After four days in Venice, we pack everything up again to move on. We like the idea of spending more days in one place, it gives more rest and the logistics are easier. We say goodbye to GianLuca and his daughter. With the car and trailer we drive to Tombelle where the tree bike is parked at the lunch restaurant. Sanne stays a while and already looks for a new location for three days from now. It is not easy in this area, of course it is vacation and we are looking in a small ‘pond’, several rooms, want to cook ourselves and affordable. With Daan I cycle the first twenty-five kilometers along quiet and busier roads. Soon we approach Padua, a substantial city with a huge cathedral. Everywhere in the center you see groups of young people, one of whom is walking with a laurel wreath on his or her head. We pass such a group on a terrace and the young lady with the wreath comes enthusiastically to the tree bike with her father and wants to cycle along for a bit. Big applause as we actually cycle away together. We give her a little tree for her graduation. Another picture in front of the huge cathedral and we cycle out of town. I like the peace and quiet. We eat a sandwich together, everyone is back, just before we have to make the climb. It is over thirty degrees with a clear blue sky. It is a typical landscape, in the fairly flat landscape hills suddenly loom up like sand cakes on a table. And that’s where we’re going, about three hundred altitude meters I estimate. Well, why take it easy when it can be difficult, especially with thirty degrees. But fair is fair, the views are beautiful and it is again a good exercise for the tree bike, which should not get too lazy just before the Alpine stages. After descending we pass the town hall in Galzignano Terme. A quick look inside. An intern guards the fortress, it seems. We exchange addresses and I give her a little tree for the mayor Riccardo Masin, with a forest book, of course. We cycle again, through flat Dutch countryside with dikes, straight roads, corn, sunflowers and large agricultural vehicles. The sunflowers seem to be on strike, not looking at the sun, as usual right? And just like the big tractors, we too have a good pace. It is around 5:30 when we cycle into the fortified town of Montagnana. What a beautiful pearl in this flat agricultural area, I don’t expect this here. Sixty-eight kilometers today, nice going. We park the tree bike at the town hall next to the police station and ride together to Mantua where we will stay for another three nights. It’s still a good hour’s ride though. Mantua is also a fortified town beautifully situated on the lake. Around eight we drive over the dam into Mantua. Our place is opposite the station, simple hotel rooms this time. We park the cars and have a simple meal at a place that seems to be a bar but turns out to be a salsa dance hall. What fun it is to see people dancing salsa. It is very loud though and we can barely understand each other. Just too intense for us after such a long day. We walk back. Sleeping well seems a better plan.