Riviera Touch

| Mon, 09/14/2009 - 06:16

Words and Pictures by Mark Harwood

Stretching from the small town of Ventimiglia on the French border in the west to La Spezia at its easternmost point, Italy’s northern Riviera is once again deservedly starting to attract the attentions of British travellers.

With cities like Genoa and stunning historic, exclusive, fashionable coastal resorts such as Portofino, combined with quiet, picturesque medieval mountain villages and secluded alpine roads, the Riviera offers visual and cultural rewards to those who are prepared to delve a little deeper. What better way to experience just a small part of the area than from behind the wheel of Alfa Romeo’s newest 156 Sportwagen.

Wherever you are along the length of Italy’s Riviera, you will nearly always be under the watchful eye of the region’s most famous son. Without exception, each town will lay claim to the fact that Christopher Columbus came from there, lived there or stopped off en route to the Americas.

Grand Tourists

A gentle stroll along San Remo’s famous promenade or Corso dell’Imperatrice, much loved by Tchaikovsky, the poet Edward Lear and Alfred Nobel, reveals famous and imposing hotels such as the Royal, the Londra, the Bristol and the Grand Hotel Astoria.

These five-star establishments, together with others further along the coast, made their names during the Victorian age, a more gentle and refined period when the Italian Riviera was one of the places to see and be seen as part of the Grand Tour.

San Remo and the surrounding villages


But it is for those prepared to venture high above San Remo that the true rewards lie. Venue for the ‘Rallye D’Italia’ for the past thirty years, each and every road you climb has at one time or another served as one of the ‘Rallye San Remo’s’ awesome special tarmac stages.

Also known as the ‘Rally of the Flowers’ because of the region’s market gardening industry, the sinuous threads of asphalt include the infamous ‘Colle Langan’ and ‘Teglia’ legs, regarded as the ultimate test of both man and machinery and, maybe more surprisingly, forming the intricate route of the ‘Olive Oil Trail’.

The road twists through ancient villages such as Ceriana and Baiardo, each one a collection of terracotta-tiled buildings perched precariously on their respective hillsides, and each producing their own distinctive and individual blend of olive oil from recipes they have kept a closely-guarded secret, especially from their near neighbours.

Schumi was Impressed

But for the motorsport enthusiast whose thirst has failed to be quenched after following in the steps of the rally masters, a visit to the Ristorante Dall’Ava, one of the most atmospheric restaurants to be found anywhere, in the quiet village of San Romolo, will satiate any lingering cravings.

With walls bedecked with rally plaques and autographed photographs of the sport’s greatest names, devotees can sit and dine at the exact same tables as their heroes, each of whom has personally visited the proprietor, Orlando, to sample his legendary risotto ai porcini, a dish for which even Michael Schumacher made a detour only a few months ago.

Gardens and Ghosts

Returning once again to sea level, either the elevated A10 motorway or the quieter and more rewarding coast road will take you to the renowned gardens of the Villa Hanbury, a botanical treat created in 1867 when Sir Thomas Hanbury purchased the property out on the Mortola promontory. A short trip inland leads to the haunting, and maybe haunted, village of Bussana Vecchia, a few kilometres to the east of San Remo.

Now one of Italy’s most visited ruins, the town was devastated by an earthquake in February 1887, killing thousands as it tore through the quiet village streets. Looking very much as it did when the remaining residents abandoned their homes, officially Bussana Vecchia no longer exists, and this means that the two remaining residents don’t actually exist either. It could only happen in Italy!

Genoa: Cosmopolitan Capital


Compared to the tranquillity of Bussana Vecchia, the city of Genoa positively assails the senses. Italy’s most important commercial port and birthplace of pesto sauce, Genoa’s cosmopolitan atmosphere admirably blends the city’s past and present.

The surrounding hills and mountains envelop the hillside houses and apartments, appearing to rise vertically from the coast, that provide home and shelter to the indigenous population.

A journey by funicular railway to and from the old town provides the Genoese with a spectacular view of the region’s main city with its wealth of history, but closer inspection is needed to reveal its gourmet delights.

A Treat for the Tastebuds

From the major art collection housed in the Palazzo Ducale, formerly the seat of the City’s Doges, to the Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa represents a cultural paradise to those who have the time to explore the narrow streets and Baroque buildings.

Lovers of fine food will also find the historic centre hard to leave behind. A visit to the Mercato Orientale on Via XX Settembre is a must. Whether making a purchase or just soaking up the atmosphere, the scent of summer and autumn fruits mixed with mushrooms and chillies will bewitch you, with stall after stall offering heaps of exotic fare.

Portofino: Millionaires Moorings


Handily situated within easy reach of both Turin and Milan is the extremely fashionable and stupefyingly expensive harbour of Portofino, regarded by many as the most exclusive location on earth to moor your multi-million pound yacht, should you be fortunate enough to own one.

Attracting many of Europe and Hollywood’s glitterati, the various hotels, such as the Splendido and Nazionale, strategically positioned along the narrow road that links Portofino with Santa Margherita, have ensured that their names are inscribed in the annals of exorbitantly expensive history by guaranteeing seclusion and anonymity to such names as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Groucho Marx, Winston Churchill, Barbara Streisand, Madonna, Bill Gates and various members of the British Royal Family.

Portofino was originally a small fishing village and was first discovered by the artistic element, then the sailing fraternity and lastly the rich and fashionable, ensuring its position as one of the places to see and be seen.

Dungeons and Dragons

Access to the centre is restricted to one narrow road that for most of the year is closed to traffic and the old-fashioned streets provide an ideal opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds and do some celebrity-spotting. For those who feel slightly more athletic, there is a stimulating walk to the castle and the small church of San Giorgio, perched high above the harbour, whose interior is said to contain the remains of the legendary dragon-slayer.

A Peaceful Retreat: Santa Margherita

Slightly less frantic is Santa Margherita. A wide, spacious harbour and promenade take you into the quiet, friendly centre, alive with artists, traditional shops, cafés and time-honoured, family-run ristoranti that thrive on the trade of locals and travellers alike, each offering some of the finest fish dishes to be found anywhere along the Ligurian coastline.

Santa Margherita offers a more relaxed outlook on the world than Portofino and the residents are far less self-conscious than their nearby neighbours. A stroll along the shoreline each Sunday morning demonstrates this as entire families take to the seafront to peruse the newspapers before enjoying a late cappuccino at the Bar Colombo, an old apothecary-turned-café, a favourite of the locals. This is the perfect prelude to luncheon, a meal as steeped in history as it is in delicate sauces.

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