(hopefully reprinted with full photo views)
Liguria, a four-province region in northwest Italy, lies on the Ligurian sea.
Wikipedia
It is bordered by France to the west, Piedmont to the north, and Emilia-Romana and Tuscany to the east.
Due to its breathtaking coastline, Liguria is also known as the Italian Riveria, as this narrow strip of land lies between the Mediterranean, the Alps and the Apennine mountains.
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While parts of Liguria have familiar names – Cinque Terre, Portofino, and Sanremo, others are much less known.
Liguria is the original source of pesto, and it is easy to understand when driving through some of the towns. Basil is grown in an abundance throughout the year.
Trenette is a traditional form of regional pasta served with pesto alla genovese, which can also include potatoes and green beans boiled in the same water.
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We had never been to Liguria before last week, and now it is one of our favorite places. Town after town graces the Mediterranean, yet each has its own identity. We visited several with friends, one of whom calls Liguria home.
After a literal 2-hour complete shut down of the autostrada near Arezzo, and a 5+ hour drive, we were happy to finally arrive in Loano. My first sight of the sea, albeit cloudy, brought a smile to my face.
Then off to join Daniela’s family who welcomed us with warm hugs and hot soup.
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The next day, we walked along the sea and took in the views from Loano and Verezzi. The photos tell the story best.
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After a beautiful morning of sightseeing, we enjoyed a Tuscan lunch, complete with chianina beef, sausage, and Sangiovese brought from Cortona. And yes, there was even a large collection of pet turtles to entertain us!
Now, one would think this lunch would suffice for the day, but hey, this is Italy, so later that evening, we headed out for seafood, a major staple of Ligurian cuisine, as well as Lumassina, a local white wine.
After dinner, we visited a dear friend’s shop to purchase some fresh pesto.
Wednesday was Monaco/Monte Carlo day, about 60 miles from Loano. I had visited both when I was a student in Rome, and while the sights remain beautiful, today the tourists and cars are dense.
On the way back to Italy, we stopped for what turned out to be a rather “rude” lunch in Menton, along the French border, so we were happy to join Italian cousins for dinner later that night.
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Thursday was my very favorite day. We headed to Alassio, a neighboring Ligurian town, for a most relaxed morning of boating and swimming.
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Up next, a moto ride for me around the harbor before a delicious seafood lunch.
Afterward, we strolled through colorful Alassio and learned some of its history.
In the early 1950s, Alassio was a capital of international highlife along the Riveria. The owner of Caffè Roma came up with the idea to create a wall with the autographs he had collected of famous people that came to the bar, including Ernest Hemingway. Hence, the Muretto di Alassio was born and now boasts about 550 tiles.
After our walk, we drove to the top of the cliff to visit Santa Croce Church and take in the marvelous views of the sea and Isola Gallinara.
Now just in case you’re concerned we might not be able to handle this lifestyle, we found our motto early on…
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Our last night was a “typical small Italian family” gathering for pizza.
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It was hard to leave this beautiful part of Italy, but we know we’ll return. To ease our “sorrow”, we stopped in Portofino for lunch on the way home.
Len and I began planning our trip to Liguria a year ago. It ended up being so much more than we had ever expected – the natural beauty, the sea, the people, the food, the colors, and most of all, the incredible hospitality shown to us.
And now since it is Wednesday, I can finally say:
Buon Compleanno, Dani. Tantissimi Auguri cara amica!
Grazie per una vacanza che ricorderemo sempre!
Thank you for a holiday we will always remember!
Ciao,
Judy
Blogging In Italy 