoying talking. The square is echoing with chatter.
The people sitting are watching the people walk by. And those walking are looking at the sitters. Everyone is talking and looking.
Now we're all looking at a ladies football team that has just arrived and are having a group photo taken outside the Town Hall.
Like the Earls did at some point, no doubt, I'm now starting to wonder how
I'm going to get home! Unlike the Earls I have options.
But I have to get to Rome first.
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