By boat in the Venetian Lagoon, the itinerary in Veneto for an interesting stay.
The first day to discover the heart of Veneto, along the Piave river, was entirely dedicated to Venetian lagoon.
We started from Cortellazzo, the place where the Piave flows (in fact the river was called feminine until the last century) after the deviation made in the eighteenth century to protect Venice from frequent floods.
Immediately after an excellent fish-based lunch and concluded with the typical sauces of polenta and grape must, tasted at Ai Pescatori restaurant in Cortellazzo, we met a local fisherman who made us get on his boat to discover the mouth of the Piave.
We have reached the place where the river sacred to the homeland is lost in the Adriatic Sea and then goes up again for a stretch towards the hinterland, up to one of the famous pontoon bridges which it is still easy to come across along the river route.
Here time seems to have stopped: I am here colorful boats and old fishing scales alongside the classic wooden huts where today's fishermen, as in the past, can find refreshment during their fishing nights. Really impressive!
From here we moved towards the La Barena farmhouse, making a small stop at the Torre del Caligo; it is a ruin of medieval origin, located on the right bank of the Sile-Piave Vecchia, a few kilometers from Jesolo. Today only the remains of the ancient building erected by the Venetians are visible on the confluence of the Soligo Canal in the river and to guard the traffic to the Venetian lagoon and Venice.
Through country roads that flank the canals, the Piave and cultivated fields we arrive atLa Barena farmhouse, so called because it is located in the wonderful, very quiet Venetian barena, just 40 km from the capital.
Here we will travel a stretch of the sandbank on small boats, called mice, flat-bottomed boats typical of the Venetian tradition, which date back to tens of years ago and which have been expertly recovered by the Vianello family, owner of this fantastic complex.
In fact, at the La Barena farmhouse it is possible rent two motor boats of different sizes and capacities, to make excursions in the lagoon, between the islands of Venice, without the need for a boat license. The possibility is tempting! As well as the idea of reaching the colorful Burano or the famous Murano on board a boat to enjoy a day in the lagoon in absolute tranquility!
Paying attention to our head, we climbed onto one of the little mice, the 6-seater one, to begin our tour in the canals of the salt marsh.
Just as the sun was setting before our eyes, the height of the water changed drastically, the tide was lowering and we could better see the muddy grounds that make up the sandbanks, from the Venetian word baro, which indicates a bush, crossed by natural channels, ghebi in Venetian. Through the tales of the boat owner, we discovered that the salt marshes today they are being recovered because they are fundamental for the ecosystem, for the lagoon itself, as they regulate the tides, the wave motion, and host a great variety of very particular flora and fauna.
After a few kilometers between the channels of the lagoon we returned to the dock. The day in the Venetian lagoon was over but those colors and that silence will remain a truly unforgettable moment!
