We will be in Bonassola for a week in May. Do you have any favorite cafes, bars, gelaterias, etc there or in Levanto ? While we will spend a couple of days hiking the CT trails, we will have a rental car and plan to make some day trips. Our interests are outdoor activities and a little shopping. We would prefer to visit small towns rather than the larger cities like Genoa. Where would you suggest we go?
Thank you.

Take the ferry as far as Portovenere--my favorite on that coast.

Thanks, Bob.

If you don't mind the 30 minute drive (or take the train, it may be easier), go to Rapallo for gelato at Frigidarium. It is exceptional -- and I wouldn't dream of sending you that far for a gelato if it wasn't extraordinarily good. Seasonal fruit flavors are amazing. In Rapallo, the Frigidarium gelateria is right opposite the squat chunky greystone castle on the seaside promenade. The castle and the geletaria across the street are very obvious and easy to find.

For a week in that area, you really should buy yourself a copy of David Downie's Food and Wine of Genoa and the Italian Riviera. It's available through Amazon and it contains many recommendations for Levanto and also Sestri Levante, which is a great eating and cafe town. In Sestri Levante, there is an absolutely exquisitely situated bar for a sunset drink right on the Bay of Silence (the town's sister bay to the Bay of Fables). Walk on the left side of the isthmus, along the sandy beachcove, and the bar is right there, at the water's edge.

For historic cafes, Chiavari is the town to go to, especially Caffe Defilla, filled with luscious pastries, gelato, the best shakerato I've tasted and many Chiavari chairs. Likewise, I simply wouldn't leave the region if you can help it without going for a fabulously cheap lunch or dinner of farninata at Luchin's. Both are listed in Downie's book. Luchin's is close Sunday and the huge Chiavari antiques market is on some weekends, which you either want to see or avoid.

With Downie's book plus a car, you might be inspired to make some forays into "hidden" but incredibly historic hilltowns just a bit above Bonassola and le Cinque Terre, places like Sarzana and Varese Ligure. Otherwise, using the train line to get to other coastal towns will save you the headache of trying to figure out where to park it.

Zeppole, once again you are a great resource for me. The villa at which we are staying was suggested by you. I do appreciate your help!
I am a woman willing to travel great distances for good gelato. We will take a print out of your recommendations. I would welcome any other suggestions you might have. Thank you so much.

I found that gelateria in David Downie's book, so I highly recommend it to you. It's very heavy, but either just rip out the pages you want or xerox the Riviera Levante section, south of Genova.

Downie recommends a boutique food store in Levanto (among many other places) that bottles pesto in jars. It can be fantastic and cheap to buy a few bottles, plus buy packaged lasagna from the region. You find them in the best pasta shops. They are about the size of postcards. They cook in 4 minutes. You just dump the pesto over it. Not every restaurant serves lasagne al pesto. (Mostly you will find it served with linguini-like "trenette" or little nubby twists called "trofie." But if you see it on the menu -- lasagne al pesto -- I think it's the nicest pasta with pesto -- and it is very cheap and easy to make it yourself in your villa.

I don't think you will be disappointed in the gelato at Frigidarium in Rapallo. Downie also recommends some nice food shopping streets, and includes my favorite wine shop in the area -- Cantine d'Italia -- where you can sit at an outdoor table in a shady, breezy alley and watch the passing parade, or get nice bottles of wine to take home.

Have fun in the 'hood!

You are a gold mine, zeppole. Thank you so much. We will definitely be getting the Downie book and trying our own pesto lasagna. I know this will be a wonderful trip.

I remembered the name of the store Downie recommends in Levanto: Luigina Il Laboratorio del Pesto

http://www.levanto.com/luigina/index-inglese.htm

http://aziende.virgilio.it/3013545/l...orio-del-pesto

I'm glad you're getting his book. You'll get great food and beautiful cafes.

And I wanted to add that if you want to go to Portofino, the prettiest way to enter the town is by boat. You can catch a boat to Portofino at the waterfront in Rapallo, a few steps away from Frigidarium. (Don't eat gelato in Portofino.) What you might enjoy doing is taking a train to Camogli one morning, and catching the boat to San Fruttuoso, switching to the boat for Portofino -- and once you've seen Portofino, leave and take the boat to Rapallo and eat gelato at Frigidarium. You can also take a train to Santa Margherita Ligure and catch a boat directly to Portofino (or walk or bus), and then boat out to Rapallo.

I'm looking forward to trying Frigidarium's strawberry gelato. It's getting to be that season.

http://farfalle1.wordpress.com/2008/...o-rosa-gelato/

Fantastic. Thank you so much for the links. I enjoyed the expat's blog. Most engaging!

One more thought:

If you plan a shopping expedition to Portofino, they stores there do observe the "pausa" (closing between 12:30-4:30) and lunch there is overpriced and not tasty. Better to go before or after, and not got stuck in the middle.

Shopping is definitely on my agenda (although my companions might not be enthusiastic they will humor me). I would love any suggestions. Thank you.

Portofino is so tiny, you'll see the whole shopping district in 25 minutes. I'm not a shopper but I've been surprised at how delightful and stylish some of the purses and clothes are that I've passed by Portofino. I've never asked the price. Most of the best things to me about Liguria are taste treats -- and the scenery -- neither easier to transport far.

If your companions want to leave you to your shopping, they might be amused to walk up to the town cemetery of Portofino. The dead get the best views, and the mausoleum has snapshots of the people interred in the walls, so you get to know them. They're a cast of characters. Nobody gets lost in Portofino. Tell you're friends you'll meet up with them later in front of the Louis Vuitton store near the tourist boat dock.

Chiavari has multiple markets, including an antiques one some week-ends, food and other stuff everyday, but it's just a major shopping town. A lot of it won't interest you at all (Timberland, new balance, indian imports) but the town is quite pretty, the caffes are a delight, the food treats fantastic. It can be fun to go between 4 and 7 and pick up dinner from the fabulous take-out delis, cheese stores, roast chicken stores, wine stores, pastry shops, some fresh veg and take the train back for a no-cook dinner. It's about a 35 minute trip and the trains are at least hourly.

But you may end up not wanting to do anything!

Oh it sounds perfectly wonderful! I can hardly wait to see it all for myself. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions so thoroughly. I do appreciate the advice.