Forli – Day 84, on the Way.

I am way behind in my blog – all is going well, but without Wi-Fi for a few nights, and topped by a few hard days when all I wanted to do was sleep,  it has been difficult to update. 

Our journey to Forli was pleasant, but VERY hot.  The path more or less followed the Ronco River.  For most of the way it followed the levee bank, which combined as a cycle track and an access road for vehicles from the houses on the lowland side.  We were pleased when we fluked a bit of shade, but as the day wore on the shadows got shorter and we had to criss-cross across the track to make the most of what little there was.  There were few towns to divert to get a cold drink and so it was a case of putting one foot in front of the other and plodding on.  It was hard to find shady places to rest and to eat.  We grabbed the little patches we could find and rested briefly, taking off our boots to air our feet as the hard asphalt of the cycle path was tiring on the feet.

 Green crops, and crops ready to be harvested

Yet to be harvested crops......

....and the harvesting in progress.

Despite that we had a couple of interesting diversions.  One occasion was when we stopped to “perch” on a guard rail for a rest and a cycle tour shared our pathway.  There were about 30 of them, Italians, based in Ravenna and going out each day on a ride.  We questioned them, and they questioned us!

I was quite surprised by the density of the bush lining the river.  Very thick and lush, though the water level in the river was fairly low, with the river being used for irrigation of the crops.  Both agriculturally and horticulturally the way was quite diverse.  We passed cereal crops, some being harvested, fields of clover, stone fruit crops, apples and cherries, kiwi fruit, and vines. 

 The lush river undergrowth

 Just some of the cyclists we met at our "perch" point!

With the heat, neither Jill nor I felt like walking through the suburbs, and so just outside of Forli we crossed the river and hopped on a bus to get through the suburbs.  Unfortunately our accommodation was quite a distance from the centre of town so we still had quite a hike.  After washing ourselves and our clothes we walked into the centre of the city to have a look around a very interesting town.  After drinks and a snack in the Piazza Saffi Aurelio we went across the massive square to look inside the Church of San Mercuriale, the oldest Church in the town.  The windows were of alabaster and sith the sun shining through them the whole building was suffused with a yellow light as if the spotlights were on. 

Piazza Saffi Aurelio

Abbey of San Mercuriale...

                         

For the first time we had fun and games finding somewhere to eat that night.  This was the place where we couldn’t find a restaurant that opened before 7.30!  We were very hungry and very tired and so we wanted to eat early and get some rest, but it wasn’t to be.