Traghetto – Valli di Comacchio May 9

Because I had to stay a few kilometres off the path and also because the hostel normally used on this stage was temporarily closed, I was faced this morning with a 46 kilometre walk.

With the toenail problems I have, I decided on a two hop railway journey to Argenta leaving me with just 28km to walk.

This photo pretty much sums up today.

For most of the day, I was walking along the top of the levee bank again.

Off to the side was now the Reno River.

I have some experience with this river as it flows past Bologna where we have our base in Italy. You could, for example, have a look at a previous post A Day in the Swamp

There were many more abandoned farm buildings, some of them quite large.

As there wasn’t much shade around , I decided to eat my lunch inside one.

Next to the house were bee hives but the bees left me alone .

I even saw an abandoned school , with its children long gone .

Flatter than flat!

I wonder if I can use this to fill up my water bottles?

My company today was made up of butterflies, dragon flies and the little green lizards that you see in Italy. They’re all hard to photograph but here’s the best I could do.

Here are some more views looking across the fields.

It was near here in 1849 that Anita the Brazilian wife of Giuseppe Garibaldi, died from fever whilst pregnant. They had been trying to mount a revolutionary attack on the Austrians in Venice and were fleeing. The hostel I wanted to stay in that was closed is named in her honour .

Towards the end of my walk storm clouds were gathering and there was a lot of thunder but I managed to teach my agriturismo accommodation in the middle of nowhere without getting wet .

It’s located in what’s called Le Valli di Comacchio or the Comacchio Marshes .

I’ll see more of this tomorrow.

Tonight at the Agriturismo I had dinner with a Dutch woman cycling down to Rome a a German couple wandering around Italy in their camper van . It was the first time I’d had company for dinner since my meals with Silvana and Gabriella weeks ago and the first time I’d spoken English in 3 weeks.

Tomorrow I’ve got a short walk to the Adriatic coast .