Allora! Biking and hiking in Italy (part two, boat and bike)
Monday, June 26, 2023 at 11:01AM 
Aging farm houses dot the Po River valley landscape
The Ave Maria barge accommodates about 30 passengers. Small, even for river cruise ships. There was a spacious dining room, large top deck, and storage space for bicycles. Our small cabin was on the main floor. Bathroom en suite, two single beds, and lots of cupboard/shelving space. Two window and good wifi.
The Ave Maria 30 passenger "barge"
The seven night trip was similar to the four boat/bike trips I’d done before. Well-prepared meals of modest proportions served each evening. This trip featured local cuisine and some vegetarian meals for all. Breakfasts were buffets, including bread, sliced meats and cheese from which one was expected to make sandwiches for lunch on the road. Liquor was self-serve on the honor system. Snacks and juice were served each afternoon on return from the bike ride.
Preparing for a day of biking
The other passengers (average age 65-70) were a friendly bunch. Larger groups of Norwegians and Swedes, plus a sprinkling of Brits, Canadians, Aussies, and two other Americans. There was a small crew of six - two guides, two cooks, a captain, and a mechanic. They all performed multiple duties such as serving food and getting bikes off and on the ship. Mikela, who grew up near where we biked, and Helmut, from Germany, were our tour leaders. Mikela the lead; Helmut the sweep. Any announcement for the group was prefaced with “Allora!” loudly proclaimed by Mikela. While both seemed somewhat brusk at the beginning of the trip, they were both knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful every day. Hey, you try herding 28 old people on bikes through Italian towns, cities, and countrysides, you may need to be a bit forceful as well!
Lido beaches
Mikela often reassured the group after describing a rather confusing set of directions by saying “Easy, peasy.” An Italian saying? I don’t know what a peasy is.
Canal on Ferraza
We had a short guided tour of Venice and a free afternoon the first day of the trip, but for the next five days we biked between 20 and 35 miles. After a visit to a glass blower on Murano Island, we disembarked on Lido and biked-up on the long strip of the island. Past famous hotels, packed beaches on busy streets, we finally arrived via ferry at Chioggia where we found the ship docked.
Bike path on a dike along the Po River
The next three days were spent primarily on bike paths along canal embankments along the Po River, through amazing farmlands and small towns. It was flat. Probably the flattest bike ride I’d ever been on, and didn’t take my ebike out of “eco” mode for 95% of the trip. About half the bikers had ebikes this trip.
Our starter course on board the Ave Maria
The old crumbling farm buildings, the groves of fruit trees, and the small town bell towers were picturesque and charming. Large fields of poplar trees for flood abatement were common. One the fourth day we toured a cheese factory where large rounds of cheese sell for thousands of dollars and a museum of amusement park rides. Our last full day we spent in Mantua, biking the nearby countryside in the morning and taking a guided tour in the afternoon. (And running our laundry to the cleaners.)
Old building near Mantua
Our final morning had us packed and off the boat, walking across town to the train station, and catching the first of three trains, winding up in Vernazza, Cinque Terre.
Say "cheese"
Boat-bike trips are probably my favorite way to vacation. Once at the boat, one can let anxiety and planning go. You are housed. You are fed. You are guided. You see new places at ground level, upclose, and slowly. And you get some exercise in the bargain.
On the trail
Placemat showing our biking route
More photos here:
