IL LONG WAY DOWN: CAPTAINS LOG - Como to Cremona

We didn't get the early start we'd hoped for today as we had a lot of stuff to sort. Teething problems, we will get better.
We departed Como at around mid-day and it was around 35, degrees. Although it was hot, it was gorgeous still. Will never forget Como.
We set off on the bike heading north to begin with, to the Italian/Swiss border. This was only about 4 miles away but we still had to engage a hill that was half a mile long and around 18% in gradient. We crossed the border, where there were guards searching someone's car, and immediately turned around, in search for our first destination.
We knew there was going to be a lot of climbing getting out of Como, and we weren't wrong about that. The fun side to climbing mountains and or hills, is that "what goes up, must come down". I registered a speed of around 45mph, and I wasn't trying, so that gives you and idea of the gradients.
It was a bit stop/start in places, but as soon as we'd passed Monza, the roads straightened and required less stopping due to there being less traffic lights compared to the built up towny parts.
The views were breathtaking, the rivers to die for and the sun, glorious. The sun took it tole in several ways on both Rob and I. Me especially as I'm prone to sun stroke and I developed a searing headache about half way on the ride. It was that bad it made my right eye water and every bump I cycled over send a shock wave of pain through my entire head.
We had very few stops, but the ones we did were only to fill up on water. And to be precise, we remember buying no less than 9 litres. Yes, 9 litres, and we carried on drinking throughout the evening. Both of us had a good load of salt build up on our clothes too from sweating nonstop for 7 hours and so much so I offered to use it for the bolognese I cooked that night for dinner. Both declined.
Dinner was the first bit of real food we'd had all day, besides breakfast I suppose, but when you're cycling you get too comfy living off the gels and the bars. Not proper food, but it does work.

The campsite is shocking, looks like an old war bunker. Showers were cold, and everything is getting covered in this furry sh#t that keeps falling from the trees above. Tents went up late, but just in time. Neither Rob or I had used our tents before as we bought then especially, so took a little longer than normal.
We're looking forward to tomorrow as its not so far, with just over 60 miles to cover to Modena. We will be stopping off in Parma on the way as well, and looking forward to it.

Ciao!!