DAY 2 - RAVENNA to CERVIA - 22 April 2026

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We threaded our way through the people heading to work and school along the Adriatic bike path to the little town of Classe. In front of the UNESCO listed Basilica di Sant'Apollinare, a school group posed with incongruous buffalo statues. 

After coffee, we followed a canal, spotting water birds and coypu, a beaver-like animal with a rat tail. We entered the pine forest, keeping a lookout for the deer, boar, squirrels and wolves promised on the sign board. We had to make do with well-camouflaged frogs leaping into the water instead. 

In the wetlands we were rewarded with many more birds,  including flamingos, a highlight for us! Derelict looking fishing huts lined a canal.  We continued through fields of crops into Lido di Savio for a late but very welcome lunch of piadina. The town was deserted,  with only workers around preparing for the summer holiday season.  

We eventually came out onto an esplanade at Milano Marittima,  where we caught glimpses of the sea in between beach restaurants and change cabins. 

After checking into our hotel, we meandered along the canal in Cervia, admiring the salt tower and boat reflections in the water.  We ordered the degustation seafood menu at 'La Pantofla' - five appetisers, four main courses, sorbet, coffee,  wine and water, for 34 euros each.  The waitress warned us that it was a lot of food, but we were confident - one of us had already eaten her emergency muesli bar earlier in the day. Alas, the waitress was correct but we didn't leave too much. 

What a great day! 

Crossing the Uniti River on the way out of Ravenna 
Statue of Augustus and Basilica of Sant'Apollinare at Classe
We followed the Ravenna to Cervia cycle path for most of today's walk
Of course, there were a few photo stops along the way
We saw several coypus in this canal 
A peaceful memorial to two WWII resistance fighters
Through the Classe Pine Forest
Australian long-distance walker standing on a bridge
Photographing flamingos
Photographing fishing huts
A scenic section of today's walk
After the wetlands, we walked alongside some fields
Piadinas for lunch again
Lido di Savio - a resort town where the season is yet to kick off
 Along the esplanade at Milano Marittima
Late afternoon by the canal at Cervia 
Dinner at a fish restaurant by the canal in Cervia - third course
The canal at Cervia
Photographing the canal at Cervia
Some birds spotted on today's walk
Some coypus and a frog 
Some more birds
Day 2 - Map
Day:                                2
Distance:                       27.03 km
Walking time:               5 hrs  20 mins
Elevation gain:             16 metres (flat again)
Cumulative distance:  40.61 km

Comments

  1. Anonymous23 April 2026 at 02:18

    For your interest I’ve seen coypu in Chiloe in South America where they are native. I think they have been ‘introduced’ in various places in Europe … I don’t know what they were thinking. Murray

    Your birds today were Mallard, common Moorhen, Greater flamingo, common magpie, white stork, barn swallow, Mediterranean gull, cattle egret, great egret, Eurasian coot, black-winged stilt

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous23 April 2026 at 05:05

    That seafood dinner!
    You guys are in the walking zone already.

    ReplyDelete

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