After a tricky 15km making our way out of Milan with our heavily loaded bikes, we finally hit the Naviglio Pavese. This old canal runs to Pavia and provided us with a smooth tow path and a direct traffic free route. We made great time stopping for lunch and some sight seeing in this pretty town, out first on the river Po which we will now follow some 450km east to the sea and Venice. The afternoon was spent tracking the river on some unsuitable paths, gravel sand and puddles which my creaking road bike did not enjoy. However it was beautiful, the sun shining on us through forests and the glistening river. We were relieved to see the huge motel sign from a few kms away, reaching our destination with 78km on the clock for today, my birthday. What a perfect way to spend it.
Link to interactive route map for here.