Like many others, we were forced to cancel a trip to Italy as COVID took over the world. Finally we are booked, packed and ready to go! It’s a long way to Rome from Melbourne and we are grateful for the ease of a courtesy bus to Hotel Isola Sacra, a hotel we have used before due to its proximity to the airport and a consistently decent breakfast. The hotel rooms are pretty basic but they have an excellent restaurant with tables overlooking the pool and gardens, which is quite lovely. Being super tired on arrival we asked if the restaurant could make us a light snack to take back to our room. They were terribly obliging and gave us a tray with a plate of Bruschetta and two cups of tea. Perfect.
The next morning a leisurely breakfast and morning walk in the sunshine started our day off beautifully before catching the courtesy bus back to the airport to pick up our rental car and departing Rome for Villa Borgo San Pietro, located just below the hillside town of Cortona, a quiet location to commence our six week holiday.
The pretty gardens of Hotel Isola Sacra. Lunch at a roadside Tabbacci somewhere…
Tuscany, Cortona
Villa Borgo San Pietro is spacious and quiet. Set in lovely big gardens with a large pool it is exactly what you would expect in Tuscany. They have a bar and restaurant with indoor and outdoor areas but as we had a spacious apartment with a kitchen and patio we only used the bar for an evening Aperol or vino bianco.
We woke at 5.30am – thank you jet lag – to a muggy day. Clouds cloaked the nearby hills. We eagerly head to the outdoor breakfast room which is set in a glass house surrounded by the lush gardens and olive groves. Coffee is made fresh and served to our table. The buffet is of a good quality. Very nice croissants.
After breakfast we went for a walk to explore the surrounding village. Beautiful stone buildings and walls are a perfect backdrop for the olive trees, poppies, fig trees and Jasmine which all grow prolifically. I am squealing with delight. It is all so pretty. Lunch was simple fare and and the delicious pastries from Tiramisu Pasticceria in Camucia.
Feeling quite weary from jet lag, we had a quiet afternoon reading by the pool. Too cold to swim, but lovely to feel some sunshine. Bit of an umbrella repair was needed!
Cortona sits perched on the hillside above us. The old town glitters gold each evening in the setting sun. Fearing it would be jam packed with tourists we decided to visit this iconic hilltop town early in the morning. The idea was in good theory, but by the time we arrived at 10am there was not a car park to be found. Eventually, after several failed attempts and lots of circling we managed to snap a parking space just as someone was leaving. The steep alleyways were full of people huffing and puffing as they made their way to the already crowded square . We walked around some of the back streets searching for something to exclaim over, or capture us, but i am sad to say Cortona held little beauty, atmosphere or delight in comparison to other old towns we have visited. It was quite disappointing. The pervading atmosphere was of a Disney Town built for the tourist dollar. I took a few photos but it was hard to isolate anything that captured me. We returned to our peaceful villa where the only noise is birds chirping and the distant drone of a lawn mower. After the disappointing visit to Cortona we decided to cancel our accomodation in the old town of San Marino fearing it would be a similar experience, and booked a farm stay in a quiet location further away.
Searching for a quieter hilltop town experience for a walk and explore, we drove to Castiglion Fiorentino which has old ruins, a museum and underground archaeological site – which we missed seeing by about 30 seconds as they closed for lunch until late afternoon. The walk around the town was quite lovely with beautiful views from the square. There were very few tourists here, so it was peaceful to walk around.
Lago Trasimeno is not too far by Aussie standards so we decided to check it out. Being only 45 kms around the entire lake, we drove around it, stopping for walks as the villages of Passignano Sud and San Feliciano. The water is a beautiful silvery pale blue, extremely pretty from a distance, but there were quite a few dead fish floating in some parts which is a cause for concern. I don’t think i would swim in it…
We stayed at Villa Borgo San Pietro for six relaxed days. I could have stayed for a month, but it was time to pack up and head to the village of Dosa in Liguria. I was quite sad to leave. It has been very comfortable and the staff delightful. Highly recommend it for those looking for a peaceful environment.
Pics below: Poppies grow abundantly. The flowering vine on the car park trellis was pretty and gave us shade as the heat intensified. The gardens were blooming and lush. Beyond the pool Cortona flows down the hillside in clear view. Pretty breakfast rolls. Shaded umbrellas in the courtyard are perfect for sipping an evening Aperol.
Dossa, Liguria
Dosa is a tiny village perched on a hilltop above Levanto in Liguria. It has only 36 permanent residents with a small public car park from which you walk down to the village – and then back UP. And UP. And UP! The atmosphere/ambiance is magical, especially at night when the lights glow softly in the narrow alleys and on the beautiful stone houses. Our host informed us there are 18 of these little villages dotted in the hills being restored. So wonderful.
Our house for the next five days Casa di Gina, is built into the steep hill as is the entire village. Three stories from the front door, to the bedroom, to the kitchen and then there is a spiral staircase leading to the tiny rooftop terrace. Soooo many stairs.
The tiny rooftop terrace has a billion dollar view of which my photos unfortunately do not do justice, not to mention it is an excellent space for drying the laundry! We were so happy to have a dishwasher and a washing machine.
Before and after renovations in Dosa.
Some more pics of this pretty village day and night.
Levanto was down a long winding road that had me clinging to my seat and holding my breath at every bend. Apart from visiting supermarkets, we had to drive this scary road to go for walks along the waterfront.
One of the wonderful things about this town are the kilometres of old rail tunnels through the cliffs that have been converted into walking/cycling paths and are sensibly divided into separate paths for walkers and cyclists. The views of the sea and pretty coves are beautiful and the tunnels provide a cool and sheltered walk. It is well frequented and absolutely delightful at any time of the day.
Levanto to Bonassola one way is a 2.5km walk. We popped out of the tunnels to find a delightful seaside town with an awesome beach club on a pebble beach with crystal clear water. If we knew of Bonassola we would have booked accommodation there instead of Dosa. Definitely on the list for a return visit. It is very relaxed and the beach, cafes/bars are much nicer than Levanto, regardless of the lack of sand. Bagni San Giorgio was our chosen beach club. Their coffees, lunch offerings and cakes are excellant. We spent a full day on the loungers at this beach club swimming and going up to sit on the veranda whenever we wanted drinks or nibbles. The barista obligingly made me an iced coffee even though it was not on the menu and the pear tart was one of the most delicious cakes we have ever had the pleasure of eating. I also had my first Shakerato here. Coffee with sugar syrup shaken vigorously in ice and poured cold. It is yummy. Umbrellas are a little expensive to hire, but the food and drink is very cheap and in my opinion well worth the hire cost if you spend a whole day. And did i say how crystal clear and warm the water is? Not to mention the little schools of fish gently gliding past unbothered by swimmers.
San Merino
Our next week is at an Agriturismo farm stay in San Marino. A converted farmhouse/winery/working farm. Quite a large apartment with a huge spa bath in the upstairs mezzanine bedroom – which we didn’t use. Le Bosche was our apartment in this converted building of 6 apartmentments.
A poolside breakfast is always a brilliant way to start the day. This is a working farm and they serve their own produce which includes olive oil, balsamic, honey, wines and a variety of jams. All of the pasta, cakes and bread are made on site by the friendly cook. Scrambled eggs are cooked fresh by order as you arrive, a great pile of yellow eggs. After day two we had to skip the eggs. It was just too much. The cook was quite upset, not at all happy with our explanation that were were okay with just muesli and toast.
Most of this week we spent poolside as the heat began to kick in. The large double sunbeds with curtains are super comfortable and we really didn’t feel the need to do much more. Lots of reading and snoozing and swimming. Lunch on the terrace was available every day, as was dinner. The odd Aperol delivered poolside was rather nice.
Eventually we decided we should get out and do some sight seeing, even though it was quite perfect chilling by the pool, gazing at the great views, so we took a day trip to Rimini. I was quite curious to feel the vibe of the Adriatic coastline and see for myself the thousands of beach umbrellas that cover the sand as far as you can see.
After a crazy drive via narrow back roads, sadly, I have to say Rimini beach was a bit disappointing. The endless lines of umbrellas and loungers made a visually astonishing spectacle, it is far far far more expansive than i had imagined, but the water was quite murky and unappealing after the crystal clear waters of Bonassola and Levanto, and oil rigs were clearly visible from the shore not very far out to sea. I was not tempted to book an umbrella or swim. The water was far from enticing.
In contrast however, the restaurant precincts are impressive. Super colourful and exotic are the words that come to mind. It was brilliant strolling around peering at the very busy and varied decor. Minimalism does not exists here. There were giant grass bears, garlic framed pergolas, so many glorious flowers blooming brightly, herbs and vegetable planters. It was a tapestry of splendour and i was glad we made the effort to drive to Rimini and experience lunch in one of these amazing restaurants and enjoy the ambiance. The temperatures have really gone up a notch. It is super hot!
It was time to pack up and head back to Rome to pick up our daughter who was to spend the next three weeks travelling with us. So after another overnight stay at Hotel Isola Sacra with pizza for dinner by the pool and an early night, we headed south for an overnighter in Nemoli on the way to Tropea.
Nemoli
B&B Lanziani in the small village of Nemoli is delightful. A very comfortably set up boutique B&B overlooking a picturesque setting on a small lake. Highly recommend. The host PIetro was awesome. There were even two guitars in the communal lounge, unfortunately they both had strings missing, but that didn’t deter me from having a play.
The lake at the centre of the village has a walking track all the way around, which is just beautiful for a leisurely stroll. It was full of huge carp, giant noisy frogs, turtles and we even saw a snake. So many creatures. It was so lovely. Dinner was at a restaurant on the other side of the lake recommended by a local we met during our walk. The pasta was excellent. Probably the best i have ever eaten. A great meal on the terrace overlooking the lake. Totally idyllic.
After an excellent sleep – the beds and pillows were the best of all we had slept in – breakfast was served by our host Pietro at his cafe on the other side of the lake. He was so sweet, and carried our table and chairs across the road to set us up right on the lake edge. A very good croissant and tart each was brekky. No choices here but the hospitality was so wonderful we accepted everything graciously. I really enjoyed the short time we had in Nemoli and hope some of you chose to visit for a short stay.
Tropea
Tropea is a town i have wanted to visit for a long time and it did not disappoint. Tropea old town was walking distance from our hotel La Torre Residenza, as were the beaches, so we were pretty happy with our location even though it was out of the old town. Our room was pretty basic but super clean. It was a bit cozy as we only had the one room for the three of us – daughter had bunk beds to one side, however we did have a balcony and the aircon was very good.
Our closest beach was via a long stair which was easy going down, but a bit of a huff and puff to get back up. It is gobsmackingly beautiful.
Tropea is extremely beautiful day and night. The old town is abuzz with colour and atmosphere. Although busy, it is relaxed and as the sun begins to set the bars fill with people enjoying a drink and nibbles, moving gradually to the restaurants for leisurely dinners. Promenading was essential and we strolled the streets at night soaking up the balmy evenings. Tropea hit all my needs and desires. I love it and recommend highly.
The food was excellant and very reasonably priced. I had seafood every night. I also had my first Capo Spritz. Delish.
The beaches are extraordinary in Tropea. Clear warm water of the most amazing colours. Fish swim gently around swimmers, unperturbed by the high volumes of humans in their environment. The pleasure of being in this ocean is indescribably wonderful.
Did i mention they are very proud growers of onions in Tropea? They are for sale everywhere and often feature on restaurant menus.
We had one rather wild morning on the beach due to storms at sea. As waves pounded the shore and rushed up under the loungers, not a squeal or movement ensued. The relaxed atmosphere was first class.
With sadness the time came far too quickly to pack up and leave Tropea.
Italy 2023 Part Two – Sicily, Sardinia, Rome will be concluded in a separate post.
Cheers.
simplethingstraveller 