From Mantua, we shortly plunge into the countryside, among canals and cultivated fields, pedaling along the Mincio River to Governolo, which was a fortified village with a castle, later destroyed. Now the partially buried waterworks, a tower with a clock and a few houses remain.
On the next stretch we skirt the Po, the longest river in Italy, with a wide basin, now partly sandy because of widespread drought. Our stop is Ostiglia, a simple, hard-working town that grew up along the river. To relax, a dip in the hotel pool awaits us.
Overnight in Ostiglia.