Genoa - A Quick Guide

Immagine da Genova - piazza De Ferrari (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By []Massimo Viola

Similar to Liguria, Genoa extends on a long and thin strip of land, for a distance of 30 KM from the westernmost to the easternmost spot. The historical city developed in the space between the two valleys Polcevera on the west and Bisagno on the east. This is the central and the thickest part in the town, characteristically fan-shaped, descending towards the sea from the fortresses and the walls on the hills.

genoa genova italy 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)    By Robert Marriott
In Italy, the region of Liguria is famous for its long and beautiful seacoast, and for two of the country's best-loved foods. It is also a wonderful place for walking.
There are miles of great footpaths taking you all over the wooded hills of this largely rural region. The views are terrific, and you can spend your day in beautiful countryside while never being far from a village and a little bar or restaurant.
Let's deal with the food first. Liguria is the home of pesto sauce, which is now appreciated all over the world. The capital Genoa, or Genova in Italian, gave its name to the dish 'spaghetti alla Genovese', which is a mix of spaghetti, diced potatoes, and French beans in a pesto sauce topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Liguria is also home to the bread called 'focaccia' which you can buy elsewhere in Italy, and even abroad, but which never tastes as good as it does in the region.

Sea Holidays? Choose Italy!

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By: Michele de Capitani

For the people that are keen in beaches and sea Italy is undoubtedly the ideal destination, With its kilometers of coasts, the different types of landscapes, the numberless hotels that are to be found in the Italian regions, and the tourist attractions that characterize the Italian seaside resorts, from the North to the South, when you speak about sea holidays in Italy you are really spoilt for choice. And no matter if many Italian people prefer more exotic or faraway destinations, looking for something different; certainly you can find many interesting seaside resorts also in many other countries, but there are also many Italian people that recognize the huge heritage that they have at disposal and decide to spend their holidays on one of the many beaches of Italy. Moreover there are many foreigners who visit Italy and come from Russia, Germany and many other countries to relax under the Italian sun listening to the sound of the Mediterranean Sea, and who remind Italian people of the valuable asset that they have at their disposal and that many foreign people envy.

Italian Street Food

Image by Nicoze via Flickr
By: Michele de Capitani


Italian gastronomic tradition does not only include restaurant dishes, or dishes that need a complex preparation and are to be eaten while sitting at a table, but also many kinds of street food, which are different in each region. Street food is very appreciated both by Italians, who like its traditional and intense flavour, its authenticity, its cheapness, and the possibility that it gives to eat quickly, and by those tourists that wish to discover every aspect of the places they are visiting, gastronomic culture included, and who prefer to shorten the time dedicated to eat in order to immerse themselves in visiting the city.

Ten beautiful places to buy or rent a house in Italy

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Author: Massimo Viola

Anyone who publishes a list, for example a Top 10 list,, should answer a couple of good questions: why that number and why those items were chosen.In this case, answering the first question is easy. Obviously the choice of a number is always arbitrary and ten is a very small number for a task like this, but it is so well referenced from so remote time, that I can go straight to use it. On the contrary, the second question deserves some more explanation. All the places below have been chosen thinking about a foreigner who wants to find a home for leisure in Italy. I cared to avoid cities. I also avoided places so famous to be almost impossible, such as Cortina d'Ampezzo, Portofino, Chianti region, Amalfi, Capri and so on. Everyone already knows these places, so adding them to the list would be of no help to the reader. I have selected the ten places below having in mind these two simple objectives: they had to be affordable (no stellar prices) and, on the whole, representative of the most typical aspects of Italian territory. I hope to have accomplished this task at least in part. My true opinion is that every selection of this kind should be taken with a bit of scepticism. Far from being definitive, it is just intended to arouse interest and stimulate further exploration.

Manarola Hotels in the Cinque Terre

Image via WikipediaThere are five villages that make up Italy's Cinque Terre, or five lands. Noted for incredible natural beauty, laid-back ambience, and good local wine, the region is no longer undiscovered. But it's still a delightful place to get away from it all and enjoy the Italian Good Life.
Manarola is one of the most attractive of the villages, especially when seen from the hiking path on the way from Corniglia. The town's pastel houses are stacked vertically against the local black rock. Beneath them, the shimmering bay is a great spot for a swim.
Manarola hotels are some of the nicest in the Cinque Terre, and most of them offer breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.
Today, you can get to Manarola by train or boat from Genoa or La Spezia. If you prefer to drive, there's a parking lot with a shuttle that will take you down to the town.

There's not a lot to do here. The local citizenry fishes, makes wine, or produces olive oil, and you can taste the fruits of their labors almost anywhere. The heart of town is the marina, and there are a couple of good beaches and places to swim, although the beaches here aren't sandy.

Piazza Capellini, the new main square, is a popular gathering spot and a good place to watch the locals. There's a small museum that describes the wine-making process. And the church in the upper part of town has a pair of Renaissance paintings and a bell tower.

During your visit, take time to walk through the surrounding vineyards and lemon groves. The hike to the old cemetery at Punta Bonfiglio is also worth it for the gorgeous views.

Manarola hotels and places to stay.

One of the most appealing hotels in the Cinque Terre, La Torretta has 13 nicely outfitted rooms with plasma TVs, leather furniture, and tile floors. The family-run hotel occupies a 17th-century building with a tower, and many rooms have terraces. Those without still have views.

If you want to be right on the water, the best choice is the Hotel Marina Piccola, which also has a good restaurant. The fishing boats and rocky beach are practically outside your window. There are two buildings and the accommodations here are clean and comfortable.

The ten rooms at Ca d'Andrean are clean, but basic with simple furnishings and tile floors. Request a room with a balcony for the best views. You can have your breakfast in the property's pretty lemon grove.

Find more Manarola hotels, or Vernazza hotels.
 

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I Love Italian Travel - Liguria Wine Tours

Image via WikipediaSo you are planning to tour Liguria. You have probably heard about the historic port of Genoa from which Christopher Columbus set out to visit "The New World". You may be familiar with the Italian Riviera, unashamed competitor to its French counterpart. Perhaps you have heard about Cinque Terre, five seaside villages that are a favorite with hikers and romantics.
If you haven't been to Liguria you may not have ever tasted Ligurian wine. Not very much is exported to North America. On a personal note, I have tasted and reviewed wines from 19 of Italy's 20 regions. Only Liguria was missing. While researching this article I found a red and a white that I ordered on-line. At lost last I have finally reviewed both in other columns.
The little town of Monterosso al Mare, the largest of the Cinque Terre villages is festival land; it celebrates a Lemon Feast on the Saturday just prior to Ascension Sunday, a Flower Festival of Corpus Christi on the second Sunday after Pentecost, and a Salted Anchovy and Olive Oil Festival on the second weekend of September. Or you may prefer the upscale village of Portofino to see how the other half lives. If you love eating fish you can find a wide variety of restaurants ranging from mom and pop trattorias to fancy restaurants. Or visit the Acquario di Genova, which is Europe's largest aquarium.


The soil is poor; the slopes are steep and well-drained. Liguria has what it takes to produce fine wines. But, perhaps unfortunately, more and more of the agricultural production is going to olive groves, flowers, or housing for the numerous tourists. Ligurian grape varieties include the white Vermentino and the red Ormeasco (known as Dolcetto in neighboring Piedmont) and Rossese. They also produce some wine from one of Italy's red signature grapes, Sangiovese.



Liguria festivals include: Portofino - St. George Bonfire in April, Riomaggiore - Feast of San Giovanni in June. Casella - Historical Festival and Palio in August, Levanto - Maritime Festival in July. Pontinvrea - Cherry Festival in June, Castiglione Chiavare - Eggplant Festival in August and Bogliasco - Olive Oil Festival in August.



Companies offering wine tours of Liguria include La Dolce Vita Wine Tours, Nyala Wonder Travel, and Wine Roads. Liguria wineries that hosting visits include A Maccia Azienda Agricola in Ranzo and Terre Bianche in Dolceacqua. They are both involved in agrotourism, so you can spend a good part of your vacation on site.

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Levi Reiss wrote or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but would rather drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his new wine, diet, health, and nutrition website www.wineinyourdiet.com and his Italian travel website www.travelitalytravel.com.



Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com



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Living it Up in Liguria and the Italian Riviera

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By Priscila Siano

For more than 100 years, global tourists have accepted the warmth and splendor of Italy's famous Liguria district and the magnificent Italian Riviera. Long the place where the wealthy and famous would get together to enjoy humid water, extensive sandy beaches, and superior resorts, the prime of some towns in the Italian Riviera has passed but the area still maintains a confident fashionable character that beckons discriminating tourists to come and discover.

Liguria is situated in the northern part of Italy, between the French Riviera, Piemonte, and Tuscany. The climate in the Liguria region is almost always nice and can best be described as balmy. Thanks to its location, it is sheltered from largely horrible weather by the mountains of the Alpine range. The usual summertime temperature is a cozy 77 degrees F and in the winter, it hardly ever dips lower than around fifty degrees. The sunlight is abundant and the foliage is luxuriant. That's why, for decades, it's been attracting the wealthy and celebrated who come to have fun in San Remo's famed casino, enjoy the anchorage at Portofino, or discover picturesque coast towns like Camogli and Rapallo.

Liguria is commonly separated into 2 areas or coasts. West of Genoa is where you'll find customary wide, sandy seashores and the resorts that make it a much-visited holiday spot. This area is known as Riviera di Ponente or Shore of the Setting Sun. Stretching all the way to the French Riviera, this side of Liguria boasts towns such as turn-of-the-century Bordighera, with its striking seashore esplanade; the famous resort of San Remo; the medieval city of Masone; pretty Alassio with its 2-mile extended beach; and the hill town of Sassello.

On the eastern side of Genoa is Riviera di Levante, Shore of the Rising Sun. The towns here are less industrial, the shoreline more rugged. You will not discover the huge resorts on this side of Genoa, however what you will find are several of Italy's most charming small towns, all lined up within only a few miles of each other and eager to receive guests. Head for little Portofino, great for those who want a tiny glitz with their retreat, or if you're looking for something less pretentious, go just a few miles to attractive Santa Margherita Ligure, a charming town that was once a well-known haven but is now hushed, boasting a immaculate seaside and a lot of welcoming locals.

If you are a metropolitan person, however, and you're traveling to the Italian Riviera, don't overlook an opportunity to spend some moment in Genoa, one of Italy's least-visited cities but without doubt worth a stop. Fairly a historic city, Genoa's history can be traced back to the Etruscans of the 5th century BC and the capital is purely filled of magnificent archeological and architectural gems.

The most visited sight in Genoa is perhaps The Palace of the Doges, dating from the 13th century not to be confused with the one in Venice. Other must sees include the magnificent Cathedral of St. Lawrence Cattedrale di San Lorenzo; the Old Harbor area; the Museo d'Arte Oriental with its admirable set of Oriental art; and the excitement and educational Aquarium of Genoa, one of the biggest in Europe. You will in addition desire to get a leisurely walk along the Via Garibaldi. This boulevard, lined with palaces, is a fascinating World Heritage Site.

No matter where you travel in Italy, you'll desire to be sure to savor the local food. Liguria is no exemption. Seafood, of course, is fairly popular, given the region's spot, so anticipate most dining establishments to have an exceptional variety including fish that was just plucked from the sea several hours before dinner is served. The produce in Liguria is equally as alluring and - like the seafood - you'll frequently discover fruit or veggies on your plate that were picked that very same day. Be certain to taste the orata, a yummy local fish, usually cooked with olives and potatoes; or the gattafin, pasta stuffed with beetroot, onion and parmesan. Liguria is also the birthplace of pesto sauce hence keep in mind to order a dish that includes this popular toppings.

Priscila Siano is a lover of all things Italian. She also enjoys writing articles about travel to Italy. For more information about Italy, please visit TourItalyNow.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Priscila_Siano

Restaurant Dining | Trattorias and Restaurants in Vernazza | Cinque Terre | Italy Travel

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Restaurant Dining | Trattorias and Restaurants in Vernazza | Cinque Terre | Italy Travel

If you’re staying in this town during your Cinque Terre holidays, there are enough restaurants and trattorias here to keep you nicely fed.

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