Grado is a coastal town, located on the Adriatic Sea in Nort-eastern Italy. The city is actually an island, located in the shallow lagoon between Trieste and Venice.
This elegant town with Venetian charm enchants you with narrow streets, little squares, picturesque houses, small shops, restaurants, bars and long sandy beaches.
Back in 19th century the city was a favourite destination for the Habsburg aristocracy, that in Grado enjoyed sea bathing and Sea Spa.
Today, Grado is a popular summer destination for domestic and foreign visitors. It has 3 kilometers of sandy beaches and a very shallow sea. I have to admit that I’ve never been to Grado in the hottest months (July and August) because I don’t like the sea there. As mentioned, it is very, very shallow, and the water doesn’t look nice and clean due to the sand. But we go to Grado quite often in the spring and autumn for long bike rides along the sea, and we also like to visit it in the winter.
Two weeks ago, we had a week of nice and sunny winter weather, which we thought was the right time to visit Grado. Our plan was to have a walk along the beach, stop for a coffee and aperitivo, and later on have a light lunch at one of the restaurants.
Since the weather can be unpredictable, my wife took a quick look at the webcam of the city, and since it was also sunny there, we jumped in our car and took the 45-minute’ drive. But when we were less than 10 minutes’ drive from Grado, the clear blue sky became slightly foggy, and after a few seconds, we were embraced by verry dense fog that was reaching the cost of the Adriatic Sea.
The smile vanished from our faces, and after long moments of surprise mixed with disappointment, we realized that our day at the seaside wouldn’t be as expected.
We parked our car and went for a walk. It was quite chilly and semi-dark, but in some parts, we were able to see the blue sky through the fog. It was a good sign, and as we approached the boardwalk along the beach, the sun was becoming stronger and the fog was slowly disappearing.
As always, we took a look at the beach, which is covered with numerous shells, and then took a walk along the seaside promenade.
It was time for lunch, and we'd looked around for a bar or restaurant where we could have a quick meal. Well, that was a complete disaster. Apparently, the warm winter days encouraged many visitors to come to Grado, and the seaside promenade was packed with visitors trying to find an empty table. We forgot that many of the restaurants were closed in winter, but honestly, the bars were closed, and the ones that were open were packed with clients that bartenders couldn’t handle. After a few unsuccessful attempts, we were able to have a quick toast and coffee, and that was all.
The alternance of fog and sun was walking with us all the time, but even if it was not as we'd expected, I was able to take some interesting photos, and I’ve seen that city of Grado in a completely different "light”. And it was for sure a very interesting and inspiring walk!
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