Take your time – the Parma Apennines as you've never seen them before

Time: we can kill it, lose it, forget it, regret it. There are so many sayings about the concept of time. In the Pramzán dialect, one phrase, in particular, is said by cyclists. When they are riding slowly but would like to go faster or when they regret not having the latest bike brand, they say ‘G’vol dal témp’ – it takes time.

It’s hard to disagree with this expression, as everything takes time. But, cycling sometimes needs a little more. There are lots of things to do to get ready: from pumping up your tyres to getting dressed. You need to pause on the way too – to eat something or fill up your bottles at a fountain. It also takes time to remind yourself to message your friend in the morning: ‘how about a ride tonight? Around 30 kilometres (18.6 mi), I don’t have much time.’

In the Parma, time doesn’t stand still. Otherwise, Giuseppe Verdi would still be playing, Bernardo Bertolucci's films would still be being watched, and Faustino Asprilla would still be scoring. But, if you head a little further south of the capital, you’ll see how the pace slows down. The plains give way to hills. You see more trees and fewer cars. The air smells of fertile fields and – depending on your route – the road becomes unpaved. Everything, little by little, becomes more fun. Time definitely seems to flow differently here.

(Adapted for komoot from 'Alvento Destinations', a book of 13 travel ideas that every cyclist should do at least once: alvento.cc/prodotto/alvento-destinations-italy-unknown/)