Cruise the backwaters of Italy’s Po river
Family-run La Bella Vita patrols the backwaters between Venice and Mantua for a cruise with a difference...
They say “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”. And when meandering along the River Po through Italy’s magnificent Bassa Padana region, it’s best to make like a Venetian.
Which is why – despite competition from newer, bigger and glitzier river boats – I’ve taken a shine to a small converted sand barge called La Bella Vita.
Owned and run by a local family, this little boat has room for only 20 passengers and – with its dark, jewel-coloured walls and old-fashioned art – lacks the glamour of “international” vessels.
You won’t find floor-to-ceiling windows, state-of-the-art cabins or Hollywood-style lounges on here, and if ultra-luxury is your thing, you might be disappointed by its homely décor.
But if you’re looking for an authentic Italian experience, cosy La Bella Vita – which spends every summer sailing the backwaters between Venice and Mantua – simply cannot be bettered. Not least because it’s able to reach the parts of the Po larger vessels can’t.
Italy’s longest river, the Po spans more than 400 miles, cutting like a sassy garter across the country’s “thigh”, from the Alps in the west to Venice and the Adriatic in the east.
Its bounty has been exploited, its banks plundered for timber and its bed for sand and gravel, to the extent that it now regularly floods in the winter months.
On our summer cruise from Mantua to Venice, though, we found the Po in much gentler mood and spent much time on the top deck, watching the sparkling waters play around pale beaches, sundappled islands and the vast salt marshes of the Po Delta, which are rich in flamingo, heron, tern, black-necked grebe and other spectacular birdlife.
On trips ashore, we discovered that over the centuries the locals have given back to the river as much as they’ve taken, in the shape of verdant vineyards, fragrant orchards, elegant country houses and glorious towns and cities – Venice, Cremona, Piacenza, Ferrara and Mantua – which chart Italy’s history and the course of the Italian Renaissance.
Cremona cathedral, for example, is famous for its Renaissance arcade and octagonal baptistry, while Piacenza’s Piazza Cavalli is home to a magnificent Gothic palace. Better still ( for a foodie like me), Bassa Padana is as famous its cuisine as its architecture. Balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano-reggiano cheese and Parma ham all come from here, and shops are crammed with Langhirano ham, Mantovan garlic salami and pastel-tinted pasta.
But to my joy, I found that the best grub of all was to be found on board La Bella Vita. Chef Andrea proved a dab hand at his native cuisine, dishing up an impressive parade of regional delights: Borlotti bean stew, baccala mantecato (salted Atlantic cod) and sarde in saor (fried sardines served with raisins and pine nuts). For pud, we feasted on buttersoft almond cakes, lavish trifles, and pungent local cheeses – all served with aplomb by Daniella, the boat’s unflappable maître d’, and washed down with local wines served by Giovanni, our delightful sommelier. We worked off the food and wine fest with cycle trips and walks ashore, enjoying guided tours of Mantua – a wonderfully unspoiled “mini Florence” with a memorable domed and turreted skyline and a magnificent Ducal palace – and medieval Ferrera, which combines striking Renaissance architecture with offbeat shops and bars. Our flexible little boat took us to more off-track places as well, like the pretty fishing village of San Pietro in Volta and Villa Ca’zen, an imposing 17th century riverside mansion which lies at the heart of the Po Delta Nature Reserve (Italy’s biggest nature park).
Another highlight was an evening of opera on board, when a group of classical singers performed for us while, for me, one of the most memorable shore experiences was our visit to Il Dominio di Bagnoli, an ancient wine estate with splendid gardens, where life-sized statues of characters from Italy’s Commedia del Arte peep out from an avenue of blossoming acacia trees.
Talking of which... the wisterialike flowers which dangle so prettily from acacias are delicious deep-fried in a light tempura batter. Add salt and herbs and you have most unusual fritters to serve with aperitifs, while a little spiced sugar transforms them into a fabulous dessert, served hot with vanilla ice cream and honey.
I discovered this on a particularly heavenly day when, on the top deck, we basked in the soft Italian sunshine, sipped chilled Prosecco and tucked into the savoury fritters as our little boat nosed her way back to Venice from Chioggia, a pretty town which – with its network of canals – gives its celebrated neighbour a run for its money.
Our alfresco lunch also included fresh Adriatic cod and cuttlefish in crispy batter.
But those acacia blossoms were the real showstopper. If you’d like to try them for yourself, I know just the place to gather your acacias while ye may...
Spiced sugar turns acacia blossom fritters into a rather fabulous dessert