Let me get this over with. I love Cinque Terre. It's where Italians spend their vacation- it is that great. Don't make the mistake of many visitors and book one day here- spend at least three days. Some, like myself, have taken substantially more time. We come for the weekend and just neglect to catch the train back out of town. What is it about the Cinque Terre that has everyone buzzing? ... Read Full Article
Genoa, Italy: an Insider’s Guide
The Italian Riviera boasts such mesmerizing places as Portofino and the Cinque Terre with its stunning cliff-side towns, beaches, and baby blue seas, but the city of Genoa has a reputation for being a rough and tumble port. It hasn’t always been this way: the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens who spent most of his life in Genoa, as well as the infamous Baroque artist, Caravaggio, were ... Read Full Article
A Volunteer Vacation on the Ligurian Coast of Italy
For those of you who want to have a travel experience that is truly satisfying, consider a volunteer vacation with PCT tours (Protect Cinque Terre.) These tours can be added to your existing itinerary plans because they are only 3 days long. Vernazza, the hub town of the volunteer vacation tour program, is one of the "Five Lands" of Cinque Terre, a collection of small towns perched on the cliffs ... Read Full Article
The Secrets of Genovese Pesto
The Italian city of Genoa is not recognized for its beauty. Its massive industrial port blocks views of the Mediterranean, and I wouldn’t recommend getting too close: the strong stench of fish and diesel is enough to keep even old salty dogs onshore. Before I went to Genoa, a friend described it to me as the “armpit of Italy.” There is one good reason to visit Genoa, however. It is an extremely ... Read Full Article
Architectural Splendor in La Spezia, Italy
La Spezia (The spice) is a gateway to the Cinque Terre, one of Italy’s most beautiful and romantic spots along the Ligurian coast. It is a quiet and tourist free city and a good place to start when exploring the area. If you want to save a few Euros, the hotels and restaurants are not as expensive in La Spezia as in the nearby tourist towns. So, La Spezia could be a good place to use as a base ... Read Full Article
Exploring Italy’s Cinque Terre
Italy’s Cinque Terre offers one of the country’s most stunning coastlines. Cinque Terre means “Five Lands” and is a collection of five small villages nestled into the cliffs on the Ligurian Sea. Formerly supported by fishing, the primary industry today is tourism. And it’s not difficult to see why thousands of visitors come to this beautiful area every year. The Cinque Terre is an easy day ... Read Full Article
Take a Northern Italy Vacation
Northern Italy encompasses the regions of Liguria, Valle d' Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Fruili. This vast area includes the Italian Alps and Dolomites, the glorious Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, the Italian Riviera and mysterious and magical Venice. Aside from Venice , Liguria and the lakes area, this part of Italy is still undiscovered by tourists. Until the 2006 ... Read Full Article