Sirocco in Cervia and Cesenatico, 20 & 21 June

Both Cervia and Cesenatico, a few miles apart on the Adriatic coast south of Ravenna have in common to be fully devoted to fisheries. We are currently experiencing sirocco wind, bringing Sahara sand and resulting in a hazy weather, very hot and humid! 

Trabaccolo traditional coastal trade boats in the Leonardo Da Vinci Cesenatico canal

These two towns offer an authentic experience of life on the Adriatic coast, a little off the tourist trail. We are no longer in touristy Venice or pre-medieval Ravenna, but in an Italy of busy fishermen, with a brilliant past and a present not less. It's refreshing to stroll through the historic centres at aperitif time, when the day doesn't start until after 5pm! So we sail the few miles between the tourist ports at the hottest time of the day, arriving around 3pm, when it is end of siesta time in the marinas, and leaving around 5pm to visit the towns. Perfect timing.

A day in Ravenna, 19 June 2024

Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402 to 476 AD. This transition period marked the Roman empire's adaptation to increasing pressures from Germanic tribes (Ostrogots) and internal strife. Under the rule of emperors like Honorius and later the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great, Ravenna became a center of political and military activity, basically the centre of the Western world. 

Theodora, wife of the Emperor Justinan I

We visited 5 of the 8 sites in Ravenna inscribed on the UNESCOWorld Heritage list, all more interesting than one another.

Chioggia to Ravenna, 15-16 June 2024

To sail from Chioggia to Ravenna, we need to go around the Po delta, a 52 nm ride heading South-East for the first part, then South-West for the last part. Following the passage of a low-pressure system during our stay in Venice, we are currently experiencing a regime of solar winds alternating between land breezes in the morning and sea breezes in the afternoon. 

In order to take advantage of the best winds, we decide to set off at two in the morning, at the start of the land breeze, which should blow us easily to the south-east. And indeed the breeze picks up, between 8 and 10 m/s, and we are making between 8 and 9 knots downwind under spinnaker. We end up dropping the spinnaker as the boat becomes increasingly unstable as the land breeze builds. 

After gybing as we pass the Po delta, we continue south-west towards Ravenna. And that's when the genoa halyard breaks...

Chioggia, the Venice of the poor, 14 & 15 June

 Chioggia is located 25 km south of Venice, at the southern entrance of the Venice Lagoon. It was famous in the Middle Ages for the high quality of the salt it produced in large quantities. At that time, salt was the basis for preserving food and was so precious that it was considered currency. At the end of the 14th century, this led to the Chioggia War, in which Venice and Genoa fought for control of the town. Chioggia became a city controlled by Venice. 

It is really worth a stopover for visiting, and we happened to be there for the annual middle-age festival in the third weekend of June!