Liguria & the Italian Riviera

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Day 6 - After our visit to the monastery in Pavia we will leave the
Lombardy Region and continue on our way to 

Liguria and the Italian Riviera


Liguria, a 186 mile-long boomerang-shaped region of Italy, stretches from Frances’ Provence-Alps-Cote d’Azur on the west to Tuscany on the east. The name comes from the Liguris who inhabited the whole northwestern part of Italy 2,000 years ago. The continental shelf on which Liguria sits is very narrow and extremely steep.  It is divided into 4 provinces - Imperia, Savona, Genoa and LaSpezia, with Genoa, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, being the capital and Italy’s main port.  We will visit the province of La Spezia and the villages of Cinque Terre with an optional excursion into Genoa to visit Sestri Levante and Portofino.




 Liguria's coastline is the famous Italian Riviera. The area east of Genoa is known as “Riviera di Levante - Coast of the Rising Sun”, while the area west of Genoa is called “Riviera di Ponente - Coast of the Setting Sun”. Lovers of “la dolce vita” have flocked here since the 1800’s to enjoy the rugged cliffs, turquoise coves, fine sand beaches, pastel seaside towns, charming ports and stylish resorts such as Portofino which we will visit on the excursion.
The Beach at Monterosso
               


Ligurian Cuisine


“Prodotti Tipici”
is Italian for "typical dishes", and during our 3-day stay we will have the chance to taste many. The sea provides the seafood, and the hillsides provide the ground for growing vegetables, beans, fruit and aromatic herbs.

 It was the sailors of Liguria's great maritime fleet who shaped the region's love of fresh herbs and seasoned vegetables - food they did not have on their months-long voyages and therefore craved on their return.  
The region claims to be the original source of pesto. The terraced hillsides produce an olive oil that Ligurians promise is more delicate than that of Tuscany.  

Warm Octopus Salad


Fritto di Pesce - fried fish to go.


Farinata - chickpea floor, olive oil, onion & herbs.

Cappon Magro - salad of biscuits, seafood, vegetables, olives, anchovies & eggs.

 Lots of gelato.

 Cappon Magro - salad of biscuits, seafood, vegetables, olives, anchovies & eggs.


If this has whet your appetite or curiosity, this site has photos and descriptions of 22 "Prodotti Tipici" such as this Ciuppin soup, which originated from those long-ago seafarers, and is made from leftover fish, stale bread and flavored with white wine.





























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