It is easy to fall in love with Italy, whether with its the quintessentially rustic charm of the ancient villages, which you find clinging to the hill tops for hundreds of years, or the fashionable seaside, where life is different, more boisterous, and crowded. For the visitor, both have the quality of irresistible charm.
Those who love the timeless allure of Portofino, the home of the mega-rich and powerful, but have grown weary of the conga line of glitterati, will need to drive further down along the Riviera, to find retreats on the craggy and rocky coastline. One of these is called Lerici and it is the last port on the Riviera.
The extra couple of hours drive down the most scenic of coast roads will be worth it, with hundreds of 'viaducts and tunnels' on the way, making an exciting start to your holiday.
Just ten minutes from Lerici, Fiascherino is tucked away amongst the Mediterranean greenery with terracotta-topped villas and ancient sleepy hilltop villages above. This sweet, little hamlet will surprise the visitor with its natural beauty, fabulous, small little beaches, and numerous small restaurants, all hidden away waiting to be discovered.
Fiascherino' s small, golden beaches, covered with beautiful, naked bodies sunning themselves as colourful geckos under the warm sunshine, the visitor surely thinks that he has arrived in paradise. The scenery is set for some unexpected surprises. As the temperature is usually reaching +30C for the summer it is imperative, that one has the opportunity to hide away from the midday sun.
Eva Casa is situated just right, conveniently five minutes walk away from the beach and is waiting for the tired bathers with cool high ceilings to hide away till the suns warming rays invite them back to watch the sun go down or relax under some shade. The next big decision is where to go for supper. Numerous restaurants are open in the main season to suits all pockets along the way up to Tellaro, the ancient village, favoured by the Milanese constantly taking photographs of the shores slashing the rocks in dramatic fashion. Restaurants, trattorias, osterias, brasseries are waiting to serve the visitors with their specialties. The seaside is boisterous and vibrant during the main two months of July and August, but it is really quiet in other months of April, May and June and September.
If you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the seaside, visiting inland is always an excellent option and the pleasures are at your doors step.
The Lunigiana's Natural Parks are full of flora and fauna and it has an astounding number of species, more than that of Britain, adding to these are the many vibrant birds and other wild life which can be found here coupled with magnificent scenery stretching from mountains to coast, making this a truly magical place.
The recently formed National Park of the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano is home of the golden eagle and at the point of transit between Tuscany and Liguria the wolf of the Appennines makes rare appearances. Here blossoms the Appennines primrose and countless orchids in the springtime, when the hillside becomes white with thousands of flowering narcissues.
You can find Lunigiana's hidden treasures in places like, Pontremoli with its famous maze carved in stone, Fivizzano, which has the ancient capacity to rival Florence, with its elegant white marble buildings, Aulla, Fosdinovo and many more along the Magra valley, giving an incredible opportunity to travel back into medieval times.
The Strada Del Vino (Wine Route) takes you to places where white and red wines were produced from roman times. The white wines produced with vermentino and trebbiano vines go well with sea food starters mesciua, dried cod cooked the vicentina way. The famous vermentino wine, produced with 90% of that vine is ideal with any kind of fish.
The red wines produced with pollera, cliegiolo, groppello and merlot wines make excellent starters as well as going well with lamb, roast chicken or local salamis. The valley is full of local restaurants and each and every one of them has their own specialities.
The area is unique and rich cuisine makes the visitor spoilt for choice, especially, if one has time to follow the 'festas', which has its own yearly diary. Starting with January the 16th, the Bonfire for S.Antonio in Filattiera, in February the feast of the chiodo (Sausage cooked in iron pots) in April, the feast of onion Bagnone, polenta and cod Fivizzano June, July focaccette door hard in Olivola Tues Batesville, Bread Festival Regnano, Fig Fest in Bagnone, Podenzana that Patton ( chestnut cake) and fungi on solid Mommio Fivizzano, in the autumn. All wrapped up in December with a fire in Oak with mulled wine and hot chocolate flowing. Now I ask that people take to come back can never have enoughthese places!!
But do not get discouraged by the numerous and complex traditions. Make a small list and visit areas each time you return to this special place. Because return, you will! Year after year, once you have tasted the food, drank the wine and enjoyed the colourful processions coupled with laughter well into the night you will never forget it and will yearn to come back year after year.
This is what this author does, the more and more I know, the more and more I want to know...
Wishing you endless discovery and happy times, what ever time you choose and what ever activities you do. Walking Lunigiana's and Liguria's beautiful beaches, visiting their native parks, tasting their food, drinking their wine or worshipping their saints, it is always an unforgettable pleasure to me. May joy and merry making stay with you for all time.
