Bonassola-The Cinque Terre-Florence in May
Jun 11th, 2010, 06:08 PM
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Bonassola-The Cinque Terre-Florence in May
Bonassola-the Cinque Terre-Florence
A brief word before I start: to the many, many willing contributors who helped me plan this trip, thank you. A special thanks to Zeppole, who really did go above and beyond in helping me find just the right villa. Thank you to ekscrunchy, Dayle, kybourbon, and bobthenavigator for assisting me with the logistics of the trip.
Who we were: One couple and three single friends. We have traveled together before and are well accustomed to each other’s quirks.
Where we stayed: At Zeppole’s suggestion I rented a villa in Bonassola. I have reviewed the villa on T/A and linked to it on a separate thread.
http://tiny.cc/hoh2c
It really was the ideal location for us. Bonassola is the last train stop before Levanto on the way into the Cinque Terre villages. The ferry also stops there during the summer. It is on the beaten track, but seems to be off the radar of many tourists. The Tourist Information office is staffed with very pleasant people who speak English well. The internet access is .03 euros a minute. It has an excellent beach, beautiful walking trails, and enough good foccaccerias, enotecas and restaurants to keep me happy. Plus some of the best gelato we had in Italy was in Bonassola. We also discovered a delightful little salumeria our first day. We were able to buy housemade wine, fresh fruit (raspberries which were pure gold) and homemade dishes. We all fell in love with Louis Antonio and Maria Teresa. They were charming, friendly and great fun. I highly recommend you stop in.
Salumeria
rtofrutta Salumeria
Via Matteotti 22/24
Louis Antonio and Maria Teresa make their own tortes, quiches and the like, wine and carry fresh fruit and deli staples. Highly recommended for quality and service.
What we did: This was a trip designed to relax and enjoy the Italian pace of life. We didn’t rush to museums, galleries, shops or other points of interest. We lounged over coffee in the morning, enjoying the pitosforo in our garden. It has to be one of nature’s sweetest scents. We ate gelato two or three times a day. We had prosecco on the roof at sunset. We hiked incredibly scenic and occasionally quite challenging trails. The Blue Trail was closed during most of our stay but I don’t think we missed a thing. We had gorgeous sea views, we went through olive and lemon groves and stopped to admire the rose gardens. And we were virtually alone on the trails most of the time. We visited all five of the towns plus Portovenere and Portofino. Each was absolutely packed with people and we were really glad to get back to Bonassola at the end of the day. My photos are on Facebook and can be accessed on a public link. Let me know if you are interested.
Where we ate:
We had our arrival meal prepared by a resident chef, Lina, who was just wonderful. The meal was splendid, albeit a bit much after sixteen hours of travel. Still we loved it and we loved Lina. We found it very easy to buy fresh pasta, anchovies, pesto (preparation of pesto in Liguria is an art form) and vegetables. I particularly recommend the fresh pasta, pesto and anchovies at Luigina Il Laboratoria Del Pesto, Via Dante Alighieri 16, Levanto. We enjoyed preparing dinner to eat on the rooftop terrace. We often went into Bonassola for gelato and coffee later. Man, what a way to live!
.Our favorite restaurant in Bonassola was:
Antica Guetta,
Via Marconi 1
Excellent coffees in the am, great lunch, wonderful happy hour with lots of special treats (loved the olives and pastries), dinner is excellent. Service was informed and prompt. Food quality was very good. The fresh swordfish on skewers is wonderful! We came by for dessert several nights after dining elsewhere. House made ice cream was super!
Best Gelato in Bonassola
Gelateria U Perusa...we often stopped by more than once in a day. The gelato was terrific. Strawberry and coconut were tops!
Best meal in the Cinque Terre villages was at Belforte in Vernazza. I ordered a very good pasta with fresh zucchini and my friend had sea bass. A couple at the next table ordered the risotto. I turned to look at it, it really was quite a showpiece and they insisted I share it with them. I am not proud, share it I did and damned glad of it. That is the stuff of dreams. My friend’s sea bass was extraordinary as well.
How we got around: We rented a car from autoeuorpe.com said to be large enough to accommodate five adults. It was sheer misery. It was exceedingly uncomfortable although we are not large people. Too small for the people, too big for the roads. We ended up taking the train most of the time. It was convenient, cheap and easy. Although we had a GPS (which someone neglected to convert to English!) we found driving on the narrow roads harrowing. Parking is at a premium and directional signs are often confusing to the tourist.
The path to Levanto is a converted rail bed, very easy to walk or bike, and it goes through tunnels which makes it particularly nice if it is raining. The tunnels are well lit and we felt quite comfortable in the evening.
Our short adventure in urban life: We flew via Florence. I have posted a review of Lufthansa service on the airlines forum. Our last night DH and I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn near the airport. It was a good choice for us. We dropped the car at the airport, checked into the hotel, left our luggage and headed into Florence for the day. We took a bus which was very crowded and extremely hot. We got off at Santa Maria Novella train station. We stopped to see the church, which is lovely. Before heading to the Duomo we made a detour to the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacia. I loved it. I am so sorry I did not buy more items there. They were the nicest things to bring home I found in Italy. The exchange rate was very kind to us!
We went to the Museo dell Opera del Duomo and had it almost to ourselves. Six euros admission to see both a Michaelangelo Pieta (designed for his grave) and an incredible Donatello. This is a fantastic museum, very easy to navigate and a pleasure to visit.
I have visited Florence before and done the “must sees”. This trip was a leisurely walk through the city. I spent more time south of the Arno and recommend it to other travelers. The pace was more comfortable and the crowds definitely less daunting. I did manage to buy some gloves at Rebeccas and Madovas.
Least expected event: Our first day in Levanto we found a surfing competition. Surfing? In Italy? It turned out to be quite a fun afternoon for us.
What I learned. Italians can park anywhere, tan anywhere and put grafitti anywhere. They will charm you and you will find yourself planning your return (or as sarge says…your move) on the flight home.
If there are any questions or points I might have overlooked, please let me know.
Ciao.
A brief word before I start: to the many, many willing contributors who helped me plan this trip, thank you. A special thanks to Zeppole, who really did go above and beyond in helping me find just the right villa. Thank you to ekscrunchy, Dayle, kybourbon, and bobthenavigator for assisting me with the logistics of the trip.
Who we were: One couple and three single friends. We have traveled together before and are well accustomed to each other’s quirks.
Where we stayed: At Zeppole’s suggestion I rented a villa in Bonassola. I have reviewed the villa on T/A and linked to it on a separate thread.
http://tiny.cc/hoh2c
It really was the ideal location for us. Bonassola is the last train stop before Levanto on the way into the Cinque Terre villages. The ferry also stops there during the summer. It is on the beaten track, but seems to be off the radar of many tourists. The Tourist Information office is staffed with very pleasant people who speak English well. The internet access is .03 euros a minute. It has an excellent beach, beautiful walking trails, and enough good foccaccerias, enotecas and restaurants to keep me happy. Plus some of the best gelato we had in Italy was in Bonassola. We also discovered a delightful little salumeria our first day. We were able to buy housemade wine, fresh fruit (raspberries which were pure gold) and homemade dishes. We all fell in love with Louis Antonio and Maria Teresa. They were charming, friendly and great fun. I highly recommend you stop in.
Salumeria
rtofrutta SalumeriaVia Matteotti 22/24
Louis Antonio and Maria Teresa make their own tortes, quiches and the like, wine and carry fresh fruit and deli staples. Highly recommended for quality and service.
What we did: This was a trip designed to relax and enjoy the Italian pace of life. We didn’t rush to museums, galleries, shops or other points of interest. We lounged over coffee in the morning, enjoying the pitosforo in our garden. It has to be one of nature’s sweetest scents. We ate gelato two or three times a day. We had prosecco on the roof at sunset. We hiked incredibly scenic and occasionally quite challenging trails. The Blue Trail was closed during most of our stay but I don’t think we missed a thing. We had gorgeous sea views, we went through olive and lemon groves and stopped to admire the rose gardens. And we were virtually alone on the trails most of the time. We visited all five of the towns plus Portovenere and Portofino. Each was absolutely packed with people and we were really glad to get back to Bonassola at the end of the day. My photos are on Facebook and can be accessed on a public link. Let me know if you are interested.
Where we ate:
We had our arrival meal prepared by a resident chef, Lina, who was just wonderful. The meal was splendid, albeit a bit much after sixteen hours of travel. Still we loved it and we loved Lina. We found it very easy to buy fresh pasta, anchovies, pesto (preparation of pesto in Liguria is an art form) and vegetables. I particularly recommend the fresh pasta, pesto and anchovies at Luigina Il Laboratoria Del Pesto, Via Dante Alighieri 16, Levanto. We enjoyed preparing dinner to eat on the rooftop terrace. We often went into Bonassola for gelato and coffee later. Man, what a way to live!
.Our favorite restaurant in Bonassola was:
Antica Guetta,
Via Marconi 1
Excellent coffees in the am, great lunch, wonderful happy hour with lots of special treats (loved the olives and pastries), dinner is excellent. Service was informed and prompt. Food quality was very good. The fresh swordfish on skewers is wonderful! We came by for dessert several nights after dining elsewhere. House made ice cream was super!
Best Gelato in Bonassola
Gelateria U Perusa...we often stopped by more than once in a day. The gelato was terrific. Strawberry and coconut were tops!
Best meal in the Cinque Terre villages was at Belforte in Vernazza. I ordered a very good pasta with fresh zucchini and my friend had sea bass. A couple at the next table ordered the risotto. I turned to look at it, it really was quite a showpiece and they insisted I share it with them. I am not proud, share it I did and damned glad of it. That is the stuff of dreams. My friend’s sea bass was extraordinary as well.
How we got around: We rented a car from autoeuorpe.com said to be large enough to accommodate five adults. It was sheer misery. It was exceedingly uncomfortable although we are not large people. Too small for the people, too big for the roads. We ended up taking the train most of the time. It was convenient, cheap and easy. Although we had a GPS (which someone neglected to convert to English!) we found driving on the narrow roads harrowing. Parking is at a premium and directional signs are often confusing to the tourist.
The path to Levanto is a converted rail bed, very easy to walk or bike, and it goes through tunnels which makes it particularly nice if it is raining. The tunnels are well lit and we felt quite comfortable in the evening.
Our short adventure in urban life: We flew via Florence. I have posted a review of Lufthansa service on the airlines forum. Our last night DH and I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn near the airport. It was a good choice for us. We dropped the car at the airport, checked into the hotel, left our luggage and headed into Florence for the day. We took a bus which was very crowded and extremely hot. We got off at Santa Maria Novella train station. We stopped to see the church, which is lovely. Before heading to the Duomo we made a detour to the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacia. I loved it. I am so sorry I did not buy more items there. They were the nicest things to bring home I found in Italy. The exchange rate was very kind to us!
We went to the Museo dell Opera del Duomo and had it almost to ourselves. Six euros admission to see both a Michaelangelo Pieta (designed for his grave) and an incredible Donatello. This is a fantastic museum, very easy to navigate and a pleasure to visit.
I have visited Florence before and done the “must sees”. This trip was a leisurely walk through the city. I spent more time south of the Arno and recommend it to other travelers. The pace was more comfortable and the crowds definitely less daunting. I did manage to buy some gloves at Rebeccas and Madovas.
Least expected event: Our first day in Levanto we found a surfing competition. Surfing? In Italy? It turned out to be quite a fun afternoon for us.
What I learned. Italians can park anywhere, tan anywhere and put grafitti anywhere. They will charm you and you will find yourself planning your return (or as sarge says…your move) on the flight home.
If there are any questions or points I might have overlooked, please let me know.
Ciao.
Jun 11th, 2010, 07:17 PM
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cmcfong - what a lovely trip! Thanks for posting. I have a question for you. I am planning a trip for next May (dh and myself) and want to include 3 nights in Cinque Terre. We will have a rental car and probably be coming from Bologna or Parma. With all that I have read, I can't quite visualize where the parking is in relation to the towns. I don't want to drag luggage up (or down) long steep hills. So, I'm wondering if I should stay outside CT and just do a couple of day trips. I want to see all 5 towns, but I'm looking for ease with the car and luggage. We will be heading to Lucca from CT. Do you have any suggestions as to what town we should stay in? BTW, my mouth was watering imagining that risotto and gelato!
Jun 12th, 2010, 03:44 AM
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Centralparkgirl, I admit to being a Bonassola bigot. There is no nightlife to speak of, but it is a pleasant place to just stroll or sit and watch the sunset. It never overwhelmed us as the CT villages did. Those were extremely crowded, though I expect the numbers thin in the evenings. We could have easily gone for dinner in any of the villages; but, we never got around to it.
I enjoyed doing the day trips into the CT villages. It took about eight minutes by train to reach Monterosso al Mare. Hotel and public parking were available in Bonassola. I was warned there was very limited parking in only two of the CT villages (Riomaggiore and Monterosso). Given that advice, we did not try to park near or in any of the CT villages. We went to a different one or two each day and walked in the town, sometimes using the hill trails between towns. The train was very easy. We could pick up schedules and buy our tickets at the Tourist Information office. They also provided us trail maps and reports on trail conditions. Trains run very frequently and are not expensive.
Enjoy your trip, aussiedreamer.
four_maccas, here's the link.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...1&l=05a5bf4e2f
Thank you for taking time to read my trip report.
I enjoyed doing the day trips into the CT villages. It took about eight minutes by train to reach Monterosso al Mare. Hotel and public parking were available in Bonassola. I was warned there was very limited parking in only two of the CT villages (Riomaggiore and Monterosso). Given that advice, we did not try to park near or in any of the CT villages. We went to a different one or two each day and walked in the town, sometimes using the hill trails between towns. The train was very easy. We could pick up schedules and buy our tickets at the Tourist Information office. They also provided us trail maps and reports on trail conditions. Trains run very frequently and are not expensive.
Enjoy your trip, aussiedreamer.
four_maccas, here's the link.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...1&l=05a5bf4e2f
Thank you for taking time to read my trip report.
Jun 12th, 2010, 08:33 AM
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cmcfong,
I'm so glad you had a wonderful trip. You had my mouth watering. I'd love to see your pictures if you drop me your Facebook link!
Sad to report the Blind Dog has closed due to the owners' financial troubles. They will try to re-open in a new location for the coming ski season.
Grazie!
I'm so glad you had a wonderful trip. You had my mouth watering. I'd love to see your pictures if you drop me your Facebook link!
Sad to report the Blind Dog has closed due to the owners' financial troubles. They will try to re-open in a new location for the coming ski season.
Grazie!
Jun 12th, 2010, 09:27 AM
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Bonassola looks so sweet -- the real Liguria! I think my favorite picture is the one you took of Lina.
You know that pasta curtain in Portovenere is the kind of curtain used to keep out flies but let the air circulate (but I've never seen one make of pasta before).
I'll have to make it down to Bonassola for a lunch this season for some swordfish.
Glad you discovered it's a great way to live!
You know that pasta curtain in Portovenere is the kind of curtain used to keep out flies but let the air circulate (but I've never seen one make of pasta before).
I'll have to make it down to Bonassola for a lunch this season for some swordfish.
Glad you discovered it's a great way to live!
Jun 12th, 2010, 11:32 AM
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Bad news about the Blind Dog, Dayle. It was nice. I still hate we managed to miss meeting that night.
Here's the link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...1&l=05a5bf4e2f
Zeppole, Lina was great. We all hung over her shoulder watching her cook. Such a great first meal! Thank you for all the help you gave me. Everyone in my party kept congratulating me for my great investigative work (it is our secret that you just gave me what I needed and I ran with it!).
Here's the link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...1&l=05a5bf4e2f
Zeppole, Lina was great. We all hung over her shoulder watching her cook. Such a great first meal! Thank you for all the help you gave me. Everyone in my party kept congratulating me for my great investigative work (it is our secret that you just gave me what I needed and I ran with it!).
Jun 13th, 2010, 03:27 AM
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well, I'm grateful to have all these tips on Bonassola and Levanto, which I will put to good use. If you have a dummy e-mail address where I can drop you a line, I'll let you know how i made out!
