Ferrara to Bologna to Porretta Terme to Florence in photos

• The Ferrara photos

You have no idea how happy Mel was to find a bagel and some Cocoa Pebbles-like cereal in Italy.

Who says you can be too old to ride a bike? These two were living life right in front of us.

Found a bike shop and was digging this bike.

There are bikes here.

...and more bikes here.

...and a nun on a bike. Mom, you taking notes?

Did I mention that there are bikes here? Oh, and beautiful streets like this.

Yep, bikes with people on them.

Uh huh.

A Romanesque cathedral that was begun in 1135.

Bikes and a town square. I likey.

Lunch time with Dan and Mel.

• The Ferrara to Bologna photos

Your basic huge-church-in-the-middle-of-nowhere.

Not all toilets are like this here but some are. Simple and easy. No paper cowboy hat necessary.

Gambling looks to be about as popular here as it's been in Reno recently.

I think we rode this shoulder for about 10 kilometers. Note that the big trucks can be a bit scary but overall drivers here are way more courteous than your average driver in California or Nevada. They even bother to give you some space when passing. And so far I haven't experienced one aggressive driver. Can't say I can usually go more than a day in San Francisco without one of those.

Mel is happy to have seen her first sheepherder.

Dan as smiley as ever. Mel is probably thinking she might puke.

So love her. Also love it when she's enjoying the ride.

•  Made it to Bologna with some photographic proof

Dinner time at the campground in Bologna. Italy does campgrounds right with some pretty decent food and beer. 

Thought I wouldn't? Pizza again and loving it.

Our home sweet home at the Bologna campground.

Yep, lots of bikes in Bologna too.

Can't remember the name of this place but it was old and beautiful.

Neptune's Fountain

A beautiful and small street.

And you wonder why I'm mostly a vegetarian.

Dan at the base of one of the leaning towers of Bologna.

Bologna has solved the sun/rain problem on it's sidewalks.

Church, beauty, ...etc.

Photo per Mel's request.

In case you were thinking of trying to rob a bank here you should know that they don't want you to do it in a fedora and a comically-large gun.

You get the picture.

Dinner time at the Bologna campground on night two.

This stuff is amazing. Had it on pizza and now crave it constantly. Watch out for the Dan creep factor in the background. 

• Bologna to Porretta Terme

Leaving Bologna through a gate.

One of those I-hope-we're-not-lost moments

Rode through a super long tunnel with no shoulder. This was the only place to stop for 3/4 mile or so.

• Porretta Terme and Porretta Terme to Florence. It's late here as I write this blog and we rode almost 100 miles in the last two days. It's bed time for me so I hope these last photos can speak for themselves.