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Liguria,
whose history and destiny are closely
tied to the sea,
is home of the
Italian Riviera; sandwiched between the French
Riviera and the Tuscan coast, bounded to the north
by the Piemontese Alps.
This magnificent coastal area, is best known for its string of glamorous resorts
like San Malo, Portofino,
and
Cinque Terre) and picturesque fishing villages
like Camogli.
The resort towns and coastal villages
that stake intermittent claims on the
rocky shores of the Liguarian Sea are
the long-lost cousins of newer,
overbuilt seaside paradises.
Here the largest and grandest "edifici
medioevali" (medieval buildings) share space with
frescoed, angular, late 19th century
apartment buildings. The latter
day high-rise glitz
seems as foreign as the Maine lobster
that some of the region's toniest
restaurants (incongruously) fly-in for
dinner. The rustic and elegant, the
provincial and chic, the cosmopolitan
and the small-town are blended together
here in a sun-drenched pastiche that
make this area one of the most exotic, fascinating
and sometimes most strange in all Italy.
The regional capital,
Genoa ("City of
Culture" in 2004), was the birthplace of
Christopher
Columbus and today is a major commercial port with
a winding medieval centre and grand neoclassical palazzi
along many of the ancient streets.
Liguria's coastline is divided into the western
and eastern Rivieras. The western
end, the Riviera di Ponente,
famed for its roses, almond and citrus
groves, lies between San Remo and
Genoa. The eastern part, the Riviera di Levante,
is on a more rugged
stretch of coast between Genoa and La Spezia
and includes Portofino and
Cinque
Terre.
Liguria, not content to lie on its beaches, has
also contributed gastronomically to the
world. One example: basil, garlic and
pinenut sauce - Pesto - layered over everything in the zone from Foccacia (also a Ligurian specialty) to pizza, pasta and panini. Initially "pesto" as the sauce is known today was invented by
practical-minded Ligurian sailors to avoid
scurvy. Other Ligurian cuisine has its
origins in just as imaginative - and
practical - thinking!
For those who want a change from the
beautiful beaches and port towns, the
hinterland behind the seaside is full of chestnut forests, rugged mountains and
ruined castles. The trails connecting Camoglie and Portofino are superb. Most routes are well marked along the entire coast from Genoa to Portofino and even further south.
Walking or sailing is the best way to enjoy this coastal area and there is little or no need for a car, as convenient transportation (such as the train or ferry system connecting the Cinque Terre and other coastal systems) allow for people to enjoy a stress-free, glamorous holiday.
by Jesse Andrews |
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