Finally I have succeeded in finding my way into the Po Delta area. I took a FER train from Ferrara to Codigoro to see the flood protection structures in the district.
I then took a bus to Commacchio, a picturesque town on the edge of its namesake lagoon. The lagoon is very popular with fishermen, but the town has a network of canals and bridges and a collection of restored medieval buildings. A veritable mini-Venice.
A combined bus/train journey brought me back to Ferrara.