Canals and Spas by Motorbike: Comacchio, Chioggia and Montegrotto Terme

Comacchio

We arrive in Comacchio at 1:30 PM. We have some difficulty finding the entrance to our hotel because our Tom Tom is confused about it. Moreover, the covered parking we booked for the motorcycle is at the back but, to reach it, you have to cross half the town. We booked the hotel through booking.com: Locanda La Comacina – Comacchio for € 105.00 room + breakfast. LOCANDA LA COMACINA enjoys an exceptional position; romantically overlooking a beautiful canal, with a room with a water view. Beautiful. Moreover, on the canal in front of the entrance, there is a lovely barge-shaped terrace where the restaurant's tables are placed. When we arrive we immediately notice quite a few people in front of the entrance waiting for a table. The restaurant must be quite renowned. We'll try it that very evening since we booked a table on the barge a while ago.

In the afternoon we take a little walk on foot among the bridges and canals of Comacchio. The inn is not far from the majestic Trepponti. That day, however, the weather is very hot and, being a holiday, Comacchio is packed with people so much that we can't even grab a spot on the lovely little boats that offer the canal tour. At sunset we decide to take a little ride on the motorcycle to the nearby Lidi: Porto Garibaldi and Lido degli Estensi. In the evening we have a pleasant dinner at the inn's restaurant, on the much-coveted barge. The choice is varied, the food is delicious, the prices are medium-high. At the end of dinner, the lights come on. The bridges and canals light up. It's the moment long awaited by photographers who spring into action and so we take some nice photos and a romantic walk among the illuminated canals.

A piadina with Nutella, though, here in the land of Emilia, is a must.

Montegrotto Terme

What a lovely awakening: we open the shutters of our room and admire the canal below us and the beautiful streets of Comacchio, so quiet in the early morning. We have a good buffet breakfast in the inn's small covered garden. Today too is a beautiful, hot, sunny day. We get back on the motorcycle heading for Chioggia. It's the first time we visit Chioggia and it's very, very lovely. It's a little corner of Venice but more down-to-earth, without the elegant palaces. It's very colorful, very lively, very bustling. We take a little stroll, from one bridge to another; a pass through the main street, a ride on the motorcycle along the port and then we resume our itinerary. A stop for lunch in Monselice, which we don't visit since we've already seen it in the past and, shortly after, we arrive in Montegrotto Terme. Here, again through booking.com, we booked at the Hotel Terme Millepini.

Our hotel, like all the numerous hotels in this town, has indoor and outdoor thermal pools usable all year round. The hotel is a 4-star, with beautiful and spacious common furnishings; 1 indoor pool, connected to a larger outdoor pool and a third beautiful outdoor pool set in the splendid garden surrounded by greenery and lush vegetation. All the pools are equipped with hydromassage stations, more or less working, water cascades and kneipp paths. Nice, in short. We laze around all afternoon, in the sun, in the outdoor pools. Even though it's only April, it feels like the height of summer. Rich dinner included in the half-board price (€ 80.00 per person half board) in the large restaurant: appetizer, first course, second course, side dish, dessert. We linger a few minutes at the piano bar for a coffee and then we go to bed.

Tomorrow the return trip awaits us and the weather forecast is not at all encouraging.

Return

Indeed, on waking up, we immediately notice that the sky is cloudy. Better to leave as early as possible so as not to run into too much rain. First, though, an abundant breakfast at the ample buffet and then we're in the saddle. After just a few km we're already stopped under a highway bridge to put on our rain gear because the sky turns pitch black and it starts drizzling. We do indeed find on-and-off rain along the entire highway route from Padua to Milan. However, we arrive at our destination quite early and without getting too wet. What a shame: this splendid spring long weekend is over. We visited truly enchanting places and spent extremely pleasant days. All that's left is to plan the next motorcycle tour which, we hope, won't be too long in coming. DANI AND MAX