Senna Lodigiana is a farming village on the north bank of the Po, opposite Piacenza, in the flat, fertile Lodigiano. Here the great river is wide and slow, flanked by poplar plantations, sandbanks and high flood embankments, the argini, which protect the farmland from the floods that have shaped this landscape for centuries.
Pilgrims on the Via Francigena, the medieval route from Canterbury to Rome, crossed the Po near here. Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, recorded the crossing in the tenth century, and today walkers following his route still cross by boat from Corte Sant'Andrea, a hamlet of Senna Lodigiana, to the south bank, where a small ferry service carries them across. It is one of the most atmospheric moments on the whole route.
The food here is wonderful. The Lodigiano is dairy country, and Grana Padano and other cheeses are made from the milk of its cows. Across the river, Piacenza is famous for its cured meats, coppa, pancetta and salame, all with protected status, and for the red wine Gutturnio from the hills to the south. Risotto, tortelli and boiled meats with mostarda are on every menu.
The riding is flat and peaceful, with roads running along the embankments and through the farmland, with views over the river and the poplar groves. Surfaces vary, and some embankment roads are narrow. Traffic is light. Fuel and food are available in the area, and Piacenza, across the bridge, has full services. As a finish, the Po at sunset, with mist rising from the water, is a memorable sight.