Monday, July 14, 2014

Fresh Marinated Anchovies – Acciughe Marinate alla ligure




One of the great pleasures for travelers visiting Italy, particularly small villages on the Mediterranean sea, is to taste some typical dishes.  For those who enjoy fish or feel a bit adventures to try something different I highly recommend fresh marinated anchovies.  This is a simple recipe that will take just minutes to prepare and enjoy with a local glass of chilled white wine.  Buon appetito.

Ingredients:

2.5  pounds anchovies, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, 3 lemons, parsley, basil, 4 garlic clove, salt, pepper

Preparation:

Step 1:
Carefully clean the anchovies, remove the entrails, the head and the fish bones, rinse inside and out under cold running water and dry on kitchen paper.
Step 2:
Meanwhile, mix in a bowl 4 table spoons of vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and let marinate the anchovies in this mixture for about 2 hours.
Step 3:
When the marinating is done, drain and discard the liquid from the anchovies. Then, place the anchovies, side by side, on a flat dish.
Step 4:
At this point, mix in a small bowl some olive oil, chopped parsley, chopped basil, 4 garlic clove (chopped) and a pinch of salt. Then, pour this mixture over the anchovies.

Step 5:
Let rest the anchovies in the refrigerator for approximately 2 hours and then serve them. The anchovies will be very tasty!



Tuesday, February 4, 2014

A nice article from a traveler to Levanto and Le Cinque Terre


Living a Tough Life in Cinque Terre

 

The sun setting on the beach in Levanto
After having spent the majority of my trip so far in large, crowded metropolitan areas, my body was telling me that I was ready to get out into a more natural environment, soak up some countryside, and to adjust to the pace of small-town living.  And I couldn’t have picked a more perfect place than Cinque Terre National Park on the Northwest coast of Italy (thanks for the recommendation, Julie!).  The park features some of Italy’s most dramatic coastlines and is highlighted by five small villages within a few kilometers of each other – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazzo, and Monterosso — thus the “Cinque Terre” name.
When looking for a place to stay, however, I had heard that the 5 villages themselves could be quite touristy and expensive due to their relative isolation.  Thus, I decided to make the town of Levanto (1 town north, and only a 5 minute ride by train) my home base for exploring the area — and as soon as I set foot in town, I knew that I had made the right decision.  It was the perfect blend of beautiful mountains, sandy beaches, and that small rural town atmosphere that I was looking for (though if other folks are looking to visit, be aware that there isn’t much English spoken this far away from the cities).
The skyline of Levanto, a town of only around five thousand people
The streets of the city with mist-covered mountains in the background
Boats near the harbor
…and I finally got the beach I’ve been waiting for, and it couldn’t have been much more perfect
But enough about Levanto — let’s move on to the reason I came to the area in the first place: a bit of hiking in the Cinque Terre National Park.  Though there are hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails, the highlight of the park – and the big draw for tourists – is the coastline trail that links all five, known as the Sentiero Azzuro or simply the “Blue Trail,” that runs the 9 kms between the villages and takes roughly 5 hours to hike.  Though not an exceedingly difficult hike, it does require a good amount of stamina and a willingness to tackle a large number of steps repeatedly.  It can certainly be a bit crowded on the trail at times, but I found that if you head out a bit earlier in the day, you can avoid having to wait behind a string of double-knee-brace-and-dual-hiking-stick-wielding-pensioners.
The trail itself does cost a few euros to hike, but if you’re staying around for a few days, the best bet it to pick up a Cinque Terre Treno Card, that will allow you access to the trail and unlimited rides up and down the rail line that also connects the 5 villages, as well as Levanto to the north and La Spezia to the south (so you can hike a much or a little as you feel, and simply take the train back from wherever you are).   And although the Blue Trail is the most famous portion of the park, the other criss-crossing paths of various difficulties and lengths in the remainder of the park (all of which are free aside from the Blue Trail itself) are excellent options in themselves, making this whole area a hiker’s dream come true.  FYI – my favorite hike was from Lavanto to Montessoro, as it offered some great views without the crowd.
A view of the trail itself
View back at Manrola, the 2nd city you’ll come across when hiking the trail northbound
In addition to the coastline vistas, the path will also take you right through both Olive Orchards…
…and local vineyards, whose grapes are destined for the production of regional wines
The towns themselves can be quite breath-taking, too. Seen here is the 3rd town, Cornigila, upon approach
The harbor in Corniglia. There is also a ferry that connects all 5 towns — if you happen to have forgotten your hiking boots
I did spot a few cairns along the way, which I took to be a sign that I hadn’t yet strayed off my path
As mentioned earlier, if you get tired of hiking, you can easily stop off at any of the towns along the way and enjoy the scenary before catching a train back. Shown here is the beach in Monterosso
On the food front, the cuisine was a bit more rustic and homestyle than you might expect of Italy, but it worked well for me, as I was basically trying to find easy food to carry while hiking (my usual go-to was a huge hunk of foccacia bread and a cup of pesto).
The ever-present Foccacia Pizza. As you can see from the photo, I couldn’t quite get my camera out in time
A typical trail lunch: a foccacia sandwich and a veggie pie
The terrific view from a cafe
So as you can see, my life was pretty tough in the Cinque Terre region.  My daily routine was to wake up, have breakfast with new hostel friends, hike the trails for a few hours, hit the beach like a sack of potatoes in the afternoon, and then enjoy a nice leisurely dinner with a fair amount of cheap, local wine before repeating the cycle again the next day.  Yep, sometime life can be really tough.
All kidding aside, it really was a beautiful area and served as the much-needed rest time for me at this point in my trip.  Now that I’m feeling back to normal, I’m venturing back into the cities again, as I’m making my way to the heart of Tuscany: Florence.  Until next time, Salute from Italy!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Il Presepe di Manarola (The Nativity Scene of Manarola)


Perhaps my timing is not perfect since we are already approaching the end of January and it seems as if time is just passing so quickly.  However, for those who have intention in visiting Le Cinque Terre this year they might want to consider something different.  I am referring to a visit during the off-season to enjoy a more quite season when compared to the busy summer months.  I personally truly enjoy visiting Italy during the Christmas season because I can appreciate some incredible old traditions that I find help me live more in the moment and help in slowing down the everyday hectic pace of life that many of us live every day.

Today I would like to share a tradition that started in 2007 in Manarola.  A gentleman by the name of Mario Andreoli started to create a large Nativity Scene on the hills of Manarola.  The Nativity is now part of the World Guinness Book.  These are some interesting facts:


  • Total lengths of electrical cables used to connect the Scene, approximately 4 miles.
  • Total amount of lights 17,000.
  • Over 300 live size statutes.
  • Almost all materials used are from recycled products.








Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Interesting article from the New Yok Times


36 Hours in the Cinque Terre, Italy

I would like to share a very nice article about Le Cinque Terre that was published on the on line version of the New York Times.  I lived most of my adult life around Le Cinque Terre but since I do not have the writing skills of the writer I encourage visitors to this page to take a look at this review.  The article will give you a genuine glimpse of what people will experience when visiting these magnificent lands.  I particularly like the phrase “sensory overload” this is particularly true when you hike above the Mediterranean.  It is difficult to describe the sense of peace and beauty that permeates your brain.  You must go and experience for yourself.

This is the link to the article:

Sunday, September 15, 2013

A lovely Bike Ride along the sea


A beautiful view from above the bike path.  This path runs along the old tunnels where during World War II the train transported passengers and war equipment.  Afterwards a section of the rails where moved inland.  Today several tunnels have been restored and now connect the towns of Levanto, Bonnasola, and Framura.  

The tunnels are accessible only by foot or bike making them a nice location to stroll during a hot summer day.

A nice view of the Mediterranean sea from inside one of the tunnels.

Approaching the town of Levanto

Levanto's beach

Monday, September 2, 2013

Why you should visit Cinque Terre



Often times in life there are special moments, people, or places that inspire us to change course in life or maybe to simply pause and asses our priorities.  Cinque Terre are definitely one on those special places that have inspired me to appreciate nature and its magnificent beauty.   I hope you will find inspiration, peace, or just the perfect day with family and friends.   

Where are Cinque Terre:

Cinque Terre are found in the Northern Region called Liguria also famous for the town of Portofino.  Liguria has an exceptional climate all year around, it is a large producer of flowers, but its economic resources come from the sea. In fact Genova, Savona, and Imperia are still in today's economy leading shipyards in Europe and the world.  If you like good food you must try "pesto."  “Pesto” is the Ligurian sauce par excellence. Famous wines from the Cinque Terre need no introduction.  



Brief Description of the towns in Cinque Terre:

Monterosso al Mare, sometimes known simply as Monterosso, is the largest of the five, and the most heavily visited – especially by young people. It’s the only village with a nice long span of beach. (The other towns either require a hike or are very small and/or rocky).


Vernazza has perhaps the most charming central square, as it’s right on the water and there’s a lovely church tower on one side. The ruins of a castle are on one of the hills overlooking Vernazza. This is the town that tends to be most visited by people carrying Rick Steves’ guidebooks.

Corniglia is the only town not immediately on the water – it’s on top of its cliff, and so either direction you walk from requires a steep hike uphill.  However, once you reach the top of this small village you will not be disappointed.

Manarola feels a bit more rustic and less polished than its northern neighbors; for this reason some find it a bit more charming and less populated with tourists. The part of the path between Manarola and Riomaggiore is the easiest. It’s paved, so you can even make the “trek” with a baby in a stroller, and it’s called the Via dell’Amore – the road of love.

Riomaggiore rises away from the water at a dramatic angle, so you can get away from the water and feel like you’re in another town entirely. This town seems to be most popular with German tourists.


Links of Interest:


Going back to the main title of this posting "Why you should visit Cinque Terre."  I would like to hear your story of inspiration while visiting this stretch of land.  Safe travel, keep discovering.