♦ ◊ ♦

The beauty of being here… when you’ve planned (for weeks and weeks!) a little getaway to the Italian Riviera to be by the sea after a brutally hot summer and then the weather is predicted to rain every day…

Read on and see how it all turned out! But first…

♦ ◊ ♦

Where is the Italian Riviera? It’s basically the entire coastline of Liguria – it stretches along the Ligurian Sea from the Italian-French border to the Tuscan border. There is the Riviera di Ponente to the west of Genoa (Liguria’s capital city), and there is the more famous Riviera di Levante to the east.

The later includes well-known destinations such as Cinque Terre, Portovenere, La Spezia, Portofino, Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure, etc. Getting around is fairly simple via local trains and, in some instances, by ferry, bus or boat.

La dolce vita for me…
Why did I choose here and, in particular, Camogli and Santa Margherita Ligure? Actually, it was for a very simple reason: I had been to both a few times but only for a short visit (typically half a day) and always with a small group I was leading. Both appealed to me and I very much wanted to visit for a few days on my own.

I typically research and carefully plan before any travels – and to a large extent I did that for this trip insofar as transportation, accommodations, and general information. Since they are literally a few minutes apart by train, the logistics were fairly uncomplicated.

However, I intentionally did NOT “plan” my days; no museums, no “special events”, no “agenda”. Even the threats of rain didn’t dampen my anticipation and, as it turned out…I never had to use my umbrella!

By the sea…
In fact, “your boots on the ground here in the boot” felt the need to do a little reboot! I needed and wanted to step back, to reconnect with “me solo”and focus on a “new” experience: just for me by the sea and, hopefully, step away from the “to do list” mentality and into a little “la dolce far niente”.

♦ ◊ ♦

Camogli is a quintessential fishing village. Its name is literally the village of the house wives of the fishermen (Ca-mogli => Casa = house + mogli = wives) who waited for their husbands to return safely from the sea. It is also said that the distinctive colors of the houses were to help them find their way to their home!

Regardless, the heavenly palette and shades of sherbet pastels; peach, mint, lemon, and hues of coral, amber and ochre as well as the delightful trompe l’oeil are simply dazzling! (Yes, those architectural details are trompe l’oeil, literally, fool the eye, “an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface”.)

Relishing this retreat and just tapping into being spontaneous, leisurely meandering, observing, and exploring – just me following my own rhythms and not having to answer to anything or anyone…immersing in my own experience and impressions, was perfection.

I loved sauntering, often just parking myself on a bench or in one of the many bars or cafes along Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, the main promenade on the seafront, just basking in the sheer beauty of it all.

Watching the clouds tease us, playing hide and seek with the sun, feeling the refreshing sea breeze, watching the waves caress the rocky shores of the beach…

And my favorite “sport”, people (especially little people) watching! Couples, families, solos…navigating a very rocky beach, maybe jumping into the waves or just basking in the warmth. Unstructured days enjoying another caffè or a gelato, lingering at one of the many unique boutiques and galleries relished by everyone…

…and the sunsets! Bliss!

I don’t even have words to adequately express how glorious the days here were – in so many ways. I think the photos speak for themselves although it’s impossible to capture the emotion of each…maybe you can almost feel the breeze and hear the waves?

Before moving on, I have to share about the delightful and quite delicious dinner with my wonderful friend and local travel destination expert/partner extraordinaire, Emanuela!

We were able to arrange dinner together and she booked our reservation at Al Molo 16 – a wonderfully funky ristorante known for fish and cocktails. My local white fish prepared Ligurian style with green olives, pine nuts, potatoes and a delicate pesto sauce, paired with a local Vermentino was delish!

Great food and wine with a good friend – a perfect combo! Plus lots of catching up and friendly chitchat! A perfect finale to my time in Camogli.

Leaving Camogli… on to my next stop, Santa Margherita Ligure.

♦ ◊ ♦

Santa Margherita Ligure is literally a five (5) minute train ride from Camogli across the Portofino Peninsula. Like Camogli, it’s wonderfully effortless to explore.

I looked forward to more time by the sea, the lovely wide pedestrian promenades lined with tempting cafes, restaurants, shops, and boutiques.

And, of course, with stunning views of the port, lots of inviting spots to linger and relax and more of the exceptional trompe l’ceil characteristic of this area, Santa Margherita Ligure is also uniquely appealing.

Santa Margherita’s marvelous trompe l’oeil façades!

You’re encouraged, almost obligated, to slow down and delight in just “being” here! (I know I did!)

Statues of Santa Margherita, Patron Saint of the City and Christopher Columbus (born in Genoa, Liguria) look out to the sea…

♦ ◊ ♦

Although it wasn’t in my original game plan, on Thursday (I was leaving on Friday), I decided to revisit Portofino. I had hoped to go by ferry but the sea was way too choppy so no ferries were running. What to do? Plan B! A spontaneous decision, take the bus! It’s a short (15 minutes- give or take!) and slightly winding but picturesque ride.

Portofino is, of course, a popular “destination” and known as the glamorous playground of the rich and famous.

It is a lovely and very chic little port… the high end designer boutiques and slightly higher prices (I paid 12 euros for a glass of wine – very expensive for Italy!) support that reputation.

However, the best views of this charming seaside port are free…you just have to climb a lot of (steep) stairs! Find your way around toward the Portofino Yacht Marina sign (and, by the way, there are clean public restrooms here as well) and you’ll find the stairway leading up to Chiesa di San Giorgio. Up up up you go and then “wow”!

What many don’t know or realize is that Portofino is part of Il Parco di Portofino, a protected marine reserve with many hiking routes and paths.

I should also add that Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino can boast of having the coveted “Bandiera Blu” (Blue Flag) designation for the cleanliness of the sea and public services.

♦ ◊ ♦

I’ve known and have been working with Emanuela and her lovely partner, Anna Merulla, for many years- nothing better than having wonderful friends and partners!

If you’re inspired to visit the Italian Riviera or perhaps other nearby destinations in Liguria, please contact me or you can reach out to BeautifuLiguria, my location destination experts/partners and “Friends of Victoria” for this region as well as several others (including Piemonte, Lombardy, and more!).

♦ ◊ ♦

If you would like to know how I planned my getaway and would like travel planning assistance with your own vacation, please just CLICK here!

♦ ◊ ♦