Posts Tagged With: Liguria

A Day in Cinque Terre

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Ziggy

This is it folks! The moment none of you have been waiting for you. Fresh, off the boat, Cinque Terre pictures that look the same or worse than the millions of CT pictures out there. It took me 8 trips or so to finally see the famous five villages – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Rick Steves, Monterosso. Its not official yet, but as you can see, there’s a strong push to rename one, so I’m just one step ahead.

But in order to combat the Rick Steves fan club, and fully appreciate the villages, one needs to stay here for at least a few nights. And since driving inside the National Park is extremely limited, its better to stay outside, in places like Levanto or Porto Venere. Consider Hotel Abetaia, near Levanto. Comfortable, quiet (in the middle of the woods, but modern), good food. And they set you up with a parking permit in Levanto. Consider staying at least 2 nights in order to have a full day at the villages. Here’s a full day sample itinerary:

Park in Levanto by the train station

Take train to Monterosso al Mare

Hike to Vernazza (Moderate. Wear appropriate shoes, otherwise they will stop you and turn you around. We witnessed it)

Have lunch at Il Pirata delle 5 Terre. Sicilian brothers making all sorts of seafood magic. Try the tuna. You may experience heaviest crowds at this village

Take a boat to Riomaggiore to see the village from the water. Explore Riomaggiore – walk up to the church and Castello.

Take train to Manarola. Make sure to take the correct scheduled train that will stop at Manarola. Not every passing train does. We initially got on the wrong train and quickly came out,

Have an early dinner at the awesome Cappun Magru and have the namesake dish. Its the perfect place with the perfect opening hours for this itinerary.

Explore Manarola including a walk on top by the vineyards to see Manarola from above. Then see the Sunset from the Manarola Scenic Viewpoint (see Google Maps). This is why you are here.

Take train to Levanto

Write thank you note, or name first born, Ziggy

Categories: Italy, Liguria | Tags: cinque terre, Liguria, Travel, travel+photography | Leave a comment

10 Genoa Tips

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Ziggy

Ahhh, Genoa! The name that triggers no emotion, confusion, and even anger sometimes. Why is this guy writing about Genoa now. What happened to Venice, Rome, and that Cinqua Terras place that he supposedly visited and only wrote about one dish so far. Isn’t Genoa a working town? What is there to do for three full days (said Mrs Ziggy when I first pitched the idea). Plenty, turns out. Genoa surprised me with its cultural depth, cuisine, attractions, and fashion. Yes, I said fashion. This post is not supposed to reinvent the wheel and offer you a complete Genoa guide (plenty of sources out there), but offer you some tips that may enhance your Genoa holiday.

Stay for a while – “More Than This” is the Genoa slogan you’ll see everywhere. Either Genoa has much to offer or they are just huge fans of Brian Ferry. But you can very easily fill three days in Genoa alone, and even do some day trips to Boccadasse, Anita Garibaldi Passeggiata, the stunning Camogli, Portofino, and more. A week doesnt sound too long in Genoa once you factor all day trips and all the Focaccia you can eat.

Make Pesto with a local – Pesto, like jeans, originated in Genoa. Book a Pesto making class with Enrica from A Small Kitchen in Genoa. Enrica is a publisher, food blogger, Pesto championship finalist, and just a delight to be around. This experience, that ends with lunch at the beautiful terrace of Enrica’s apartment will probably be your most memorable. You can also take a food tour and book other food experiences with Enrica. My friends are still thanking me for this.

Visit Staglieno Cemetery – My apologies to Enrica for following her with well, death. But if you havent quite made the connection between a magnificent old cemetery to local history and culture, this is a good start. Staglieno is arguably the most important or at least most beautiful cemetery in Italy. An outdoor museum like no other. But it helps to do a bit of research (you can start here), and spend at least 2-3 hours here. Reading about the monuments will bring some of the stories to life.

Do some Rolli palace homework – Its almost impossible to come to Genoa and not visit the Rolli Palaces, but its important to arrive with at least the basic understanding of the system of the “Lists” and how it got UNESCO’s attention. This is what makes Genoa so unique.

Dont overlook the Royal Palace – A most underrated stunner. The Palazzo Reale, or Palazzo Stefano Balbi is just a little out of the tourist way. And I can see how it can be skipped on a short visit. A mini Versailles in Genoa that was shockingly empty when we visited. I could practically walked the hall of mirrors naked, with only one or two people ~~marveling~~ watching. This is also a good place to see the Ligurian pebble mosaic style called Risseu.

See Piazza De Ferrari at night – This is why you need to stay overnight. Its the same story as many Italian towns. The difference between a rushed day trip and an overnight stay is, well, day and night. Seeing the families come out, the lights, fountain, with the palazzos in the background including the magnificent old stock exchange, all add up to quite the atmospheric square.

Ok, trust me, there was atmosphere 😉

See the old town, but be prepared for some ‘Grit’ – Like many such towns all over Europe, Genoa has a distinct personality. Genoa’s old town is fascinating, especially to the culinary minds. But it’s not the most attractive. Dont be surprised to see graffiti, and prostitutes in some corners. Maybe thats what they mean by “More Than This”!

Stay at So&leo Guest House – A well maintained, comfortable, quiet accommodations right between the port area, and old town. Just a few minutes from Focaccia e Dintorni and many more

Get your Focaccia at Focaccia e Dintorni – The Genoese eat Focaccia for breakfast, lunch, dinner and as a late night snack. On my morning walks, I must have tried around half a dozen different places, and Focaccia e Dintorni was the clear winner. Try the Farinata, soft chickpea flatbread a la Cecina.

Eat at Cavour 21, and Trattoria Rosmarino – These were the best meals. Cavour, old, no frills, no nonsense institution I already wrote about. Rosmarino, a dazzling Slow Fooder by Piazza De Ferrari. Who knew Lasagna’s biggest problem was tomato sauce. Get the Lasagna.

Categories: Italy, Liguria | Tags: Focaccia e Dintorni, Genoa, Genova, Liguria, Trattoria Rosmarino Genoa, Travel, travel+photography | Leave a comment

Cavour 21 – Unadulterated in Genoa

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Ziggy

Cavour 21 - Trofie Pesto There’s a common belief in the travel community that vacations should be all about you, and what you like to do. Stay in the type of accommodations you like. Do the things that interest you. Eat the things you enjoy the most in the setting you feel most comfortable in. “What type of food do you like?” is a common response to someone seeking dining advice on the travel boards. It rarely makes sense to me. But knowing exactly what you want and getting it when you want it, doesnt sound so wrong. Some may argue its living life to the fullest. In fact I’m often jealous of people who travel with their favorite cigars, coffee, rum, prunes. Yes, prunes. Prunes give people comfort.

But then there’s the camp that believes that vacation is all about experiencing different. The camp that enjoys adventure, stepping outside the comfort zone, and generating memories. The camp that leaves their prunes behind. If you are in that camp, you most likely enjoy places like Cavour 21. Oy, I didnt mean to go all over-dramatic on you. I’m just talking about a super casual restaurant in Genoa. Watching too much Jessica Jones lately, and all that narration is beginning to get to me.

Although we’ve been to local institutions as such (one is Coimbra, Portugal comes to mind) Cavour is as genuine as they come. Traditional Genoa food, in a rustic, no nonsense environment, with too good to be true prices. Stepping inside feels like stepping back in time. For us at least. For the locals it may feel like Wednesday.

Cavour 21 - Lobster pasta You start this adventure before you even enter the place. About 15-30 minutes before in fact. To ensure a table its recommended to come before they open, otherwise you get an approx time slot, or risk missing out. If its lunch time, and they run out of space and time, they can put you on a list for dinner. Once they open (may not be on time), everyone surrounds the list reader like he is about to read the chosen names in a high school play, and about to give them free Focaccia. Then he goes “Prego” and bam, a mad rush inside. You are shown to your table or table that you’ll share with others.

While you wait outside, its hard to miss the “Pesto World Championship” proudly displayed on their front. And unless you just spent a week in Genoa, its hard to pass on it. It comes with the traditional Trofie, along with potato, green beans, and it’s outstanding. But as good as it was, the Pansoti, Ligurian Ravioli with walnut sauce was the real revelation. It’s a local specialty and unlike anything I’ve had before. Stuffed with wild herbs, its creamy and ultra nutty. Delicious even though the “Pansa” which means belly wasn’t super evident here. They suppose to look like Ravioli with fat beer bellies.

We were on a mission to eat as much seafood as possible in Luguria before moving inland for over a week. Lobster with Taglierini and tomato sauce was sufficiently flavorful, or divine once you factor the price (I dont remember the exact cost but trust me on this). Fried and grilled fresh seafood was all good, with the standouts being the shrimp and Langoustines. They get a pass for the forgettable desserts however. This is one of two particularly memorable meals in Genoa. The other being the great Rosmarino.