Der Traumpfad // day 30 // Jesolo - Punta Sabbioni

Der Traumpfad, day 30.
Distance: 24.3km (629.2km), time spent: 8:07.
Weather: Slightly overcast, hot, rain at the end.

Strange is the feeling when you wake up on the last day of a multi-day hike, with all the days and mileage behind you, and only one last walk before you stand at the point you have been walking for so long towards. Does it come with joy arriving at your destination? It does, but it also comes with a sort of sorrow too. Being so long on the way, you just want to keep going, extending the experience. Continue living a simpler life, not feeling the burden of everyday, prolonging the escape from normal life. In short, you do not want it to finish, but on the other hand is achieving your goal still worthwhile. And I have for a long time wanted to see Venezia.

Leaving Jesolo, starting straight off to follow the Fiume Sile.

A reminder of the destination head.

The last stage of Der Traumpfad is a mixed experience, not only due to the anti-climax and conflict between arriving at your longtime goal and the wish to keep going, but also due to the walk itself. From Jesolo the trail follows the banks of the Fiume Sile in the first part, then it changes to a long straight line of walking next to a road towards the final destination. Thankfully, after that long slog, only a short ferry-ride lies behind you and the iconic city of canals. And the opportunity for a swim in the Adriatic underways.

A pleasant path to walk on after Jesolo.

Johanna and Florian walking next to the Sile river.

I always wish for good weather on the ultimate day, arriving with the sun shining upon you makes you remember the hike on a high, but the forecast is not entirely favorable. Rain is expected. From the beginning,the way follows the Sile river. On the other side lies boats that reminds us where we are heading, but the gondolas here still seems strangely out of place. A pale veil hangs above us, and we still walk on a levée.

A jetty stands alone in the Fiume Sile.

What strikes me the most, as always, are the things that seems destined to enter history and be forgotten. Now punctuated by the atmosphere created by the pale light. Old jetties falling apart are found next to the river, sometimes only the poles are left as the only memories of what once stood there. Boats, or more half-boats, lies half sunk in the reeds.

Reflections of trees.

Memories of a lost time, a ruined jetty.

I find this hike something similar to the human life we live. Humans, life and the things we make are fleeting things. Only living for a brief moment of the history. And so is it with Der Traumpfad, like everything else. The things we make along the trail decays, albeit slowly, and vanishes out of history, but the mountains persists, like monuments of time.

Lightplay in the sky.

We walk by the cabins with 'Chinese fishing nets' outside of them, some of them quite big. These are hugs nets that are strung up in a contraption and then lowered into the sea, then lifted up again, catching the fish unlucky enough not to get away before it reaches the surface. As we pass by one of them, it hums to life. The big net is sunk into the Sile, and then slowly lifted up again. The fisherman stand on 'deck', anticipating the catch, but there is none. Later, we walk by another one, halfway in ruin, the cabin tilting, the net down in the river. It is the same one depicted in my guidebook. Must have been ousted by the big ones saw earlier. It is kind of sad.

Modern Chineste fishing net cabin.

Birdlife, Fiume Sile.

It is a lovely and somewhat forlorn walk. To the east are sometimes the huge resorts or hotels of Lido de Jesolo visible. I shiver at the thought of them. They have done a good job avoiding it. Closer to Ponte Cavallino the Chinese fishing nets are getting numerous, and varies in size and how well kept they are. So far it has been peaceful and quiet and I have enjoyed the time from Jesolo, but at the bridge we enter the next section of the walk.

Ruined Chinese fishing net cabin, this was in use when the author of the Cicerone guidebook walked by it.

A coffee break at the café situated just after crossing over the bridge and then a less interesting section on a road, where our minds and eyes are only fixated on one thing. The Adriatic. In this, Der Traumpfad makes the dream come through (not that it has not made other hiking dreams come through already), making a detour down to the sandy beaches.

Happy Der Traumpfad hikers has reached the Adriatic Sea, me, Johanna and Florian.

Before swimming, I had to go and put my feet in the sea.

The sky is not blue and the sun is not clearly visible, a veil is what we see on the sky, but the light is quaint and it is warm. Before anything, I need to take off my shoes and put my feet in the water. After walking high up in the mountains for so long, surrounded by peaks and deep valleys, arriving at the sea is an exurbant feeling. We all go swimming in the sea and rolling waves. If the ferry to Venezia went from here, it would have made for a perfect ending of Der Traumpfad.

Florian goes swimming.

It is not, though, and after the moment of bliss on the sandy beach next to the Adriatic, a long straight slog over 10km is awaiting us. Before we embark on that final stretch, we sit down at a restaurant for lunch, going all-in with pizza. Having walked for a while afterwards, I find out that I have forgotten my sunhat at the restaurant, adding some additional kilometres to today.

Baywatch, but no one to watch (almost).

And it is truly a change of tune, from the solemn walking next to the Fiume Sile in the beginning and the blissfull swim in the Adriatic Sea, the long and straight road is a slog. Going past huge hotels and resorts and the usual trinket shops. Eventually, I catch up with Florian and Johanna. I am slightly confused regarding the laying of the route on this final part towards Punta Sabbioni. It is kind of like they are rushing to get there once the target is in sight. Looking at the overview map in the guidebook, I can see another road going on the north shore of the sand spit that one can follow all the way to the same place. It also goes next to the water for a long time, making it look a far better alternative.

A dragon flies.

Then you forget all about it. As the end of the walk is at hand, and Venezia is only a short boat ride away.

On the long final slog towards Punta Sabbionio.

Beyond lies Venezia.

Ironically, there has not been a single drop of rain all the way from Jesolo, but on the moment we arrive at the ferry terminal at Punta Sabbioni, we can feel the first drops settle on our shoulders. We buy ferry tickets and gets in line, then we embark on the ferry. The time of walking is finished, but one short story remains before I can put the final note on Der Traumpfad down on the paper. We find a place, looks out at the sea and then the ferry begins to move. Venezia is next.

At the finishing ferry, we did it! Florian, Johanna and I.

<< Jesolo // day 29Venezia // day 30 >>

Der Traumpfad // day 29 // Bocca Callalta - Jesolo

Der Traumpfad, day 29.
Distance: 31.8km (604.9km), time spent: 8:54.
Weather: Morning haze, overcast.

Second to last day, or the penultimate one. End is around the corner, the mountains, valleys and peaks are left behind and far back in the distance, lost in the haze. Memories are though still crystal clear. Another long day lies ahead of us, to Jesolo, but not as long as the day that still lingers in our feet. We all slept bad for a while, until I found the magic switch for the air condition in the night.

Leaving Bocca Callalta at the top of a levée.

Passing by Sant' Andrea di Barbarena with its big church.

Yesterday we passed by some kids selling trinkets for fun next to the path. Among what they sold, I found a scallop, which I bought. Now I have attached it to my backpack, making me more of a pilgrim.

An old bunker near the path, one of several memorials or monuments of the world wars we walk by.

A quaint light over Johanna and Florian, on the penultimate day of our trek.

I am uncertain whether the weather outside is for the better or for the worse. A haze has descended upon the landscape, making everything pale. It is a slow visibility, and a special atmosphere. We walk again on the only elevated feature in the area, the levée, singing When The Levée Breaks as we go. Of course, the only thing that breaks, are our voices.

Standing alone in the middle of a field, the Chiesetta della Madonna del Soc.

The surface is hard, though, as there is a road going on top of the levée. Next to us are hamlets, small farms, acres, churches (both small and big), odd curious relics from the world wars like bunkers. Above us the sky is overcast, with sunrays suddenly bursting through the layers.

Flower in Zenson di Piave.

While yesterday took us on quiet roads and paths next to the Piave, today takes us on a levée walk most of the time. Where the surface was hard before Zenson di Piave, it is on a soft gravel track afterwards. We stop for a coffee in Zenson di Piave, almost all the places here has something to do with the Piave in its name, marking the importance of the river in this area. It is quite a scenic walk next to it afterwards.

Architecture feature in Zenson di Piave, one side of the house maintained, the other not.

While walking straight on top of the levée, a distant beacon looms ahead, as usual are the church towers the dominant features in the horizon now. More reminiscences of being on a Camino than on a hike, further accentuated when yellow arrows begin to appear. This is the Via Postumia, another one of the routes to Santiago, this one starting in Budapest in Hungary. A longer walk than I am walking on now, but far less mountainous. I always love getting across yellow arrows in places I least expect them to be.

The river Piave.

Levée walk next to Piave.

A farewell to arms. Literary ghosts whispers their names here. Hemingway was stationed in Fossalta di Piave in 1918 as a Red Cross ambulance driver, getting wounded and in love. I see the statue, but that is all I see of this small town except for the facades of the buildings. A curious pyramid-shaped chapel is placed here, looking over a curious bridge crossing over the Piave. The walking on the levée continues, a ridgewalk in miniature.

Walking in a straight line towards Fossalta di Piave at the top of the levée, the church tower like a lighthouse in the distance.

Bridge and chapel in Fossalta di Piave, Der Traumpfad goes on the track next to the chapel.

Strange is the path where Der Traumpfad crosses under a railway line. A gravel track heads down from the levée just before, but the trail stays on it and then shortly after heads down to the same track on a steep and cumbersome short path. Florian has got behind as we enter Musile di Piave, taking a look at another WWI monument before heading into the town. We should have taken lunch somewhere along the levée, with more nature around us, but we end up taking it in the Piazza XVIII Giugno square in Musile di Piave instead, in front of the town hall. Johanna has some trouble with her feet today.

Sharing the way with Via Postumia. If you consider it, you can then first hike Der Traumpfad and then follow this Camino all the way to Santiago de Compostela.

Path before Musile di Piave.

Out of Musile di Piave, the going is on hard surface. Trees lines the road, and there are scattered settlements around. Walking is less interesting, until about one kilometer away from Caposile, where we walk on a dirt track next to the Fiume Piave Vecchia. We cross over the Sile river on an odd pontoon bridge from WWII, where each section of the bridge consist of a boat.

Chiesa di San Donato in Musile di Piave.

Now the path turns more interesting as it enters a road that goes next to the marsh wetlands of Laguna di Venezia. There is a constant cry from birds as we pass by several wildlife reserves. The vegetation is kept tall here, by purpose I guess, to shelter the birds and wildlife from any traffic or human noise on the road. Although it is a very quiet road, barely one car is passing us by as we walk here. It is a long walk too, almost 10k all the way to Jesolo.

Bridge and monument to VII and VIII Battalion Guardi di Finanza in Caposile.

The pontoon bridge in Caposile.

Florian wants to see the sea and beach, so he leaves us for a while, catching up with us later with his business unfinished. Johanna has just bitten her teeth together, trying to forget the pain in her feet, keeping a good pace up front.

Light over Laguna de Venezia.

Laguna de Venezia.

We arrive in Jesolo, which thankfully is not the same as Lido de Jesolo, the beach resort on the other side of the sand spit. Our place for the night is the Hotel Udinese da Aldo, which is fine. We especially like that we have a balcony, sitting down with a cold refreshment and rest before going out for dinner. Which we find in a small local café, serving us exactly what we need. Then we go for a short walk in the town, ending at a square where we sit down with an icecream in the dark.

Torre de Caligo, old tower passed by just before Jesolo.

This would be a fairly good day on a Camino, so I am quite satisfied with the walk today. I think they have found a good way across the Venetian Plains. With all its settlements around here, I think it would be difficult finding a more scenic path. I have felt my pulse slowing down having come down from the mountains, but now that the day is at an end, I can feel it is rising a bit. Tomorrow is the last day, when we will arrive in Venezia, after the long hike over the Alps and Dolomites. München is a distant, but still vivid, memory. I wonder what I will dream of in the night.

Jesolo.

<< Bocca Callalta // day 28Punta Sabbioni // day 30 >>

Der Traumpfad // day 28 // Susegana - Bocca Callalta

Der Traumpfad, day 28.
Distance: 39.4km (573.1km), time spent: 11:17.
Weather: Nice and hot.

Today, I think I tested the patience of Johanna. The decision to walk to Susegana comes with another bitter aftertaste, given that we did not get to see the inside of the castle, as we have to return to the main trail again. This could be done by doing a 4km slog along a busy road directly to Ponte della Priulä, but that would be in violation of my own strict and stubborn rules (there lives a kind of purist in me). From Susegana it is about 3.5km back to the junction where we left Der Traumpfad yesterday.

Vineyards and farms outside Susegana.

We will go to Bocca Callalta today, it will be a long walk, where most of the route will be following the river Piave on the way. And with the exception of the small hill at the beginning, almost all flat. The mountains will be even farther behind in the distance. The feeling will be that of walking a Camino, only that we will be the only ones walking on it. And is not Venezia just as good a place of pilgrimage as anywhere else.

Saying goodbye to Susegana and Castello San Salvatora.

Walking on the levée towards Ponte della Priulä.

Returning to the dream is quite pleasant, as we pass by the locked gate and silent walls of the Castello San Salvatora again, then passing by the nearby farms while we wonder where Florian made his abode for the night. Passing over the small hill before Colfosco, the narrow and steep paths of the Alps and Dolomites are exchanged by the wide paved roads, and the inclines are nothing to speak of. It is still good enough to give us a good view of how flat the rest of the hike will be.

Ponte Piave.

We arrive in Ponte della Priulä, with the walk after Colfosco entirely going on the top of a levée, which might very well be the only elevation to be found for a long time. Almost the first thing we see in the small town is a fellow hiker, Florian, strangely perfectly timed today too. He had been allowed to sleep out in the garden of a farm not very far from Susegana, and had been told where to find a quieter country road down to Ponte della Priulä instead of the busy road. We sit down for a morning coffee before heading for a nearby supermarket to buy food for lunch. There are not many places along the path to find food today, despite going through this normally populated area.

On the overgrown path after Ponte della Priulä.

Overgrown path then replaced by a pleasant dirt track.

Credit must be given to the maintainers of this trail, for finding the possible only place resembling anything like wilderness here. The path leaving Ponte della Priulä after crossing over the Piave on a bridge, bear witness to how few that probably walks all the way to Venezia. If there is a path, it is barely visible, crossing under the railway bridge on rocks, only to continue next to the river on a path almost totally hidden in the bushes and tall grasses. It is a fun walk.

Florian and Johanna on the levée.

Calling it a wilderness is of course a huge digression, but it sort of succeeds in wrapping me in a feeling of being out in nature and not walking through civilized areas. I think this path is looked upon as a necessary 'evil' in order to get quicker to the more comfortable dirt track afterwards, going through an open shrubland. It is not what I had expected.

The river Piave.

A strange World War I memorial site.

Piave is constantly heralding its march towards the sea. I find this a pleasant change of scenery, which adds value to a trail. Variation, not seeing the same over and over again. There is, however, a sensation that this cannot last. And it comes true when a gravel works breaks the tranquility. A gasp of relief escapes me when the scar is forgotten by the walk on the levée afterwards. Again trees and vegetation hides the outside world from us, and when it opens up, it is too a view of fields and farmland.

Another memorial on Der Traumpfad in this area, this one commemorating the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.

I must admit that I respect the creators of this trail when they stood before the whole of the flat Venetian plains, with its human encroachments and wondered where they should put the trail. Or was it all the work of Ludwig Grassler? This will not last, I know, but it is far better than expected.

Pleasant riverwalk next to the Piave.

History though is buried in the sand around the Piave and we arrive at a memorial to events that unfolded during World War I. There is a bunker here that you can go down into, several displays of weaponry and bombs formed into sculptures, as well as the religious icons commemorating the fallen.

On quiet country roads.

I wonder how many other hikers on Der Traumpfad there are behind or before us on the way to Venezia, is anyone walking into Venezia now? Or has they all passed us by on the bus. Der Traumpfad continues from the memorial on a mix of paved roads and dirt tracks. The fields around us tells the tale of Prosecco and more religious icons. Keeping to ourselves we arrive at another memorial to the first world war. This one commemorating the final battle of that war, the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.

Religious icons are found everywhere next to the trail.

With a cross and an idol looking over us, we have lunch in a shaded place with benches next to the river. From strenous climbs to pleasant flat walking, and the dream of Venezia almost around the corner, but the religious icons we now walk by makes the hike feels like a modern day pilgrimage. Or a hybrid of a sort. The trail enters a gentle (flat) farmland with the Piave on our left and acres on our right. I think my mood is tuning in to this new hiking reality.

Clouds and sunrays from the sun.

Kilometres flies faster by as the landscape is flat, and walking is good, but it is a long walk today. A short detour to Candelù for a coffe and ice, before the country road takes us to a spot for a long awaited swim. We go in search of the river, but finds first an old bunker that has been revitalized and made anew. The water is wonderfully chilling, but the current is strong, treatening to draw us underneath the bracken in the river.

A renewed bunker.

River Piave swimspot.

The sun is starting its descent as we reach the last kilometres. San Bartolomeo is the only other place with accommodation between Ponte della Priulä and Bocca Callalta, but sadly it is located almost at the end of the day. Here the two guidebooks differ again, with the German taking the straightest and fastest way to Bocca Callalta. That implies a 1.6km walk straight onto a very busy road. I decide to follow the route described in my book. It is a short of detour, so I am not sure if Johanna and Florian is satisfied at the moment. I feel that they are both tired now.

Afternoon light over a field of flagolets.

Museo Soldati della Battaglia in Bocca Callatla.

Dusk has arrived when we finally finds our destination for tonight in Bocca Callata, the Albergo Callalta. No time to look at the tiny town, but there are not probably much to miss. The hotel is a good place, and the pizza they serve is great, as rated by the locals.

Florian and Johanna interrupted while eating their pizza at Albergo Callalta.

For all its flat walking, this was a overly agreeable day, despite running tired at the end. Once having left Ponte della Priulä, the walk was on a mix of quiet country roads, dirt tracks and small paths, all in the proximity of the river Piave. A good (and long) day, only two days left now.

<< Susegana // day 27Jesolo // day 29 >>