Liguria

Boardering France to the west, for many if they drive from from France to Italy, this is the first Region they see. As you drive through the Region, if you take the coastal autostrada you will think the Region has nothing but incredible tunnels and bridges. The autostrada route is quite the experience. If you want to get anywhere fast stay on the Autostrada, but make some time, get off and driver the smaller highways and roads and see the region.

The rocky cliffs of Portofinio and the stretch of the Cinque Terra are especially scenic.

There are some big ports along here because the continental shelf is narrow and steep so the sea is very deep right off the coast.

The capital of the Region is the city of Genoa. This is the primary port of the area, a ranking it has held for many years. It was one of the most important ports and powers in the Mediterranean dureing the Middle Agees. The home of Christopher Columbus, there is beautiful architecture and history to this city. We have not spend time here and it is on our list of places to explore in more depth.

Alassio, Santa Margherita Liqure, Portfonio and the Cinque Terra are other spots that you would not want to miss.

Alassio

The original name, Alaxia, became Alassio at one point in time. It was a fishing and shipping village.

It was around 1872 when the rail line opened up Alassio to the rest of Europe. Alassio became a destination for the British who came for the climate and beach.

Tennis courts, libraries, clubs, tea rooms and a casino were all built and Alassio became one of "the" spots on the Mediterranean.

The British invasion ended around 1930 and Alassio next came to life in the 50s and 60s as part of the dolce vita.

In the 1930s the Cafe Roma at the corner of Via Cavour was the hot spot of the town. Famous names came to the Cafe Roma and it was during this time this time the wall, Il Muretto, was designed by Mario Berrino and Ernest Hemingway who signed the first tile

Alassio has been fighting off modern development, so it still has an old town charm, although in recent years there has been some development taking place and as we look back at the changes over the past 20 some years I guess things can't stay frozen in time for ever.

Some years, when it seems we had plenty of time we have driven the coastal highway. Great ready to slow down as you enter town after town. Yes the are some ooohhhs and aaaahhs views along the way, but you really have to have patience.

As we plan out what will happen for the rest of our lives, this is the place we say we want our ashes deposited. We have stayed in Alassio many times. It has one of the best beaches in Italy. Soft, clean, sand and warm water.

We have established ourselves as regulars at at hotels such as the Hotel Tirreno - see our notes in Great Places to Stay. And, Alassio has some of the best gelato to be found in Italy. Pictured to the right is the view from our room the last time we stayed at the Hotel Tirreno.

The older 19th century development too place as at the time, the English discovered Alassio and it became part of the "grand tour of Italy". Because of this, and the fact that the city did not let modern development tear everything down to build concrete hotels along the water, there is still a good feel to the place.

We watched the building of the new convention centre. This does involve the restoration of the classic old Il Grand Hotel but we wonder what price will be paid for that contribution. That restoration project is taking in incredible long period of time. As we prepared for our 2010 visit we see the building is not yet finished!

 

Santa Margherita Ligure

So if we are not staying in Alassio, we are most likely staying in Santa Margherita Ligure.

I know, at one brief moment a number of years ago I think I said I had been here too many times, but that thought has gone!

The town is scenic and the location is very good. This is a great town to serve as a base for travels in the area. You can walk the two km along the water to Portofino, or drive or take a bus to this eye stopper.

Also, the train station is right in the town and in a half hour you can be on the Cinque Terre - and with the limited roads you don't want to be thinking about take a car into that area anyway.

When in Santa Margherita Ligure we now stay at the Hotel Jolanda (see Great Places to Stay). It is a relatively short walk from the hotel down to the waterfront.

We have also stayed at the Albergo Fasce which is a very nice hotel both hotels are only a few blocks up from the water. So it is a short pleasant walk.

 

 

Portofino

I know that when people hear the phrase "day trip location" it can lead to the question: do we really want to go there? But in this case, yes.

This is one of the most unspoiled promontories on the Ligurian Coast. The harbour is scenic. You can walk up to the 16th century fortress of S. Giorgio and get great views of the bay. If you take your car, and you really don't have to, there is a parkade on the outskirts of the town and then you walk down to the harbour.

The multi-coloured houses line the harbour. You can pick up some food and wine in one of the stores and walk down to the harbour and enjoy a picnic lunch - or eat in one of the fine cafes along the water.

San Fruttuoso

When in Santa Margherita Ligure we took a boat that goes to both Portofino and San Fruttuoso. The Abbazia di San Frutuoso di Capodimonte is a Benedictine abbey and was to be the resting place for Bishop St. Fructuosus of Tarragona who was martyred in Spain in 259.. The Abbey was rebuilt in the 13th Century.

Camogli

Camogli is another one of the towns that you can drive to when you stay in Santa Margherita.

We visited it in 1995 when we drove down to the coast to meet Karen's parents. Camogli is a fishing village — and it is the colours of the buildings, and the location, built on the steep cliffs, the harbour and multitude of small boats of a rainbow of colours, that you will certainly remember.

 

Portovenere

Just past La Spezia is the town of Portovenere. We stayed here one night and enjoyed a really the sights and great meal.

You can walk along the water out to the San Pietro church. It dates from the 6th Century and was rebuilt in the 13th Century. It has a sharp appearance, with white and black stripped marble.

So enjoy the views, and the slower life pace of this town and count the cats - there seems to be an endless number.

Rapollo

We have stayed here when we could not get a hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure. One year Karen's parents were traveling in Italy at the same time we were. Well, despite the fact that we were in Alba (just south of Torino) we decided "what the heck" - lets drive down to Santa Margherita Ligure and surprise her parents.

Well it was a beautiful drive and one we would recommend as you travel you scenic vineyards, mountains and hills. Out motto, if there is an autostrada, well we can be there.

We arrived in the evening only to find there was not a hotel room to be found despite the even increasing price point we were prepared to spend.

We gave up and drove the few kilometres down the coastal road to Rapollo. It has its own charm and the town has a buzz and pace to it.

 

San Remo

After driving through or around this town on many many trips along the coast, in 2001 we decided to stay one night and see what the town was like.

We had dropped our friends the Grants off in Nice and they headed back to Vancouver and we headed towards Italy. San Remo is just a short drive from Nice.

So the picture at the right pretty much sums up the town. Lots of old multi-coloured buildings, lots of traffic, and lots of hotels that one day were just "the" place to stay. San Remo was one of the destinations for the English on their tours of Italy in the 19th Century. Some of the hotels have been renovated very nicely. Some, well they have seen better days. We stayed in one that was almost there in terms of being a find!

We are not into going to a casino, and there is a large one in San Remo, but it was a pleasant short stop.

 

Genoa / Genova

This town is on our list of places to see. We just had to work it into one of our routes.

There was quite the clean up of the town to celebrate the 500 Anniversary of Christopher Columbis and the Expor that was held in 1992. By 2004, I am told, the town was transformed.

There are two train stations in the centre, Stazione Principe and Stazione Brignole. The main shopping street, via XX Settembre starts just a short distance from Stazione Breignole. It will take you to the centre, Piazza de Ferrari.

We look forward to visiting Genoa and reporting back.

 

Cinque Terre

This is the five lands along some of the more scenic coasts of Italy. A designated Unesco World Heritage site and oin the World Monument Fund list you should work some time on the Cinque Terre into a visit to this Region.

On our very first visit we drove into Riomaggiore but on subsquent trips we have arrived in any one of the villages by train, using Santa Margherita Liqure as our base. Very easy,just get up in the morning, walk to the train station and in about 45 minutes to an hour you are there. There are trains that roar along the coast, through the endless series of tunnels and it is a few dollars to catch a train and travel from village to village.

Of course, you can do the walk, a real attraction and walk through the vineyards from each of the villages. We started to do it on one trip but the wise told us to go back as whe did not have the proper footwear for the climb. Our friends Chris and Carmen Grant have completed the walk and they confirmed that there are sections that involve a steep climb but you do not have to be a mountain climber to make the total walk.

We have talked to many who plan to spend quite a bit of time in the villages. Our word of caution is do so if you really want to relax. As we found with our stay, by the end of the day the towns really close up, there will be a bar or restaurant open, but if you want to kick back and relax all evening then that is fine. But if you need other things to keep you going, then visit the towns in the day.

I think that is me, a bit younger, standing on the waterfront of one of the towns!