1.
Venice
We
welcome
you
aboard
your
new
home-from-home
from
4.30
p.m.
onwards,
and
then
regroup
for
the
introductory
briefing
– at
6.30
–
with
your
tour
leader ,skipper
and
crew,
along
with
a
first
refreshing
aperitivo.
After
dinner
we
can savour
Venice
at
night,
now
free
of
the
crowds
and
at
her
most
romantic:
Benvenuti
a
Venezia
!
2.
Venice
After
breakfast
–
and
perhaps
following
a
wander
off
the
beaten
track
with
your
tour
leader
– we
all
meet
up
with
our
Venetian
guide
for
a
tour
through
the
historic
centre.
Christened
La
Serenissima
("The
Most
Serene"),
the
Venetian
Republic
held
sway
over
much
of
the
Mediterranean
(and
beyond)
for
centuries
–
both
as a
military
power
and
a
beacon
of
culture.
The
guided
tour
will
start
from
Piazza
San
Marco
with
a
brief
description
of
the
monuments
around
it;
then
the
walk
continues
towards
the
biggest
“sestiere”
of
the
city,
Castello,
up
to
Campo
dei
Santi
Giovanni
e
Paolo
with
its
imposing
gothic
church
and
the
Scuola
Grande
di
San
Marco
(today
city
hospital).
The
guided
tour
ends
at
the
Rialto
Bridge;
you
have
the
afternoon
free
to
enjoy
the
city
at
your
own
pace.
(The
programme
may
be
subject
to
changes).
3.
Venice
–
Pellestrina
island
(30
km)
Leaving
Venice
behind
after
a
gentle
cruise
in
front
of
St
Mark’s
square,
our
first
stop
will
be
on
Murano
island,
where
we
will
visit
a
historic
glass
factory,
with
a
glassblowing
demonstration
by a
master
artisan.
Then
our
cycling
adventure
starts
on
the
Lido,
the
first
of
two
islands
we
traverse
today.
Fashionable
in
high
society
ever
since
the
Belle
Époque,
the
Lido
di
Venezia
is
now
home
to
the
International
Venice
Film
Festival
and
its
galaxy
of
stars.
A
short
island-hop
by
ferry
takes
us
into
another
world:
Pellestrina,
where
we
ride
past
the
picturesque
cottages
and
boats
of
this
humble
fishing
backwater.
We
rejoin
our
barge
just
in
front
of
Chioggia
– a
bustling
and
colourful
fishing
hub
known
as
“Little
Venice”.
4.
Pellestrina
island
– Po
Delta
Nature
Reserve
–
Adria
(40
km)
We
open
the
day
with
a
stroll
through
Chioggia,
followed
perhaps
by a
visit
up
the
millennial
clock
tower
–
the
oldest
in
the
world
–
for
some
breathtaking
views.
Weather
permitting,
we
can
also
bask
in
the
sun
at a
fine-sand
beach
nearby:
a
dip
in
the
Adriatic,
a
hot
savoury
piadina
–
and
you
are
well
and
truly
local!
Then
onwards
into
the
delta
of
the
life-giving
Po.
This
unique
wetland
is
the
prime
reserve
in
Europe
for
herons
and
home
to a
colony
of
flamingos.
We
moor
for
the
night
in
Adria,
a
key
Roman
port,
once
washed
by
the
waters
of
the
sea
which
bears
its
name.
Adria
is
also
renowned
for
its
Etruscan
and
Greek
heritage.
An
after-dinner
passeggiata
into
town
for
a
well-earned
grappa
or
gelato
is
in
order.
5.
Adria
–
Ferrara
–
Zelo
(35
km
by
bike
+ 35
km
by
bus)
After
a
short
cruise
we
saddle
our
bikes
and,
following
the
Po
through
farmland
and
hamlets,
we
reach
Ferrara.
Under
its
ruling
family,
the
Este,
this
city
state
attracted
architects,
artists
and
scholars
for
centuries,
pioneering
town
planning
principles
that
have
been
emulated
worldwide
ever
since.
To
this
day,
Ferrara
University
ranks
among
the
best,
and
the
town
is
dubbed
the
''Cycling
Capital
of
Italy".
A
private
bus
and
trailer
take
us
back
to
our
floating
hotel
in
Zelo,
a
sleepy
village
on
the
Canal
Bianco,
the
waterway
which
runs
parallel
to
the
Po.
6.
Zelo
–
Mantua
(50
km)
This
morning
we
head
for
the
village
of
Bergantino,
home
of
the
distinctive
Museum
of
Fairground
Rides
and
its
collection
of
street
organs,
all
expertly restored
(and
thunderous!).
But
first
things
first:
we
are
in
the
heartland
of
Grana
Padano
–
the
arch-rival
of
Parmesan
–
and
after
visiting
the
local
cheese
factory,
we
enjoy
a
degustazione
of
sharp
and
seasoned
Grana,
washed
down
with
a
glass
of
Valpolicella.
After
our
customary
picnic
lunch,
we
leave
Bergantino
and
follow
the
river
to
Ostiglia,
famed
for
its
medieval
fortress
and
the
fierce
fighting
that
took
place
here
in
1945,
as
the
Allies
and
partisans
drove
Hitler's
forces
back.
We
ride
on
and
rejoin
our
barge
at
Governolo
Lock,
where
Mantua's
River
Mincio
flows
into
the
Po.
Veering
north,
we
cruise
through
the
lush
wetlands
that
finally
emerge
into
the
glorious
"lakes"
of
Mantua.
7.
Mantua
round
tour
(35
km)
A
day
dedicated
to
the
discovery
of
this
cultural
gem,
its
three
picturesque
“lakes”
formed
by
the
river
Mincio
and
the
surrounding
countryside.
This
afternoon
we
meet
our
Mantuan
guide
for
a
walking
tour
across
the
historic
centre:
starting
from
Piazza
Sordello
with
its
magnificent
cathedral
and
Palazzo
Ducale,
we
will
walk
through
the
city
centre
up
to
Piazza
delle
Erbe.
Here
we
will
admire
the
Clock
Tower,
the
Rotonda
di
S.
Lorenzo
(the
oldest
church
in
town)
and
the
Cathedral
of
St.
Andrew,
a
jewel
of
Renaissance
art
and
architecture.
We
will
learn
why
Mantua,
once
a
City
State
ruled
by
the
Gonzaga
family,
is
now
considered
by
many
as
Italy’s
“Sleeping
Beauty”.
(The
programme
may
be
subject
to
changes).
8.
Mantua
Departure
after
breakfast.