Day 27 - Polesella to Ferrara

Po River

Our departure from Polesella led us south over a large bridge that spanned the Po River. The river cruise ship we saw last night was still tied to the dock in Polesella.

The Po is fairly wide at this point, and it takes several minutes to cross on foot. The river is Italy’s longest, running 652 kilometers across the country to flow into the Adriatic Sea.

The Po also marks the southern boundary of the Veneto, Once we crossed the bridge, we were in Emilia-Romagna.

I have been a little surprised by the lack of recreational boating on these rivers. I’ve seen no boats moving on either the Po or the Adige. I am not certain why they don’t have more users.

Half of the route followed the Po west. We walked on another levee that granted occasional river glimpses.

On the Levee

About two hours into the route, the sun burned through the clouds and it grew hot. Once again we were out in the open and exposed to the sun’s rays. That has been a recurrent condition for the past several days. The open farm country offers little shade, and we have been frying.

Abandoned Farmhouse

The other commonality is the amount of time spent walking on asphalt. This entire stage was on asphalt, and it is beginning to take a toll on my feet. The lack of any give in the surface means that my feet take the full impact of each step. Last night they ached and throbbed for hours after we stopped walking.

We reached the town of Francolino just before noon. We stopped in a bar for a cold iced tea, then spent a few minutes cooling our feet in a nearby park. Leaving town, the sidewalk was painted red for more than a kilometer. I don’t know if this is supposed to be decorative or symbolic.

Francolino

A line of plane trees flanked the bike path as we headed for Ferrara. The tall, leafy trees offered occasional intervals of shade, which made for a nice variation. We walked through a park, around a golf course, and ultimately, past the walls of Ferrrara. As with most cities, it took a lot more walking from the edge to our hotel, but we managed to finish the stage just before 2:00.

Ferrara City Walls

Today’s Distance: 24.5 KM

Total Distance:473 KM