An Italian Experience in Liguria

 Italy is one of the most fascinating countries in the world with one of the most famous cultures and ways of life.  It's no surprise Italy is one of the top ten most visited countries in the world, but how are we supposed to know where to go?  We booked HPB's tour Highlights and Secrets of the Italian Riviera with Laura and Paul whom we have holidayed with before.  Their company Italian Experience is excellent.  The Ligurian Coast stretches its way from Monaco down to Tuscany, it is home to incredible historic cities, beautiful coastal villages and dramatic mountains.

On arrival at Genova airport we were met by Laura, so lovely to meet her again, and  transferred to our hotel the Regina Elena in Santa Margherita.  We were on the 5th floor with a balcony where we were able to enjoy the charming panoramic view whilst relaxing under the warm Ligurian sun.

We gathered later that evening for an aperitif and briefing for the week where we met Francesca our English speaking guide.  Francesca is the epitome of guiding excellence.....she is such a delight and so knowledgeable about her country.  Thank you so much for the perfect days we spent with you.

Santa  Margherita is an easy going, old-school resort town has an enjoyable urban bustle and a handful of sights (including the Baroque Basilica of Santa Margherita), along with easy access to posh Portofino. It has a breezy harbourfront with a beach promenade, and its aristocratic architecture hints at old money.

There is also a fort overlooking the harbour.  This fort once protected the harbour from raids by Saracen pirates.  It was constructed in 1550, and ceased to have any military significance in the late 1800s.  Like early radio?  I mean, really early radio? What's a huge replica of the 1909 Nobel Prize awarded to Guglielmo Marconi doing on the side of an Italian Riviera castle built to deter African pirates?  Marconi had some close ties to the area.  His yacht, the Electra, was often moored around Santa Margherita where he conducted experiments based on his fascination with short-waves and radar in order to make navigation for such boats easier.  In fact he conducted experiments from the Grand Hotel Miramare, passing short waves between the hotel and the Electra. (In 1900 he took out his famous patent No. 7777 for "tuned or syntonic telegraphy" determined to prove that wireless waves were not affected by the curvature of the Earth).

From Santa Margherita Ligure, you can take a bus to Portofino or hike following the sidewalk along the sea (2.5 miles) but our private boat made the 15 minute trip with more class and scenery.  We even saw a dolphin.

Day 2 - PORTOFINO

Portofino - close enough to Santa Margherita Ligure that you could walk (though the bus is faster and our boat trip more romantic) - has a celebrity cachet.  It's the kind of place where the sailboat masts are taller than the houses.  But I have to admit....I liked it.  And the laundry drying from windows overlooking the harbour reminds me that it's not just Gucci and Clooney who have an address here.

Portofino is one of the prettiest, and most exclusive, fishing towns in the Mediterranean.  Arriving by sea is definitely the most evocative way to admire this bay and the pastel-coloured houses of the village.  The good things in life don't come cheap and Portofino is a fine example of that.  We admired some of the Mediterranean's biggest super yachts from Castello Brown, unfortunately closed the day we visited for a private wedding, but we carried on walking to the Lighthouse.

Lunch was at a local trattoria right in the famous small square "the piazzetta".  Trattoria Tripoli.

During the night some of our party experienced a Magnitude 3.1 earthquake but we slept through it.

Day 3 - GENOA

Genoa is Italy's most important port and the birthplace of the very well-known explorer, Christopher Columbus.  Genoa was once ruled by powerful Doges for 500 years and its legacy has left behind an incredible historic centre with breathtaking architecture and palaces.  Narrow alleyways known as carruggi weave their way through the city, lined with trattorias, boutique shops and cafes.

Few cities anywhere have a marketplace as lively and historical and full of great food as Genoa does.  The Mercato Orientale has been around for over a century.  Its origins lie in the boom the city experienced after Italian Unification 150 years ago.

Genoa lived its modern heyday in the second half of the 1800s.  That's when it was part of Italy's so-called industrial triangle:  Milan, Turin and Genoa.  The wide, straight streets of the city date to this period.  Genoa's main street - its back bone - isVia XX Settembre (the double x, pronounced venti, stands for twenty, as in September 20th, 1870, the date Rome was recaptured from the papal authorities, and unification was completed).

Lunch was at an old "Sciamadda", an authentic trattoria with a huge wood fire where they prepare the traditional Farinata (a flat bread made with chickpeas).

Day 4 - CINQUE TERRE

You have probably heard of Cinque Terre, it's not surprising, for these villages are beautiful.  The negative?  Unlike five years ago, everyone knows about this place, especially the cruise boats.  However, as long as you are prepared for crowds you can still enjoy it quite easily!--  Many of us are not even sure how to pronounce it - and yet this is one of the most spectacular coastal landscapes in the world.  "Chink-way-tear-eh" is how the Italians do it and I had to repeat it several times before getting it right. 

Cinque Terre (translated as The Five Lands) describes the five gelato-coloured fishing villages clinging to a 15-mile stretch of craggy hillside above the Ligurian Sea.  These tiny, shabby 12th-century villages have been preserved with a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Magnificent coastal views, colourful boats bobbing in harbours, pastel villages that climb high into the cliffs, and delicious food: is it any surprise that spending at least one day in Cinque Terre is on just about everyone's Italy bucket list?

We transferred by private coach from Santa Margherita to Levanto (about 1 hour) where we took the ferry to Monterosso. Monterosso al Mare is the largest village in the Cinque Terre and the perfect place to kick off our one day in Cinque Terre.  It's an incredible mix of old and new with the modern part of town and Old Town being separated by a tunnel. It also has a sandy beach located right in front of the train station.  But no visit to Monterosso is complete without exploring the village on foot, particularly the historic area, walking through the little alleys.  We ducked into the highly memorable Oratorio dei Neri, which is a church decorated with human skeletons.

After getting our fill of the town lunch was at Buranco Agriturismo.  A wonderful little venue atop  a peaceful hill in Monterosso.  The stone path winds past a community devoid of the tourism below, past a small police station and past quaint houses with gardens and chicken coops.  This is much like the Monterroso of years past.  The path ends at Buranco, a very nice little winery.  You would be amazed at the terraced hillsides producing the grapes for their wines, olives and lemons.  They alone deserved a few pictures to awe you.  This was a very relaxing lunch, the anchovies 5 ways were enjoyable and the dog is a sweetheart.  A wonderful escape from the sea of tourists below and I particularly enjoyed the winery's spumanti they named Bolla!

Beyond the towns, vineyards with their many terraces blanket the mountainside.  Someone - probably after too much local wine - calculated that the roughly 3,000 miles of terrace walls have the same amount of stonework as the Great Wall of China.  Wine production is down nowadays, as younger residents choose less physical work.  But many locals still maintain their tiny family plots and proudly serve their grandfather's wine.

After lunch we walked back to the Monterosso jetty and boarded the ferry to Vernazza.  The most photographed village of the Cinque Terre.

Colourful, busy, brilliant Vernazza is my personal favourite: everything from its harbour to its small castle to its beautiful viewpoints to its tiny back streets is a delight.  Village churches are always worth popping into.  Vernazza's is on the harbourfront and is unusual for its east-facing entryway, rather than the more typical western orientation.  Hanging on the wall inside are three historic portable crosses - replicas of crosses that Vernazzan ships once brought along on crusades to the Holy Land.  During religious processions, these crosses are taken down and carried through town. 

The train is the most popular public transportation option between the villages and we headed back to Levanto by train.  The train service runs between all five villages at a rapid pace.

And a wonderful surprise on our return to our balcony.  We cap a wonderful day on the Cinque Terre with a  bottle of bubbles from Paul and Laura which we enjoyed with our new friends, Terry and Geraldine. .  It's dark and looking up into the sky we all see a shooting star. The buzz I'm savouring is not from the wine, but from enjoying this world of ancient terraced vineyards, little pastel ports, rustic cuisine, and twinkling vistas.  (OK, it's also from the wine).

Day 5 - PORTOVENERE

After breakfast we departed by private coach to La Spezia (about 1 hr 15 min) where we caught the ferry to Portovenere for a panoramic cruise along the jagged coast of the Poet's Gulf.  This enchanting resort is as scenic as the Cinque Terre towns - the village clings to a rocky, fortress-crowned promontory.  A rainbow of tall, skinny pastel facades rise up from an inviting harbourfont promenade.

Portovenere is fun to explore, especially if you climb up-up-up behind town for increasingly better views.  Portovenere faces not the open sea but the beautiful Gulf of La Spezia - more romantically known as the Gulf of Poets - where Lord Byron was said to have gone for a hardy swim despite rough seas and local warnings to the contrary.  (He survived....at least, for a little while longer.)  Scanning the bay, you'll see the outskirts of muscular La Spezia, the often-snow-covered peaks of the Apuan Alps and across a narrow strait - the rugged island of Palmaria.  We took a small private boat to reach a special restaurant on the island.  Back to La Spezia by boat and back to Santa Margherita by private coach. Portovenere wins my vote for "la Sesta Terra" (the sixth land).

Day 6 - NOLI AND FINALBORGO

Noli lies 31 miles southwest of Genoa and is part of the Italian Riviera.  Driving the Amalfi Coast is something I'll never forget and will always cherish but the coastline drive to Noli was also beautiful.

Huddled under craggy Monte Ursino, Noli is a picturesque, miniature, walled town, which is one of the best-preserved medieval cities on this stretch of the coast.  Just 4m above sea level, Noli sits quite literally on the beach.  There is a small palm-fringed promenade and a good little public beach with rough sand.  Pulled up on the sand are rows of little boats belonging to the local fishermen, who set out every night to gather their catch.  A stall along the promenade is where they sell their fresh catch.

We crossed the road and wandered through the historic town.  During the Middle Ages, Noli was one of the maritime republics.  Above the town sits a majestic castle, looking down on the mesmerising historic centre.

The Romanesque San Paragorio Cathedral has gorgeous frescoes and paintings dating back to the 11th century.

One thing you must eat in Noli, is an Italian pastry.  Just one look in the local bakeries and we were drooling.  Laura very kindly treated us all to a pastry.

Thank you Laura for the delicious surprise.

We then travelled on to Finalborgo, an old-walled medieval town just minutes from the coast.  We exited our coach, crossed a bridge and wandered the medieval centre's twisty, narrow cobblestone streets.  Years old Renaissance architecture with intricate design, several gates, painted frescoes, and even a clock.  

Our group spent some time inside the Baroque-style St. Biagio's Basilica, a wonderful 17th- century cathedral with a slightly leaning bell tower. Outside the raw-stone facade was left unfinished whilst  inside  the church was stunning, with an incredible pipe organ behind the altar, sparkling chandeliers, and gold crown moldings.

While I love the historical offerings, I also enjoy just strolling the winding streets, taking photographs and stopping for a relaxing lunch.

Finalborgo is also "sporty", since the rugged surrounding landscape makes it a mecca for mountain bikers, road cyclists and rock climbers.  The roads are filled with happy, mud-splattered cyclists who gather in the main piazza.

After lunch we transferred to Borgomaro, a small and undiscovered hamlet in the heart of the Ligurian rolling hills, surrounded by olive groves and vineyards.  In tranquil Borgomaro, our wonderful hotel was Relais del Maro, spread across three old buildings with stylish rooms and a delicious Italian breakfast.  Delightful Elena and her family have converted a 19th-century butcher's shop, her grandparents' home and a 14th-century stone house into a stylish 'Albergo Diffuso'.  Life is wonderfully slow here; church bells mark time and only ducks quacking in the river disturb the silence.  We relaxed in the garden, planted with rambling roses and fragrant jasmine, with a glass of Prosecco and later enjoyed an 'apericena' (Aperitif dinner) with a variety of tasty appetisers and local wine.  It was also time to say goodbye to our friendly and knowledgeable guide Francesca. 

Francesca our lovely guide

We started the next day with an impressive breakfast spread and a glass of prosecco!  

Day 7 - IMPERIA

After breakfast we had a private transfer to Imperia (about 20 mins) and we met our new guide, Simona, for a walking tour of the medieval part of Imperia called Porto Maurizio.  In Porto Maurizio, on the hill overlooking the city, there is the ancient part of the city called Parasio (Paraxio comes from the word "palace") where until the sixth century the deputy of Genova's duke looked after the territories of Western Liguria.  The main building at Parasio is undoubtedly the Cathedral which stands on the square in all its grandeur.  We were unable to go inside because of a funeral. We continued our walk among narrow streets, alleys and squares, discovering interesting views overlooking the sea.

Close-up of a carved stone over the entrance door of a medieval building with the religious symbol IHS, Greek acronym for Jesus.

The building that most captured our attention was the Convento di Santa Chiara.  In this monastery still live cloistered nuns.  In the back of the convent there is a wonderful porch overlooking the sea.  The walk through those arches, where you can enjoy a splendid view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, is truly priceless.   And with the warm weather it was very pleasant.

After the walk, which lasted all morning, we went to the other neighbourhood: Oneglia where we visited the harbour for lunch overlooking the sea and the posh boats.

Thank you Terry and Geraldine for inviting us to drinks on your terrace on our last night.  So lovely.  Cheers we really enjoyed your company and congratulations on your Golden Wedding Anniversary.

Thank you Phil for treating me to this wonderful trip as a present for my 70th birthday.  I shall always remember the Italian Riviera.  Medieval houses clustered around a church, cobbles, fading shutters and church bells.  Bellissimo.