The next morning (June 27th, if anyone cares to know), after our last French breakfast for 3 weeks, we rode the couple km to the ‘border’ of Italy. To me at least, these non-frontiers of the EU are really interesting. In every case I’ve seen so far, all the old infrastructure is still in place, but they are usually totally uninhabited. Possibly a couple of token cops standing around doing not much at all. It’s as if each country is not quite sure that this ‘Union’ thing is really going to work out and they keep the gates… just in case.If history is any indication, they might not be being too stupid!
Here are a couple of French cyclists flying into Italy for a Sunday ride, right past the old immigration booths.
And just beyond, the first of many of these signs we saw on this trip.
Next, bike and BOB at lunch in San Remo.
As soon as we left San Remo (actually, as soon as we entered it) we got onto a really great cycling path that was a total surprise. I had thought we’d be riding along busy coastal roads in Italy, but instead had over 20 km of this…
…and this.
We ended up getting to the campsite in time to watch both the World Cup matches of the day, just outside the pretty little city of Imperia.
The following day was more of the same, except without the excellent bike paths. We spent all the time on big, busy roads, rising and falling into coves with resort towns. At least we were compensated here and there by views like this…so not too bad.
Next up, a pasta-fueled climb out of the Riviera and onto the flat plains of the Po Valley!
The Vicious Cycle 
Imperia! Home of Agnesi Pasta, where, thanks to a fast-talking friend with fluent Italian, I got a complete tour of the factory conducted by the head of the company. If the Pasta Museum, further up in the hills, is finally open, my bag of Texas Sesquicentennial pasta should be there: pasta shaped like Texas.
Congratulations, Ed! No, not on getting your pasta in a museum…but being the first person to use the word ‘sesquicentennial’ on my blog (and in my life!).