Pietro Michael Guerrera
Born March 15 at 12:23AM
Promise to return soon with lots of fun info on Bell’Italia!
Posted by meganmccaffrey | 12 comments
Vernazza - February 2012
Last week I has a chance to visit both Vernazza and Monterosso, two of the villages deeply affected by the floods and landslides of last October. It was my first time since the tragedy happened. I had waited a while, feeling a profound sense of not wanting to disturb the locals and their process of rebuilding. Three and half months has passed and with the hope that both were “on their way”, I decided it was time.
Cleaning Up Vernazza
First stop, Vernazza. Just getting off the train you could see loads of construction in both directions, heading up toward the hinterland where once stood the kids’ park was a mountain of rumble and tents used by the workers. To the other side, leading down to the village’s main street, the entire middle of the road had been carved up to restructure the underground canal, which on October 25 had become a rushing river in which even trucks had been swept away and into the sea.
Vernazza's Piazza & Harbor
The amount of construction and work going on is amazing. These people are clearly determined to have the village up and running as quickly as possible. Still, it is obvious there is a whole to do before that can happen. Water and electricity have been restored, but gas is by tank at least for another couple of months. Necessary items are being brought in by train or boat as the road leading into town is still unaccessible. The piazza and beach have a ways to go. Yet, if you watched any of the short films showing of that fateful day, you would be pleasantly surprised by how much has been accomplished in a place so remote.
Painted Doors of Hope
Monterosso in February
Monterosso, for its “fortuna” seems to be on its way to a quicker recovery. Fegina, the new town, where the train station is, seems to be nearly 100% in tact (and still houses many residents from the old village). Once you cross through the tunnel separating the the old from the new, you begin to see the remnants of mother nature’s wrath, but also lots and lots of orangish-red netting. This once was a very ugly sign to me, but in the case of Monterosso, these construction “screens” proved to be a welcome sight.
Via Rome in Monterosso
Via Roma (for those who watched the videos will remember this being the street where the water was rushing at unbelievable speed and as high as the second floor!), has been completely dug up and the canal running under it has been reinforced with new concrete walls and cleaned of any debris. It’s only a matter of weeks before they will cover the street once again, bringing some normality to the old village. Some stores and a few restaurants have reopened as well. All a good sign!
Monterosso Open for Business!
We’re 6 weeks away from Easter, which unofficially marks the beginning of the “season”. It looks promising that Monterosso will be able to manage a good amount of tourism by this time. Vernazza is probably going to need a bit more, but knowing the determination of the locals, they will do their best to welcome visitors as soon as possible.
There are several good web sites created by locals of both Vernazza and Monterosso which can provide you with regular updates and information on the progress, as well as a safe place to donate to the cause:
www.rebuildmonterosso.com
www.savevernazza.com
Also, a quick reminder: Riomaggiore, Manarola and Corniglia were not touched by the storm of October 25 and will be 100% open for business this year!
Posted by meganmccaffrey | 3 comments
The Val D'Orcia in April
Pretty much anytime between April and October, you are going to find crowds in the “Big Three” (Rome, Florence and Venice) with all them hitting maximum capacity in July. In August, the locals escape but the tourists are still around. August would be considered the least desirable time to come “in the season”: crowds, humidity, higher prices, etc. – no way around it. Just be prepared: if you come in July and August, you’ll have to leave the “off the beaten track” idealism behind. From the Dolomites to the slope of Mt. Etna, there will be people, people, people, even in the most remote places.
Sicily in May
Skiing the Dolomites in Winter
I seem to have left out March. Not totally surprising. March is what I call the “iffy” month. Many places are still closed even it the weather is nice. For example: many of the accommodations in the Chianti region and also the Lake District, two of Italy’s most popular destinations, don’t open until the week before Easter which this year falls on April 8.
So, let’s recap the calendar on a scale of 1 to 10:
January/February
4.5: a 2 for general travel in the country, a 7 for traveling to the ski resorts as long as the weather cooperates)
March
5: Just keep in mind the weather can go either way and outside of major cities, you may find less options in terms of accommodations.
April
7: What a I call a 50/50% month in terms of rain but you will have many more options for accommodations with less crowds (besides Easter week in Rome!). Also, everything is in bloom so it can be a feast for the eyes and nose!
May/June
10: It can’t get better than this in my opinion. Be prepared for crowds in the Big Three as well as the start of some in seaside areas like Positano and Le Cinque Terre, but a bit more freedom on the rest of the coast and countryside. Optimal until June 15, then start counting on a influx of people and higher prices.
July
6: Hot and crowded, but if it’s the only time you can do it, go for it, but best before the 15th when the mass Italian exodus begins!
August
6: First three weeks can be a travel nightmare and cities like Florence, Rome, Venice, Bologna, Torino, Milano, contain heavy tourist traffic, but little local flair (they’ve all left for the beach, mountains or countryside). Something to keep in mind: The third to last week of August (after the Ferragosto holiday), many places, even seaside resorts, can be surprisingly less packed as the Italians have returned home for work and school. You might even see a real dip in prices for such places as Sardinia, the Tuscan and Romanoglo coasts, Puglia and Sicily.
September
9: See May/June with shorter days, but it’s also festival season so lots of local fun fun fun!
October
7: See April, although some festivals are still going on as well as the vendemmia in certain parts of the country.
November
5: Getting risky but can be surprising nice. Best for the cities and countryside. Most seaside areas have closed up shop for the winter.
December
5: a 3 leading up to the holidays (dead and usually wet) but a 7 between Christmas and New Years (but always subject to where!).
Ligurian cuisine might surprise you. Being along the Mediterranean coastline, seafood is of course an essential part of this region gastronomy, but it is also carefully mixed with a generous use of herbs and vegetables, and a few non-fish dishes that might surprise you.
We start with the obvious…fish, fish and more fish. It dominant in dishes from soups to salads, pasta to main dishes. Seafood antipasti are served in abundance at most Ligurian restaurants and typically include . These marinated anchovies from Monterosso, cozze ripiene (mussel shells stuffed with minced mussel meat, prosciutto, Parmesan, herbs, and bread crumbs), and sopressato di polpo (flattened octopus in olive oil and lemon sauce) and possibly a small platter of fritto.
You will also find plenty of fish within Ligurian past dishes such as spaghetti allo scoglio, an olive oil, tomato, and white wine–based sauce containing an assortment of local frutti di mare (clams, mussels) plus shrimp and cuttlefish.
Basil is king along the Italian Riviera (and the name literally derives from the Greek word basileus, meaning “king”!). Genova is considered the birthplace of pesto, the classic, basil-rich pasta sauce (along with local pine nuts and 1 walnut for extra flavor!). It is usually served with trenette (similar to spaghetti) or the slightly sweet testaroli (a flat pasta made from chestnut flour), or Yyou can also find pansotti (triangular pockets of pasta filled with a cheese with trofie (doughy, short pasta twists). The other famous “non-fish” pasta sauce is “salsa di noci”, a rich mixture of garlic, walnuts, and cream that, as with pesto, is ideally pounded with a mortar and pestle.
In my biased opinion, fish is the best bet for a second course: the classic preparation is a whole grilled or baked whitefish—branzino (sea bass) and orata (dorado) are good choices, served with olives, potatoes, Ligurian spices, and a drizzle of olive oil.
A popular meat dish is “Cima alla Genovese”, a veal roll stuffed with a mixture of eggs and vegetables, served as a cold cut. Quite delicious although a bit strange looking. Another delicacy of the region is Rabbit, slightly more gamey and defintely more flavorful than chicken, it is often “long sauteed” in a covered pot filled with tomatoes, olives, garlic, olive oil, white wine and Ligurian herbs.
We can’t forget to fabulous “carb” dishes that define, or at minimum dully compliment Liguria food: Focaccia and Farinata. The first is well-known, delectable bread made of flour, water, olive oil and in most cases, a potato. Focaccia can be served “vuota” (empty) as a snack, or perfect with your morning cappuccino, or “farcite”, filled or topped with salami, prosciutto, cheese, onions or pesto. It’s delicious any way! Then there is the local Spezia dish which has become a stable throughout the region, fabulous farinata. Made simply of chick-pea flour, water, olive oil and salt, you would think this is an easy dish to master. But the true art of making farinata lies in its oven, HOT HOT HOT. Being that it is made just like a pizza, there is no better way than by wood-burning oven. Farinata can be served alone or farcite with stracchino cheese or onions.
There is also (last but not least!), Panigacci, a real treat of the region. Well, I should say, half of the region. Panigacci from the Lunigiana area, the valley extending inland along the border between Liguria and Tuscany where the nomads traveled north to south. Both claim its “birthplace”. Balls of dough are laid in a small, terra-cotta dishes known as testine and stacked one on top of the other in order to flatten the dough. Then they are placed over hot coals (or in a pizza oven), and what emerges is flat, firm, almost pita-like bread. Panigacci are usually served with stracchino cheese (similar to cream cheese), pesto, or nut sauce and cold cuts…and is one of my all-time favorite dishes!
So, as you can see, there is a bit of diversity in the cuisine of the region I call home. It’s an opportunity to eat “semi-light” and quite healthy in a country mostly know for its hearty, think sauces and meat dishes. Don’t think it’s all fish here in Liguria, but consider broadening your gastronomic horizons to try the local dishes…you won’t be disappointed!
If this post makes your mouth water, you might want to consider our fabulous week long Hosted Tour called “Walks, Wine and Wonders of the Italian Riviera” or a customized, condensed version for your next trip to Italy…
Posted by meganmccaffrey | 1 comments
Our brand new web site has just launched! We’re still figuring out a few kinks, but we think it looks fab! We’ve really extended our services so there is a whole lots of fun options to choose from:
Tailor-made Vacations – our 100% customized trip packages
Hosted Tours – Unique food & wine adventures in lesser known areas of Italy
Excursions – Fun, educational tours & activities throughout the boot
Trip Consulting – Perfect for the more independent traveler looking for a little direction
Rentals – Lovely self-catering accommodations in Liguria, Tuscany, Puglia, Umbria, Sicily and Beyond (still a work in progress!)
We hope you like what you see as much as we do!
***Many thanks to Rob & Kate for their creativity, passion and ability to make teh web world seem a little less overwhelming.
Posted by meganmccaffrey | 0 comments
8 anni fa...I moved from California to Italy, married an (adorable) Italian boy, started a business and slowly but surely adjusted into Italian life. It's been fun, difficult, entertaining, frustrating - but above all, an incredible experience from a little seaside village overlooking the Mediterranean.
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