[Nov. 2024] On the last day of our stay in Chioggia, in the Veneto region of Italy, we decided to take a boat trip, which we had noticed many signs for in the town.
When we went to the port where the boat was leaving, there was no one there, just a tourist boat anchored.
My husband called a phone number there, and was told that the next time it would operate would be in March.
I was shocked. .
I wish they had said that on the sign.
Then, by chance, there was a regular boat about to depart.
We decided to take it on a whim.
The destination was an island called Pellestrina.
It was a commuter boat, and it was crowded with locals.
On a map, this island is long and narrow, with a sandbar forming the island.
It is just like Nida in Lithuania, which we visited a long time ago.
The town is located in the middle of a long sandbar.
All the passengers from the crowded boat got off at the Pellestrina wharf, but most of them got on a bus that seems to run in accordance with the arrival and departure of the boats.
Then, although we had been surrounded by many people, it suddenly became deserted.
We walked along the sea for a long time in the direction of what seemed to be the centre of the town.
It was a sunny day again, and it was a pleasant walk along the sea.
Moored fishing boats, seagulls, and posts make good subjects for photos.
Then, I noticed several platforms offshore with shacks on them and fishing nets hanging on them.
I wonder what those are.
Maybe they are places where fishermen store their fishing gear?
Anyway, from a distance, the town looked colourful and bustling, but when we got there, there were hardly any people there.
Where have the people from the crowded boat disappeared to?
It was lunchtime and we were starting to get hungry.
There were a few restaurants, but they were closed.
There were signs saying “Closed for the holidays” here and there.
The off-season for tourists is the holiday season for the locals who work in the summer.
When we finally found a passer-by, my husband asked her, and she told us that a restaurant called Ai Pescatori should be open.
We plodded along towards the restaurant, which was about a kilometre away from the spot.
