pookymimi

Has anybody been there for the Fiestas or Celebrations on those dates "Festa dell' Apparizione della Vergine"?

I'm hopefully going to be there to see where my Nonna was from that weekend.
I know there is a lot going on that weekend. I assume my kids will love to see the fireworks.

I found an apartment up in the hills not sure how close it's to downtown.
I'm looking at some B&B recommended here.
Let me know if you have any B&B recommendations I don't want to go over $160/n

zeppole

Although the fireworks can be seen and heard for miles around, the religious procession and ceremonies of the festa are actually at the sanctuary of Monteallegro, which is spectacularly high up the mountain -- so high, it is generally reached by cable car or automobile (on a very winding, steep road. Athletic people who are accustomed to hiking can make the march up in about 2 hours ( on well-kept paths and staircases).

If the night is clear, the fireworks should be visible from most of Rapallo and the hills of Santa Margherita Ligure and Chiavari. You need to watch the weather, because even in July, it can get misty at the upper elevations, obscuring the show. Generally the fireworks start until very late, since they are not allowed to shoot them until the last plane flight of the day clears Genova airport.

If you are staying in Rapallo for more than that one day, I highly recommend you take the "funivia" (cable car) up to enjoy the ride, the views and to see the elaborate Santuario itself. There is more than one restaurant up there where you can have lunch.

http://www.comune.rapallo.ge.it/interna_AT.asp?id=343

The best gelaterie of the area is in Rapallo. It is called Frigidarium, and it is just opposite the castle on the seaside. I think it is one of the best in Italy.

Also, in the hills of Rapallo (in the hamlet of San Massimo) there is a very famous restaurant whose owner is a cartoonist and quite a showman. Your nine-year-old might really appreciate a meal there. It's called U Giancu, and the chef's cooking is considered some of the best in the region, although he only serves meat, no fish, entrees.

http://www.ugiancu.it/

If you scroll down this blog you can read about the restaurant:

http://gcoldsnow.blogspot.com/2006_05_23_archive.html

In Rapallo, small hotels are sometimes just as good a value as b&bs, especially if you book through discount websites. Sometimes Venere has good deals. But always read user reviews. Some lodgings in Rapallo overlook VERY busy streets. But the old fashioned and well located Hotel Mondial pulls some nice reviews on booking.com, and the price for a triple comes within your budget.

Towns nearby Rapallo are very conveniently reached by train and bus in case you don't find something in Rapallo you like. Santa Margherita Ligure, Camogli and Chiavari are all very short train rides away.

The B&B La Luna in Santa Margherita Ligure has good prices, but what they are in July, I don't know.

You might check out this place in Chiavari.

http://www.hotelziapiera.it/prezzicam.html

But also check venere.com for Rapallo.

zeppole

PS: All the towns I mentioned above outside Rapallo are great towns with lots of life and fun. Camogli is the smallest, but also the prettiest and with nice boat rides and hikes. Santa Margherita is the most sophisticated, and Chiavari is the coolest, with shaded streets, although the core of Rapallo is also shady, with lots of boat rides, ice cream, life and shopping (and motorcycle traffic, so try not to book on a busy street).

pookymimi

Thanks a lot for your input.
I want to stay in Rapallo because there is a street or better said my family name is carved in Stone somewhere, so I want to look for it and do some hike and soak what it might've been for my Nonna to grew up there.

I found this apartment that is 2 miles from Rapallo on the hills, do you think it will be too unaccesible for the kids and I to be there?

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p519497

hazel1

pookymimi - are they giving you a discount? The prices listed for that apartment are significantly more than $160/night.

pookymimi

I know its about 226 a night, a little too much for me.

zeppole

The Homeaway apartment description says it is 2km, not 2 miles, from downtown Rapallo (probably meaning either the train station or the police station, which makes it another 200m to the sea),. So that's a bit shorter, but it is surely up the slopes, although not mountain climbing. A taxi ride when you're tired won't be a fortune. I would ask about noise, because what little I could see from the inadequate map it appears to be very close to the via Aurelia, a major connecting road. If the apartment has glazed windows and air conditioning, the noise won't disturb your sleep. But it might make for a noisy garden or terrace.

I think this apartment in Rapallo may be better located with respect to downtown.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationR...n_Riviera.html

Did you look at the rentals at HomeHoliday? They seem to be a bit closer to the action than Home Away, but I don't know your dates, so I don't what's available for you. Some have pools and air con in your budget.

http://www.homelidays.co.uk/EN-Holid...rapallo_r3.asp

This hotel in downtown Rapallo has a quad room with a kitchenette. Read the user reviews. It might be too basic for you:

http://www.venere.com/hotels/rapallo...a/#information

Another possibility for you might be Il Convento, which has some cooking facilities. Again, read the reviews here and on Tripadvisor:

http://www.venere.com/serviced-apart...t-il-convento/

I think staying where your family came from is a great idea. I personally always enjoy food shopping Rapallo a whole lot. It is the authentic Italian Riviera of the 19th and 20th century. The clock has stopped in some cafes and food shops. Have fun poking around the pedestrianized zones. Just be sure you understand it is not like a tiny quaint fishing village. It isn't a city, but it's a bustling yacht harbor holiday town, a second-home service town and one of Liguria's all-time nonna-with-pooch retirement communities, with nonnas in all economic brackets and all kinds of pooches. (I go there regularly for pet supplies because it has so many pet stores.) I also go for wine, great vegetables herbs and prepared foods, gelato and cheap totes and beachwear.

Do take the boat from there to Portofino, even if you only get off the boat to take another one to San Fruttuoso. I very much recommend taking the boat to San Fruttuoso, either from Portofino or Camogli. Bring your suits for a swim.

Also, it is great fun to take the bus from Rapallo up the mountain to Ruta, and then walk the flat shady road along the cliffs to San Rocco (about 35 minutes). From there, walk down the thousand stairs to Camogli at the sea, then go back to Rapallo by bus or train or a boat. There are places all along the way to eat, either full meals or just snacks and gelato. It is beautiful views all the way. Very nice at sunset.

From Rapallo, you can hike in the Monte Portofino or le Cinque Terre, or even around MonteAllegro (take the cable car up). But in July, the earlier you start the better, and have lots of water. The Rapallo tourist office can show you hiking trails. Another great easy and walk is along the sea cliffs of Zoagli, next town over from Rapallo. Easy bus or train ride.

Hope you find just the right place in Rapallo!

zeppole

PS: Next time I'm there I will look for via Pucchimimi

pookymimi

Zeppole,

Thanks a lot for all the tips, I will look into them.
My family name is Canevaro, I know there is a street or some stone wall with the name somewhere. A family member came years ago with a picture of him under the name. Finding it may take a while or not.

Mia

pookymimi

Well I take it back, it's not a street.
I just talked to my Dad who tells me there is a Castle that belonged to my Nonna's grandfather.

I did some research and found it. Its South East of Rapallo. My Dad always said my Nonna came from a lot of money, but I didn't expect my family having a Castle and ending up living in Chile not very wealthy.

zeppole

You know it's a hotel now, right? (Most castles become that now.)

It's over your budget, but you sure you don't want to splurge for one or two nights and stay there, and economize elsewhere? If I'm reading the tarriffe right, if you stay for a week in high season, you can have the tower for 200 per night, and it sleeps 4.

http://www.castellocanevaro.it/enindex2.html

I'm not sure if your family had stayed they would have done better than they did in Chile, and most of the area just southeast of Rapallo and in Zoagli was bombed to bits in World War 2. It's lucky the castle escaped the Allied bombardment.

The more common destination in South America for Italians was Buenos Aires, which is why you so often find a street in Italy names Corso Buenos Aires, or a "Largo Argentina." All that emigration to the Americas was so terrible for Liguria -- they lost so many sons -- you can find monuments and churches all over the region, even small museums, commemorating the emigration.

pookymimi

Zeppole,

Thanks for the info.
Yes, I know it's an expensive B&B, so I don't even entertain the idea of staying there, I just want to wonder around.

My Nonna used to say she had a very rich upbringing but very lonely as she was in a Catholic Boarding School most of her younger years.

My Nonna studied there and moved to Peru with her family ended up in Iquique/Chile border with Peru and meeting my grandfather and immigrant from Coimbra.

My Nonna Maria-Caterina lost her brother Miquel in the WW2 they were never able to recover his body (My Dad still remembers how much they tried working with the International Red Cross), her other brother Hector is the one who had children in Chile besides her.

We have family members scattered all over SA, mostly Argentina, some in Peru and the small bunch in Chile us, my Dad, Uncle, Cousin Hector and us their children.

Argentina is called the little Italia as most descend from Italians, the most handsome men in SA.

Mia

zeppole

That's all very interesting to me, and I think if you are able to bring any pictures of grandmother and other family members to Castello Canevaro when you go wandering around there, the owners would be fascinated, since they have posted a history of the building on their website. I see that they do receptions there, so they might have a restaurant where you could have a meal, or a bar for a drink or coffee.

I'll only point out that at today's exchange rate, the apartment at Castello Canevaro, which has a small kitchen, is only a tad bit more than the Rapallo apartment that you asked about at the beginning of this thread, and it is closer to the Zoagli train station and the sea than the Rapallo apartment. There are some really lovely pictures of the castello on the web:

http://www.gosee.de/images/content/f...o_fda0ea4f.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/...8e0f2163c0.jpg

http://www.laguarnigione.it/gallery.html

If you end up only visiting Zoagli, make time to walk the beautiful promenade that is carved into the cliffs -- it is particularly nice in the early morning or at sunset -- and there is a nice informal beachside cafe with a million dollar view called Punta Stella, It serves fresh salads and has very moderate prices.

There is also an exceptionally pretty church with stunning views in the small town just between Rapallo and Zoagli called Sant'Ambrogio, easily reached by a bus or a hike

http://www.amusa.it/images/s_ambrogio_full.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3651/...a4fc5e32b2.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...i-P1010857.JPG

Have a wonderful time in your ancestral home!

pookymimi

Zeppole,

Thanks for the pictures. Are you in Italy?

I rented a room in the Hotel Italia e Lido much cheaper than the apartment.

I tried to look into the L'attico B&B, but they changed the website and I can't find it in google, it looks like a nice place to stay. If you are in Italy can you look it up for me?

We'll be in that area for 3 nights.
In regard of the Castle I'm not sure I have to make an apt or ask for permission to wander around.

As we won't have a car we'll see what we can do in the time we'll be there.

Mia

zeppole

Yes, I'm in Italy but I had the same problems reaching the L'Attico problem you did. Why don't you give them a call? Just don't do it this weekend. It's a huge holiday in Italy.

http://www.bed-and-breakfast-in-ital...75&IDRegione=8

Yes, hotels are often cheap in Rapallo, so sticking with that might be a good plan too for just 3 nights.

You don't need a car in Rapallo. It is extremely well connected to everything by train, bus and boat.

I suspect that the Castello Canevaro will be extremely welcoming to you. You might send them an e-mail ahead of time about when to visit because they appear to host a lot of weddings and other group events.

Have fun!

pookymimi

Thanks!
I'll give them a call on Monday, although I think the Italia Hotel is fine as it's right by the water.

I will email Emanuele before I leave, not sure if they trust anybody who comes and say they are lost relatives though....