Perfect Pasta

Cooking is a favourite pastime. It started when I was in my early teens making puddings and deserts for my mother's dinner parties in the 70's from there I developed a broader interest which continued into later life and then moving to Italy more than 10 years ago brought a whole new dimension to it. It is difficult not to become interested in food in Italy where there are so many regional dishes and specialities and where food is a national obsession.

Anyway for some reason I had been putting off learning to make fresh pasta for a while now. Pasta sauces, no problem, ragu, pesto, carbonara ... I mentioned it to some friends and they suggested they come round with all the ingredients and with their pasta machine (manual) for lunch for a pasta making party!

 

What better way to learn. I made a ragu sauce before hand and a desert. Other friends brought wine, a torta di verdura and fresh tomato sauce.

All in all it was easier than I thought and now I have bought a machine too. What next?  Home made ravioli for Xmas!

Portofino to San Fruttuoso by boat and back by foot.

One of the things about Italy which continues to amaze me is the extraordinary beauty that exists in the pensiular and much of it close by to us at Casa Colleverde.

Today with a day free and good weather forecast we decided to visit Portofino and the Abbazia San Fruttuoso in the Portofino Natural Park which can only be got to by foot or boat.We wanted to arrive by boat and walk back to Portofino.

To avoid the expensive car parks in Portofino (if there is a space) we decided to drive to Santa Margherita Ligure, park there and get the ferry to Portofino. We got the 10.15 boat having left home at 8.35.  The cost was 10 euro a head one way to San Fruttuoso , Sam was free.

Santa Margherita Ligure

Arriving at Portofino by boat is lovely as the port is very picturesque.We remained on the boat and continued on to San Fruttuoso.


 The coast line is beautiful and the water a deep blue green colour which makes you want to dive in to cool off.

Portofino harbour

The bay where the Abbey is situated is lovely. You could go there for lunch ( there are 2/3 bar restuarants) and then get a later boat back if you wanted just to have a relaxing lunch in a beautiful setting.We had packed a picnic so after a brief look around started our walk

San Fruttuoso

Like lots of walks along the coast in Liguria and the 5 Terre you have to start with a bit of a climb up the hill (here through the woods in the shade which was just as well as it was warm) this got us warmed up and a little out of breath but with regular photo opportunities giving an excuse to stop and get our breath we did it and once at the top the walk along the cliffs was relatively easy.

Path above San Fruttuoso

Fantastic views from the path on the way and after about an hour and a half we arrived at our destination.

Portofino

                                                                      Che spectacolo!

Che Bellezza la Natura - Walking the Cinque Terre

Today we took advantage of the forecast good weather to do another walk in the Cinque Terre. This time we chose the path from Manarola to Corniglia via Volastra....Sam our Norfolk terrier couldnt wait to be off.

Manarola from the path

To avoid the crowds and the heat of the day(inspite of the fresh breeze) we left the house at 7.30 and drove to La Spezia train station and parked in the new underground carpark. We got the 8.30 train and got off in Manarola. It was still quite chilly when we set out and we were dressed in walking shoes, shorts,t shirt, sweat shirts and a scarf each.. We also had water proof tops( in case of rain very English) and water in our rucksack.

We headed up the hill towards the church in Manarola  and then took the Panoramic path toward Volastra and Corniglia After a steep initial climb which had us panting (not that fit) we were down to our t - shirts and perspiring. The fantastic views and wild flowers gave us many reasons to stop and take pictures ...just as well.

Sam who had stormed off in front soon began to slow down as well.

The path is beautiful rewarding you with stunning views of the terraces and vines and wild flowers not to forget the cliffs plunging down to the sea. Some concentration is needed when walking due to the nature of the path but I cannot reccommend it enough.

 I would also do the route we did Manarola toCorniglia rather than the other way round as the climb up is longer from Corniglia.

The walk took us a little over 2 hours .... but allow between 2 and 3 depending on your pace.

Corniglia our destination

                                                                                                                                                                                   
 Finally taking a pause during our walk the intrepid explorers!

Carmelo

 

Simon and Sam

The Cinque Terre or 5 Lands

The Cinque Terre are situated in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, the area is a Unesco world heritage site and not to be missed if visiting Liguria.

The Five Lands consisting  of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso apart from being naurally beautiful are the product of centuries of cultivation by the local population who carved a unique way of life in the small fishing villages and vertiginous olive groves and vinyards which cling to the cliffs.

Riomaggiore

Today the paths along the cliffs are used by hikers and tourists visiting the area. You need to consult one of the various websites before coming to see which of the paths are open as they tend to suffer in the winter months from land slips.

The area can arrived at either by train boat or car.

If not staying in the Cinque Terre itself daytrips are easy.  The trains depart from La Spezia Central station and the ferries from the port. If a calm sunny day it is nice to go by boat and visit Portovenere on the way. This way you can see the little ports from the sea and you can get a ticket which allows you to get on and off and then maybe return by train as they are more frequent.

The other day we visited by car driving to Monterosso (about and hour from Casa Colleverde) and parked in the harbour carpark.We then walked to Vernazza - a relatively easy 2 hour walk (not for those who suffer from vertigo) and a little steep at times, but beauttiful. A bottle of water is advisable.You arrive at your destination and are rewarded with a picture postcard view of Vernazza.

Vernazza

We lunched in the port at the Taverna del Captinodelicious fresh seafood pasta and a local Vermentino from the region- Lunae.

We then got the train back to Monterosso.

Later in the month May18th and 19th is the fesitval of lemons at Monterosso

Monterosso

When walking the paths please be considerate of the environment and other walkers and dont leave your rubbish.

A good source of information is www.parconazionale5terre.it

The Lunigiana - an undiscovered Tuscany.

The Lunigiana is an historic territory which falls within both Liguria(province of La Spezia) and Tuscany (Massa Cararra).

Image courtesy of Terre di Lunigiana

Casa Colleverde is in the province of La Spezia not far from the ancient Roman City of Luni in the Val di Magra from which the Lunigiana takes its name.The historical confines of the Lunigiana derive from the Roman City Luni and the medieval diocese of the Bishops of Luni. The major part of the Lunigiana can be found in Tuscany.

The amphitheatre at Luni

The Lunigiana was a territory fought over by the Genovese,Milanese and Florentines as it  was a strategic route from Tuscany to the north and hence it is an area with many hill top towns and castles.

The Lunigiana for me is an area little explored by the majority of tourists visiting Italy and Tuscany who are drawn to the busier and more well known areas of Lucca ,Chianti around Siena and the Val d'orcia.. The Lunigiana is a little more rugged but like other areas in Tuscany has its traditions and its own authentic country cuisine.

Those who would like to know more about the area the following are good sources .

Ciao Lunigiana - www.ciaolunigiana.com
Terre di Lunigiana - www.terredilunigiana.com 

Fillateria picture courtesy of Terre di Lunigiana

Porto Venere a jewel in the Spezzino

Porto Venere is a gem of a little town just outside the Cinque Terre and dates from Roman times. 

 You can explore the 1000 year old carruggi (alleyways), the commanding Castle Doria, and the boardwalk in front of the colourful facades in the port.

On a summers day you can take a swim in Byron’s Bay or from the rocks below San Pietro and don’t miss the views from the porch of San Pietro or the castle ( a small charge to enter but worth it)

 San Pietro the church on the point dates from the 13th century while the Castle dates from 1161.

 All this and dont forget you can eat at one of the of the port side restuarants. All makes for a truly magical day at any time of year.

Porto Venere can also be used to take a boat trip to the Cinque Terre.

You can get to Porto Venere by car or by bus or boat from La Spezia.  

Happy New Year - Relax and do nothing!

This post is the first in a new series of posts where I will give examples of things to do and places to see in the vicinity of Casa Colleverde.

Friends who have stayed with us have said that contemplating the view from the house gives them a sense of place and has a calming effect on them with the effect that they wish to do nothing but sit and read or chat and never leave the house.

Now this is fine by us I too never tire of the view and can sit with or without a glass of wine(although more often with I have to say)and contemplate the view particularly on a warm evenng . With the lights below the house in the valley gradually coming on the view seems like something from the Hollywood hills over Los Angeles.

On a clear day you can see the the various islands in the Mar Tirreno an on a very clear day Corsica.

View from the pool at night

Breakfast Balcony view towards Livorno

Often friends who feeling like doing some exercise
but not leaving the hill take our Norfolk Terrier Sam for a walk. He is always a willing participant in this game and is quite happy to play every day!
With or without Sam there are lots of hiking trails in the woods behind the house and these can be hiked even in summer as under the trees it is less hot.

We also have a couple of moutain bikes for those who are more active. There are trails that can be cycled directly from the house but beware we are on a hill and if you start to go down evetually you will have to return up again and believe you me its hard work, I know I have done it!



For those who have felt like doing nothing but sit by the pool Sam is quite happy to keep you company there as well. He doesnt like getting wet but will sit under your chair to watch or keep out of the sun.



In the evening after an active day by the pool we can put the world to rights over a glass of wine and a relaxing BBQ.