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. 1.5 for exploring, 1 for hiking and 1/2 for the beach. Some, like myself, have taken substantially more […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]