Comacchio

We decide to visit Comacchio, which I discover to be not only an interesting area near the Po delta but also a charming small town built on canals. It's also a special day because it's one of three weekends of the Sagra dell'anguilla. Marinated eels are the typical food product of the Comacchio area, many years ago the main source of sustenance.

It's Saturday morning and we find free parking as usual in a residential area not far from the centre. The first thing we see in Comacchio is also its most famous monument - the Trepponti or three bridges which was and is an important passage way across the canals at the entrance to the village. 

Comacchio is also called Little Venice, but it has its own personality, low, at the most two storey, buildings in different soft pastel colours on widish streets with the canals in the middle and low red brick bridges crossing them. 

We wander around and look inside a couple of churches and have a look too at some of the stalls of the Sagra.

Another interesting feature of the town is the XVIIth century Capuchin portico featuring 142 arches, and connecting the Sanctuary of S. Maria in Aula Regia, to the west, to the town center.  It is over 400 m long and it makes a nice walk. 

About half way along there's the Manifattura dei Marinati, a working museum with rooms telling the story of local production of marinated fish products and which is still active in production nowadays.

We decide to stop here for lunch and because as part of the Sagra they are offering various menu options, we are somewhat undecided also because eel seems to be quite expensive and even more so actually at the restaurant. In the end we decide to share a full menu, which is quite an investment. 30€ for antipasto of marinated fish products, spaghetti with cockles, eel cooked traditionally on the wood fires which line the side of the room of fires with polenta, bread, water and wine.

Since it's a self-service and everything arrives together  on a tray, we start off with the eel and the pasta while it's still warm, both are delicious and the eel a generous portion. Instead we are not so impressed with the marinated fish, there are four different types but all taste of vinegar and not much else. Just  as we are finishing we notice a large group of people moving towards the Room of Vinegar which is being restored. We dispose of our tray and go to have a look. This is the room which housed the giant vinegar vats used for the marinating process. It's the inauguration of the room and after a brief speech some refreshments are provided - more marinated fish but also a very generous portion of small fried fish - just what we were missing, and absolutely free.....wine and water are also provided.

After this extended lunch, rather full, we wander around the town again and stop for a second coffee, and then, with the help of the kind lady in the tourist office, go to explore the lagoons behind the town, called Valli di Comacchio. Driving across the iron bridge we follow route FE417 along the side of the lagoon as far as Stazione Pesca Foce, where we park in a large car park. Here there is also a small cafe and shop but there is a tremendously bad smell from the lagoon water at this point and we hurry past on foot, along the cycling and pedestrian route FE425. Here, the smell, fortunately, disappears although we are assaulted by mosquitoes in continuation.....it's worth it, it's a very pleasant walk with the lagoons on either side stretching into the distance and flamingos everywhere,

especially spectacular in flight.

We go as far as a bridge across one of the lagoons where there is a car park for people coming in the other direction which is also the starting point for paid excursions in the areas nearest the flamingos.

There are quite a lot of people around cycling and some walking and we decide to go back towards the car and then have a quick look in the other direction, there are some people fishing too. Dusk will soon be falling, it's time to go home.....