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Sat 14Sep2013
Good breakfast - cereal again. While in restaurant, used WiFi to book two nights in Hotel Perla in Bologna, so as to give day off on Sunday when rain forecast. Still had GPS problems getting on the route out of Reggio, but fixed by deleting some waypoints. Some of the direct SS9 road was OK with cycle paths, but these disappeared after a while (just like in UK!) So I set off on parallel quiet roads to the North of the railway and autostrada, towards Modena. Being the weekend, I was passed by a big cycling club, several of whom commented on my 'Edimburgo' top (Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative). There was some kind of political gathering in the Piazza Maggiore, Modena, with a ranting politician projected on to a big screen. The route from there was the usual mixture of cars and trucks on narrow roads. I stopped at a roadside restaurant for cake and a sandwich of local ham. In the restaurant an old lady was sewing, and the gent that served me knew about the cyclist David Millar! The Garmin worked well this time, taking me straight to the hotel in Bologna. At check in it seemed there was some problem with authorisation of my Visa credit card, but luckily I had a Mastercard as well. Room was nice but small.
I walked to the bus station and the rail station, but decided on the way not to make a side trip to San Marino tomorrow, bust stay in Bologna as there is so much to see. I also decided to radically alter my plans for getting back home after visiting my cousin Anne in Ari. More train, less cycling!
87km
Sun 15Sep2013: Exploring
Had a little lie-in to 0830. Breakfast in Bar Londres across the road (Via San Vitale). Back in the hotel, the concierge offered me the loan of a laptop to save going to an internet cafe. I gladly accepted (despite a wonky screen and a pirated version of Windows!) I booked the next three nights in hotels, each about 40 Euros. By the time I had finished this it was 1230! I walked in to the city centre via the 'two towers' (one of which is leaning quite a lot - see photos), having a snack on the way, and had a look at the large Neptune Fountain (see photo) just off Piazza Maggiore. I had a look round the main cathedral, then popped in to the church of St Cecilia, where I was surprised and delighted to hear a chap practising Mussorsky (Pictures) on the piano. I tried and failed to find the modern art gallery. Then it started to rain, so I popped in to St Peter's church, where a choir was practising Panis Angelicus. Oddly there was a line of longitude set into the floor of the nave.
I then went in to a coupleof clothes shops, and thought the prices were surprisingly cheap. Had a machiatto and tart then back to the hotel to upload some photos and videos. Dinner at Spacca Napoli just along the road.
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