In Ferrara (pictured), they were in the middle of their annual Festival of Buskers, and last might the streets and squares of the Old Town were full of all sorts of street artists. There were bands, soloist singers, jazz, opera etc. There were various odd acts too, like a hillbilly band doing a version of Smoke on the Water. There were artists, caricaturists, tarot card readers (5) along with various other odds and sods. Along with big crowds, it all made for a very vibrant scene.
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A very long, hot, determined and safe day got us as far as Parma.
Can't blog about the day at the mo. Too frazzled - will update the entry tomorrow...
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Initially, we'd gone the wrong way out of Ferrara but then, switching to the GPS app., maps.me, worked out an excellent route west, mostly following canals.
(We can't leave the GPS on all the time because it drains the iPhone battery so fast. At times the iPhone gets so hot that it's too hot to handle.)
The plan was to reach Parma, a ride of some 85mls. Shorter than yesterday's but, as the temperature soared in the afternoon, really quite testing. We both got through around four litres of water.
Several times we stopped to check the map and on each occasion some Italian would stop and offer to help. Inevitably, the language barrier meant that such offers of help were not very helpful at all. In one small town, an old guy on a bike insisted that we follow him, which we stupidly did even though we were sure he was wrong. His intervention cost us about half an hour.
Actually, the day was rather uneventful and the terrain remained rather flat and boring. The towns around here are not particularly attractive either. Also, there are so many derelict houses, many of which would have been very grand at some time in the past.
Arrived in Parma and recovered over a couple of beers in the main square, under the impressive clock tower and next to the statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Using the (essential) Trivago app., we soon located and booked a small and very cheap apartment within a stone's throw of the busy centre.
After showering off the day's grime and salt we went for a pizza. Unfortunately, the pizzas were very poor - soggy and lacking any real flavour. So, after picking away at them for a while, we wandered around the town (still hot, in the high twenties) before retiring to bed at around 11:30. Parma is an attractive and well kept with place with lots of things to do and see - if we had time.
The northern Apennine Mountains are now in view. That's where we'll head next...
Check out “Ferrara to Parma” on Relive!
https://www.relive.cc/view/1151724049