Friday, September 19, 2014

Off the Beaten Path: Rapallo

“If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.”  Seneca


After living in #Italy for two years, I have seen the touristy spots and checked them off my list.  I am now more interested in finding hidden gems, where there are no tourists and where the real #ItalianLifestyle is at its best.  Searching for such destinations I arrived in Rapallo.

Rapallo is located in northern Italy in the region of Liguria which offers a wide variety of landscapes as it is home to the Ligurian Alps as well as the Italian Riviera.  The capital of #Liguria is the port city of #Genoa which has a rich history dating from ancient times and who's most famous native son is Christopher Columbus.  

In contrast to the bigger and labyrinth-like city of Genoa, Rapallo is a small seaside village where life happens at a slower pace and friends and food are the most important things in life.  It is also a good base from where to explore the famous #Portofino, the capital Genoa and from where you can even reach the renowned #CinqueTerre (Five Lands) national park  in less than an hour.

The summers are of course wonderful in #Rapallo, everyone is out at the beach during the day and in the afternoons they go for walks along the boardwalk (or Lungomare in Italian), stop for a gelato, enjoy a conversation with friends and get together before heading out for dinner.  


As I mentioned before, Italian food is very regional, something you may not know as most italian restaurants around the world offer food from all the Italian regions on one menu.  Liguria's most famous dish is the Pesto Sauce, which is normally served over a short curled pasta called Troffie, so you cannot leave Liguria without trying Troffie al Pesto! Being a seaside town, all seafood and fish dishes are also spectacular. 


As usual, I asked the locals for a restaurant recommendation and they sent me to Ristorante "Foccaceria in Riviera" located at Via Zunino 1.  It was phenomenal!  I even went there two nights in a row, it was that good.

Next month I will visit the #CinqueTerre national park, so be on the lookout for the post about it.

Arrivederci,


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