Chioggia

 

We continued north in the Adriatic this morning. It started out rather hazy, but cleared up as we neared the coast of Italy. Because Cruise ships are now barred from Venice, they are choosing other ports. Azamara is using Chioggia as an alternative. It's a town about a 45 minute drive south of Venice. We found it a very charming city, with canals and bridges like Venice, but with-out the crowds or prices. The cruise dock and terminal are quite small, and only the smaller cruise ships can dock here. We arrived just before 1pm (arrival times are governed by the tide). The Venice lagoon is quite a large area with 3 entry points. Chioggia is by the southern entry. All 3 are now protected by a tidal floodgate system (MOSE) which is activated at high tides to prevent flooding. It works, but is now causing some environmental issues.

Karen, Aaron and I walked through the town to a marina where we met the small boat for our tour of Chioggia by Bosetti Tours. Our young guide was very passionate in his desire to introduce visitors to Chioggia. We had a 1 1/2 hour tour which took us all through the canals and circled the town. Fishing is very important here, the 2nd largest fish market in Italy is here. The shallow water in the surrounding lagoon is filled with mussel, clam, fish and crab farms. Larger boats also fish in the Adriatic. 

There are many beautiful historic buildings in the old town, and lots of pastel colored houses both in the old town and the "newer" town by the beach resort.

The day had turned quite hot, and we headed back to the ship for a beer before our last dinner on board. Now it's time to pack!