Small cities with great appeal and charm

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to travel around the northern area of Italy for 5 weeks.  During this time, we visited many major centres: Venice, Bologna, Padua, Sienna, Lucca, Pisa, Milan, Lake Como and Florence.  But as much as we loved all of these cities for a variety of reasons, we found that the lesser known towns and cities are the places to which we long to return.

One of my Toronto mavens, Joan Shapero is a well-seasoned traveler.  She and her husband Ted have seen every part of the world and seek out little known places with great appeal.  One such place they sent us to is called Lerici.  This seaside town is breathtaking and one feels as though a remake of To Catch a Thief is being filmed and it is now starring Jerry and me.  Driving up the coastline is a bit frightening but the scenery is extraordinary.  I peaked through split fingers, curious to see this view while swallowing my heart.  
A small section of Lerici is called Tellaro.  It is located at the highest peak and is occupied by Milanese families who have summer homes in the area.  The town itself is very small, consisting of locandi, restaurants, small grocery stores and shops. Locals sunbathe on top of flat rocks overlooking the sea.  We stayed at a locando called Locando Miranda which is owned and operated by a family consisting of the mother, son and father who is a world-renowned chef specializing in local fish dishes. The atmosphere is quaint but make no mistake:  this is a five-star restaurant with a million dollar view.  In fact, the view from the balcony of our room was as good as any view along the Italian Riveria.
We decided to spend two days in the area, exploring Lerici and taking the ferry to Portevenere.  Again, this seaside town on the Riveria is as beautiful as Portofino and less crowded.  You can get by with little knowledge of Italian in Portovenere but you will have to speak some Italian in Tellaro.  There were two other English families staying at our Locando but overall, only Italians vacation in this area.

Tellaro

The view from our locando balcony in Tellaro.

Tellaro

Lerici

Portevenere

We decided to drive to the eastern side of Florence for an overnight stay in Arezzo.  During the first weekend of every month, this gorgeous Medieval town hosts antique dealers from all over Italy.  There are approximately 500 vendors and they are set up in the main piazza as well as all of the hilly streets leading to this square.  I found so many things for my house but chose to leave with nothing.  The prices were excellent due to the fact that presently Italians favor modern furnishings so antiques can be purchased here for very reasonable prices.

The last city I will discuss is Cecina di Mare.  This Etruscan seaside town became our home away from home before our last stop in Florence.  We had contacted a landlord named Laura Merlini regarding her apartment in Florence for the final week of our Italian journey.  She mentioned that she also owned a little summer home in Tuscany in a town called Cecina di Mare.  We looked at the online photos of both places and decided to rent them.  Well, we couldn't have chosen a better place to live than Cecina.

Cecina di Mare

Cecina di Mare

Beautiful sand beach in Cecina di Mare

The larger city of Cecina has a good-sized market and modern stores and of course, great restaurants.  It is a short walk from Cecina di Mare so nothing is too far from the sea.  Our little place was part of a four-plex and we were greeted by Laura, her husband Fulvio and daughter Francesca who prepared a lovely basket of goodies for us.  This is their family summer home which they rent out when they are not using it.  It had a front patio with a table and chairs but we chose to eat our meals in the backyard on a smaller table.  They left bicycles for us which we used to explore the trails in the woods which led us to the sand beach.  

Each day, we would drive to a small medieval town and visit olive oil stores and groves tasting the local oils.  We often returned at lunch time and swam in the sea in the afternoon.  The town has all the conveniences so we were able to buy all of our groceries at either of the two grocery stores or the outdoor markets.  We heard that the local restaurants were good but after spending all of our time in restaurants, I was happy to cook with the fresh ingredients and spend time in our sweet, little home.  A knowledge of Italian is also a plus in Cecina.  Like Tellaro, it is occupied by Italians and not tourists from other countries.  Most families are from Florence who have shed their designer duds in favor of beachwear and flip flops.  Jerry and I still would like to see Sicily but we loved Cecina so much that we have decided to return there during the winter months.  We felt completely at home in this lovely town and I was able to practice my Italian every day.

Photos of our trip to Italy:

Ahhh Verona.

The moment I arrived in Verona, I fell in love. It is a charming city complete with beautiful medieval architecture, great food, and charming people. The main shopping area will dazzle any fashionista but venture off the main tourist area away from Juliet's balcony and you will discover why Verona is often considered one of Italy's hidden treasures.

Like many cities in this area of Italy, the Adige River divides the city into two equally charming areas. We were fortunate to be there during a food festival which was held next to the forum in the main piazza. Tables were provided which allowed us to take in the activities in the area while sampling the many local flavors.

I tend to be a wanderer who enjoys immersing myself in the culture and routine of the area in which I am staying so I often will stumble across a great little shop or restaurant that is not listed in any guide book. While window shopping one afternoon, I came across a delightful little restaurant with a very unusual yet sophisticated menu. I knew that this would be the perfect spot to spend our last evening in Verona. The decor, food, and service did not disappoint and we fell in love with this spot. We were also quite surprised that the total cost was very reasonable for the quality and amount of food we received.

And here is the name and address of this marvelous restaurant:
Ristorante Antica Torretta
Piazza Broilo 1
37121 Verona
http://www.ristoranteanticatorretta.com/
+39 045 8015292

A Word of Advice regarding bathrooms in northern Italy: Many restaurant bathrooms have a porcelain fixture attached to the floor with a hole in the middle. There are foot rests on either side of the hole for feet. It is a bit tricky for women to navigate so I suggest not wearing spikes to the restaurant.
Another Word of Advice: I like to learn the language of the country in which I am traveling so I like the challenge of ordering in a language other than English. If you venture off the beaten path, you may find that the waiters may not speak much English and you may not know the local cuisine unless you have a translator or a Berlitz book. I downloaded a translator onto my IPhone which was very handy and I always use a Beritz book for various phrases. I also kept a list in my IPhone of phrases I used often which helped as I developed my Italian. The Berlitz book will also have a list of local foods which help when deciphering the menu.

Travel Caution:
My husband is extremely skilled at finding great hotels and apartments in foreign cities. Unfortunately, we had some bad luck during our stay in Verona. We booked a lovely hotel through a British travel site and discovered when we booked into our hotel that this company was bogus. The hotel was very accomodating and gave us a beautiful suite which included breakfast in their lovely dining room. It is unfortunate that we wound up paying twice for your room but we decided not to let it spoil our trip and forgot about it until we returned to Canada.
Great Hotel:
Hotel Accademia
Via Scala 12
37121 Verona
http://www.accademiavr.it/
+39 045 596222
Phony Hotel Booking website:
Moss Travel
http://www.bestbookingcentral.com/

Lake Como

I have traveled to many beautiful spots during my lifetime but I have never seen anything as beautiful as Lake Como and the lake region outside of Milan. This is the closest one can get to heaven. I can see why George Clooney chose to live here. If I had his money, I would buy a villa on Lake Como too.

Jerry and I spent one perfect day on Lake Como. We spent most of the day in Bellagio walking, eating and marveling at the scenic beauty. Here you can see the alps framing this lake whose shores are dotted with gorgeous palazzi and villages. Princess Carlotta's palazzo is open to the public and is worth a visit. The grounds surrounding this property represent plant life from various regions around the world. Yes, it is good to be king or a mere princess.

There are three major lakes in this area and I highly recommend spending a week here exploring the area. One day is not enough. I plan on returning and asking George for a boat ride around the lake. Come on, he has lots of room - one more guest can't hurt.

Italy May 2010

Jerry and I had planned a trip to Italy and decided that we would begin our month-long trip in Milan. We had been told that Milan was an industrial city and therefore, we did not need to spend more than two days here. But we were pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this major city and fell in love with it.

Milan is a fashion capital and all of the major labels are represented there. Window shopping is a delight and the main city market was a great introduction to my obsession with Italian market browsing. Each market in Italy has similar features: they are open from early morning to 1P.M..; local produce, cheese, meat, sweets and bread are sold by local merchants; clothing can range (depending on the city) from cheap cotton dresses, shirts, pants (men's pants come in a variety of bold colors), underwear, scarves, belts and of course, shoes and purses; kitchen tools; tablecloths, toiletries; toys; plants; and occasionally, furniture and decorative items. In Milan's main market, one can purchase designer shoes made by Prada and Roger Vivier. We observed all walks of life in the market and bargaining is part of the buying experience.

 Train station commissioned by Mussolini

The architecture in Milan is extraordinary. The main train station was commissioned by Mussolini and is an imposing structure. The parks are large and surrounded by beautiful buildings and filled with families enjoying the sunshine and soccer. Jerry and I walked around this great city and found so many interesting neighborhoods with shops that still offer hand tailored suits. Once you leave the tourist areas, you will find tiny shops with cobblers teaching their craft to young apprentices. Each Italian city has these shops that specialize in handmade leather and cloth goods. Linen clothing is a speciality item in Italy and I highly recommend you purchase something here. You won't find anything like it at home.

Italy is a series of regions and the food is a representation of each region. Make sure to have the specialties of the area. I make Milanese risotto at home but I love the way it is prepared in this region. Everything tastes better in Italy because of the fresh ingredients.