[mobertol]

In the Ticino Park there is a mixture of natural deciduous and farmed Poplar woodland - there is a change in level going down and along the river and I can see what you mean about it being similar there Dave. Away from there is is very different as it's so very flat, great for cycling but it can be a bit boring for walking - most of the North of Italy is on a massive plain called the Pianura Padana. The land around Pavia is mostly a rice-growing area because of the proliferation of rivers and canals which naturally made it perfect for that kind of cultivation. Around Cremona where I now live (just 1 hours drive away from Pavia) it's mostly maize which is cultivated for producing fodder for milking cows. There is less water here though the River Po is nearby - irrigation water for the fields here comes down in canals from Lake Iseo which is near to Garda. Cremona is known as "the milk-bowl of Italy" they say that as many cows as people live in the area. It's very, very flat here too as you will have noticed from previous photos of mine. One of the things I miss most about Lankyshire is the hills and valleys - and of course the weather!!