Zelo to Mantova, Italy
Another day cycling on quiet roads and along the top of the levee banks beside the Po River. We had a short stop at a little church that had been rebuilt after being destroyed by bombing during WW2.
From here it was a short cycle to the cheese factory at Bergantino. They make a cheese called Grana Padano which is only made north of the Po River. It is like Parmesan which is make south of the Po.
The only difference is that the cows that produce the milk for Grana Padano are fed corn as well as grass, wheat and other cereals. We wondered where the cows were as we hadn’t seen any on our travels. Apparently they are kept in sheds because of air pollution (may be a problem in translation I suspect). They only make 40 rounds per week and the cheese is matured for 9 months before selling for 400 Euros. It tasted great with the wine served to us.
From here we rode a short distance to Bergatino where there is a Ride Museum. This area has a history of travelling carnivals and making amusement rides. They make 50% of the rides found in amusement parks around the world. Fascinating place which also had mechanical music like we saw in Rudesheim.
Lunch was in a shady park in the town of Ostiglia. We bought some water in a little Patisserie so we could use the bathroom and discovered with my minimal Italian that the owner’s aunt lived in Brisbane. She gave us a delicious cake to try. It is a small world sometimes.
We met the boat at Governolo for the trip to Mantova. We covered 50 kms today in bright sunshine and temps around 30 degrees.
