Thursday, July 23, 2009

Chioggia to Venice

Yesterday morning started with fish. We visited the fish market in Chioggia after breakfast. The variety of fish was wonderful and made you want to buy some and start cooking. It was market day as well so you could get all of your other ingredients at the same time. We had plenty of time to take pictures but it was already hot so most of us got back to the boat fairly early.

We were underway by 10:15 for the short trip to Pellestrina, one of the Venetian barrier islands. The first part was a narrow coast road but nice riding. Then we turned off on to what our road book persists in calling dirt roads but is really heavy gravel, and in this case a narrow gravel road for about 5 kilometers. I hate roads like these and even with hybrid bikes and Schwalbe Marathon tires they are awful. You really need mountain bikes to ride them. I was in too high a gear when we had to go up a narrow incline and swerved out of contol. There was nothing major, just a slip and people could go around me while I restarted, but difficult all the same. Later we rode in sand and Peter's bike lost traction and he collided with a bush and fell.

After Pellestrina we took the ferry to Alberoni, where we had lunch on the beach. Peter went swimming but he burned his feet on the sand and has blisters so he won't ride our last ride today on the Brenta Canal, about 50 kilometers. Alberonu turns into Malamocco and then Lido and we didvthe circuit, ending at Alberoni where we left the bikes and rejoined Vita-Pugna for a slow ride down the island and then into the lagoon, finally docking on the backside of Guidecca. Our slip had been given away so the boat that was there had to be moved so we could dock properly. We then had a great dinner, risi e bisi and chicken and then most people went across to San Marco. We stayed onboard and eventually gave a short tour of the ship to a man and his grandson.

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