MEDVIEDENKO Of all the cities you visited when you were abroad, Doctor, which one did you like the best? DORN Genoa. TREPLIEFF Why Genoa? DORN Because there is such a splendid crowd in its streets. When you leave the hotel in the evening, and throw yourself into the heart of that throng, and move with…
Hiking in Italy, like so much else in this sweet and lovely country, is by turns an exasperating and wonderful experience. Whether you are getting one or the other is largely determined by the kind of people who are in charge of the town or municipal district you are visiting. Some towns could clearly not…
Organized bus trips, for all their benefits, have one major drawback: they are not purpose-made for hiking, and any opportunity they may offer for a walk is purely coincidental At best, you can find the space for a brief excursion, but at worst, you are virtually stuck in the bus for the whole day. You…
Professional cycling. Don’t you just love it? You don’t? Too much lycra, too much sweat running down contorted faces, too much time-where-not-very-much-appears-to-be-happening-at-all? Races remind you of those depression era dance marathons where the last guy standing wins? Of who-can-hold-his-breath-the-longest contests? Oh well. That is certainly one way of seeing it. But there is another way,…
All beautiful landscapes and areas have one ugly spot: one place where they concentrate all those warehouses, tyre vendors and utilities that they need – like everybody else – but prefer to keep out of sight. And so, while the glittering towns and beauty spots get themselves ready for the ball (aka the annual tourist…
Sanremo and San Romolo: once conjoined twins, with the Funiculaire of San Romolo. Once upon a time, the remote hillside village of San Romolo was one of the Italian Riviera’s most popular day trip destinations. Mention its name to natives from Sanremo of a certain age only if you are ready to be showered with…
More places to discover on our walk through the land that time forgot. Villages along the Italian Riviera In our last post, we took you down the Riviera memory lane from San Lorenzo to Santo Stefano. Today, we shall hike further down the coast, passing through more villages along the Italian Riviera that have become…
From Imperia to Bordighera, there is a stretch of Italian Riviera villages that have become unstuck in time All the small coastal towns between San Lorenzo al Mare and Santo Stefano look as though they had retreated into a time capsule, a little like the New England hamlet in M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village”, with…
Apricale may well be the most beautiful but is certainly the most visually stunning of all the towns on the Ligurian hills. It is not only picturesque but also a great base for hiking trips into the Riviera’s mountainous hinterland. Growing out of the cliffside like something perhaps not altogether benign … … the town…
Happy Italian families, sunshine and local delicacies combine for a perfect winter walk on the Mediterranean Winter walks very much have their own logic: a successful outdoor experience between December and February requires more careful thinking than a journey at any time of the year, even in the relatively mild and balmy climate of the…
