{"id":2169,"date":"2015-09-03T21:54:43","date_gmt":"2015-09-03T21:54:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.diningtraveler.com\/?p=2169"},"modified":"2016-03-31T02:21:55","modified_gmt":"2016-03-31T02:21:55","slug":"amore-liguria-weekend-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diningtraveler.com\/2015\/09\/amore-liguria-weekend-trip.html","title":{"rendered":"Amore! Liguria Weekend Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"
As I prepared for my trip to Milano for the World Expo<\/a>, we decided to add a Liguria weekend trip to the itinerary. I had never been to this beloved Italian coastal region and was looking forward to sunshine and seafood with my Dutchman. \u00a0Given my four-country whirlwind trip right before this one, very little was planned aside from booking a hotel as high season was in full swing. \u00a0Sometimes the most extraordinary moments come about from the unexpected. \u00a0This trip was no different.<\/p>\n We arrived in Milano and picked up our Fiat 500 (pure coincidence) and headed south to Rapallo, a seaside town in Liguria. \u00a0It took us exactly two hours from Linate airport. \u00a0Italy has a bad reputation for traffic but thankfully it was a smooth ride to the sea. Dining Traveler Tip: \u00a0don’t shy away from renting a car in Europe! \u00a0If you can, learn to drive manual!<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Although we were in Liguria for a weekend, we did our best to explore the region. \u00a0Although the towns are very easy to get to by car, we realized how different one was from the other. We explored Rapallo (where we stayed), Lavagna, Santa Margherita, Portofino, and Camogli.<\/p>\n Rapallo:<\/strong> <\/em>\u00a0We felt that Rapallo was the most youthful of all the towns. Upon arriving at the hotel, we headed straight to the beach. \u00a0Tanned Italian bodies lined the rocky beaches of Rapallo with its eternal sunshine and its deep blue clear waters. We headed to the city center in the evening for a late night dinner at Pizzeria Nettuno. \u00a0The place was still vibrant at 11pm with groups of young Italian men laughing over pizza and suntanned families sharing a dinner. \u00a0My Dutchman had a delicious calzone filled with artichokes and mozzarella di bufala. My experience was the opposite: my tuna tartare was sadly disappointing. \u00a0Moral of the story: stick to the\u00a0restaurant’s specialty. \u00a0After dinner, we wandered the alleys of Rapallo where\u00a0the sound of music and glasses clinking reigned supreme.<\/p>\n Lavagna:<\/em> <\/strong>\u00a0Given that one of my favorite Italian restaurants in DC is called Lavagna, we decided to explore this seaside town. Don’t let the industrial port fool you! Continue on and you will discover rows of family friendly beaches. \u00a0We set up shop near Cavi, towards the end of Lavagna and jumped off the rocks for a swim on a quieter side of the beach.<\/p>\n Camogli:<\/em><\/strong> \u00a0We initially planned to stay in this town at the recommendation of a friend who used to live there. \u00a0We found the vibe very laid back, as if time never stopped. \u00a0It was a hot afternoon and we decided to cool down with aperol spritz (one of my favorite Italian drinks). \u00a0We found this quaint seaside bar called Locanda a Camogli. \u00a0We snacked\u00a0on a delicious warm octopus salad with a view of the sea at this little gem. \u00a0We returned that evening for an epic dinner at Da Paolo at the recommendation of Daisuke<\/a>, the owner of Daikaya and Sushiko Restaurants in DC. \u00a0This man knows his food and this dinner did not disappoint: sepia pate, salt crusted fish, and smoky grilled squid. \u00a0My heart skips a beat as I type this. More about the dinner coming up on a later post.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Portofino:<\/em> <\/strong>\u00a0On our last day of our Liguria weekend trip, we took a ferry to Portofino. \u00a0The name Portofino may sound familiar as many celebrities tend to holiday there. \u00a0Upon entering its bay, we knew why. \u00a0Luxurious yachts with immaculately dressed crew line the port. \u00a0The streets are lined with shops such as Louis Vuitton, Pucci, and Armani. \u00a0However, there are small treasures to be discovered for those of us with a smaller budget. \u00a0I bought the prettiest cover-up for $25 at Antica Satoria, a small store filled with airy, hand embroidered dresses, cover-ups, scarves, and blouses. The perfect souvenir. \u00a0This glamorous town is one not to be missed.<\/p>\n Santa Margherita:<\/strong> <\/em>\u00a0Before heading to Rapallo, we made a brief stop at Santa Margherita (you can get a ferry ticket with multiple stops) for a little dip before we headed back to Milano. \u00a0Although we only spent an hour there, we were also taken by shallow clear waters and friendly atmosphere.<\/p>\n The verdict:<\/strong><\/em> \u00a0A Liguria weekend trip may be short, but if that is all the time you have, we recommend it! \u00a0It’s only two hours away from Milan if you want to create a city\/beach itinerary. \u00a0There is also an airport in Genoa to which many European carriers such as KLM and Ryanair fly. \u00a0We will definitely be returning and hopefully with more time! \u00a0Have you been to Liguria? What was your most memorable moment?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As I prepared for my trip to Milano for the World Expo, we decided to add a Liguria weekend trip to the itinerary. I had never been to this beloved Italian coastal region and was looking forward to sunshine and seafood with my Dutchman. \u00a0Given my four-country whirlwind trip right before this one, very little […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":2172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,357,2,56],"tags":[283,359,374,375],"class_list":{"0":"post-2169","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-food","8":"category-italy","9":"category-travel","10":"category-travel-tip","11":"tag-europe","12":"tag-italy","13":"tag-liguria","14":"tag-weekend-trips"},"yoast_head":"\n<\/a>
Liguria Weekend Trip: What we discovered….<\/h2>\n
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