THE ITALIAN JOB
Thomas and Jutta Kittel fulfill a dream of cruising into Venice on their own boat
Having rounded the foot of Italy’s boot, Thomas and Jutta Kittel head north along the Adriatic coast to Venice and the completion of their grand tour of Italy
PART 6: RODI GARGANO TO VENICE VIA THE ADRIATIC COAST
After months of travelling south down Italy’s west coast then round the foot of its boot, we are finally heading north again up its less well known Adriatic coast. Combined with the cooler evenings there is a tangible sense of being on the home straight, albeit one with plenty of appealing distractions still to come.
Rodi Garganico at the foot of the Gargano Mountains turns out to be a small but perfectly formed marina that is so well kept you could eat your dinner off the quayside. But first we have to cope with Neptune’s decision to throw one last spanner in the works by whipping up a stiff breeze then causing the remote control for the bow and stern thrusters to throw a wobbly just as we are approaching the dock. To the surprise of the waiting ormeggiatori, I abort my approach and back out of the berth so I can try to fix the remote or come up with a Plan B. The remote remains as lifeless as a Monty Python parrot, so I revert to the centrally located helm station on the flybridge and scuttle back and forth to keep an eye on the stern quarters. It works well enough but mid-way through one of my dashes I twist my right foot. Having only just recovered from my previous fall, it’s the last thing I need. I can still hobble around but my foot hurts like hell with every movement.
Perhaps noticing our difficulties, the marina boss gives us an especially warm welcome. The whole place looks immaculate and he even offers to have my remote control repaired. Given my lack of mobility we
spend most of the evening on the boat enjoying our immediate surroundings. The following day, once the remote has been sorted, we set sail for the Tremiti Islands about 12nm off the north coast of the Gargano peninsula. Of the five islands, only San Domino and San Nicola are inhabited. Although San Nicola is the most densely populated, San Domino, formerly called Tremetis, is the largest of the islands and the most popular with tourists due to its stunning sandy beaches.
STORM CLOUDS BREWING
We tie Azura to one of the visitors’ buoys south of San
Domino for a swim and a long, lazy lunch far from the madding crowds. Later in the afternoon we head back towards Termoli on the mainland, shrouded by ominous grey clouds. The rain holds off long enough for us to find our berth but just as we are about to head out for dinner a flash of lightning and clap of thunder announce the approaching thunderstorm and the rain buckets down – for the first time in three months! We sit out the worst of the rain in the shelter of the cockpit, enjoying a glass of prosecco before making a dash for the restaurant. Unfortunately, we’re not the only ones to have delayed our sitting and the restaurant can’t handle the sudden influx so we move to the nearby bistro and eat our way through the light snacks menu instead – not a bad alternative as it turns out.
Our guests depart the next morning, leaving Jutta and me on our own again for the first time in weeks. Under grey skies we set off in the direction of Pescara only to be stopped by the
Guardia di Finanza (customs police) to check our papers and carry out a quick search of the boat. The officers are very friendly and we chat to them about our cruise round Italy and where we have been so far. By the time we say goodbye they almost feel like friends.
A pilot guides us through the silted-up entrance to Pescara and leads us to our quayside berth. This suits our shorthanded crewing situation perfectly. We take the time to chill out, answer emails and plan the next few days. The weather is clouding over, the wind is picking up and the temperature begins to drop – summer is starting to wane. On the leg to Porto San Giorgio we have to dodge countless nets and fishing pots as well as drilling rigs and huge fish farms, not all of which appear to be correctly charted. Unlike Scottish salmon farming, where the farms are circular and easily visible, these ones look like huge buoy fields with everything installed below the water. I have to switch off the autopilot and manually steer my way through the slalom.
We notice another change on our way to Ancona – an increasing number of seagulls. For months we have hardly seen a single one, now they are back again. Other than the gulls, we are completely alone at sea. We pass the pointed cliffs of the Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle then Portonovo before arriving in Ancona minutes before another thunderstorm. Within seconds, the previously calm sea is transformed into galloping white horses rolling directly into the harbour. Mercifully, we are well protected behind a breakwater and can watch the spectacle from the safety of our bolthole.
The next day we spend sightseeing, driving to the Grotta di Frasassi, visiting Jesi and walking around Ancona, including the Roman amphitheatre. We end the day in a fabulous restaurant called La Mezza Luna (the half moon).
The wind and waves keep us in Ancona for another day before setting off for Cesenatico. We enjoy a truly magical day cruising these coastal waters, where the sea seems to change colour every few metres.
Cesenatico marina is at the end of a long access channel. We are meeting a former colleague of mine here whom I haven’t seen for more than 10 years. At a young age he bought a large forest near Bologna and later built a house and retired here. We spend a wonderful afternoon and evening together catching up on everything.
VENETIAN SPLENDOUR
Our next stop is Ravenna. The city used to be directly on the Adriatic but silting up has gradually moved it further and further inland and it is now connected to the sea via the 9kmlong Canale Candiano. We berth in the Marinara marina located at the exit of the canal.
Ravenna is the capital of the Emilia-romagna region and plays host to the annual Ravenna jazz festival. After another night of thunderstorms the weather clears up and we cruise towards Chioggia in idyllic conditions. Again oil rigs and fish farms litter the coastline. We pass the River Po delta with its multiple branches spreading out into the sea. The main stream carries a lot of debris with it, which is deposited at the mouth of the river in a great sand bar, forcing boats to give it a wide berth before turning in up river. Chioggia is located at the southern end of the Venice lagoon and, like its more famous big sister, is built on stilts with canals running through it, giving it its nickname of Little Venice.
At the entrance to the lagoon we can see extensive construction work under way on the closable barriers designed to protect the city from storm surges. The project was started in 1996 and should have been finished long ago, but political disputes, corruption and financial cuts have delayed it time and time again, while estimated costs have soared to €6 billion. Completion is now scheduled for 2022.
Now it’s only a short distance to our dream destination of Venice. We follow the stakes through the lagoon, taking care to check the tides, which can rise and fall by over a metre here. The route takes us past the narrow island of Pellestrina with its long, strung out fishing village where time seems to stand still. Then we cross the middle entrance into the lagoon and after rounding the southern tip of the Lido di Venezia island, the world-famous silhouette of
Venice hoves into view.
As soon as we leave the surreal calmness of the lagoon, we are thrown into the melee of the Canale della Giudecca with its manic bustle of pleasure boats, water taxis, gondolas, ferries, work boats and
vaporettos (water buses). When the big cruise ships pass through – pulled by two tugs at the front and held by one at the back – it gets even tighter. Even though I’ve always dreamed of taking our dinghy through the smaller canals, discretion proves the better part of valour and we decide against it.
Venice offers several marinas for visiting leisure boats. We choose the Marina Santelena at the eastern end of the Castello district on the main island. It’s a fantastic location close to the famous Biennale art exhibition that takes place every two years, including this one. Here we get to know a very different side of Venice: instead of crowds of tourists and exorbitant prices, we discover a tranquil local district with wide paths and meadows shaded by ancient trees reminiscent of parks in Paris or London. St. Mark’s Square is only three stops away by vaporetto or you can take your time to wander there by foot.
SEARCH FOR WINTER STORAGE
We want to focus on the things we haven’t seen on previous visits. This includes a trip to the Biennale as well as the island of Murano with its legendary glass blowers. Despite its touristy nature we enjoy every minute of it. On the way back we stop on the small island of San Michele, Venice’s cemetery. With its streets of tombs and mausoleums, it’s more like a small town than a graveyard.
I also have to invest a day visiting a marina north of Venice, where we hope to store Azura on land over winter. The marina has confirmed everything from the suitability of the site to the lift-out date. However, on our visit we are shocked to discover that the lifting basin isn’t wide enough for Azura and the travel lift is broken and won’t be repaired until October. We need to find a new marina that can cater for Azura’s size and still has space available – and fast.
I decide to rent a car and browse various ports between Venice and Grado until I find what I am looking for at Marina Punta Faro in Lignano Sabbiadoro. Both the marina and shipyard make a first-class impression on me. The dimensions and capacity of the travel lift are plenty big enough and there is no problem finding room for us – however, it will be outside rather than under cover. We can’t afford to be picky, so we take it.
We are surprised to find that almost everyone speaks German here, whether in the marina or the restaurants – as the tourist scene is clearly dominated by Germans and Austrians. It’s a mixed blessing as there’s no denying the convenience of a shared language when discussing technical things such as maintenance and repair work. And there’s a greater willingness to help and a more professional attitude to business that means promises and appointments are kept. However, we also cherished the five months we spent in the more overtly Italian parts of the country.
After Venice, Lignano will be our last stop before Azura is lifted out. Despite the professional local technicians, we have again requested technical support from our engineers in Rostock, Germany. We spent eight winters there and the technicians know our boat inside out. We never let anyone else get close to our engines. They are our life insurance and return ticket. Everything else can break down but as long as the engines keep running we can always get home!
UNFORGETTABLE ITALIAN CHARM
It’s a pertinent point as the return of ‘normal’ life is imminent. After circumnavigating Italy and covering 2,970nm, we are definitely looking forward to our return, but not without the pang of parting. Italy has spoiled us in every respect: with its unique and varied topography, its exuberant history and culture, its wonderfully warm weather, and of course its incomparable culinary delights. But most of all we were impressed by the Italians themselves and their way of life. If you are in need of a generous helping of happiness, friendliness and a beauty that goes well beyond skin deep, you really should go to Italy.
This cruise was genuinely mind-boggling – perhaps the best we have yet had. Next year, Covid restrictions allowing, we plan to continue our tour of the Mediterranean to Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and maybe even Turkey. We are already looking forward to the continuation of our epic journey and promise to report back soon!