i am in Italy!!

Arriving in Europe from the Caribbean Islands was  absolutely mind blowing . I have lived in tropical Pacific - and Caribbean Islands  since a very early age with occasional stints in my country of birth,  but this was my my first time to experience the Mediterranean.

It was a lot to take in when I first arrived in Frankfurt, Germany . I   made use of every opportunity to explore.   I visited  Romberberg - it is the historic heart of Frankfurt, visited Johann Wolfgang von Goethe house -Germany’s most important  writer . The Goethe house was destroyed in WW2, it was fully restored with the original furniture , paintings and books of the family Goethe, Cider Taverns in Sachsenhausen.  Had a fun time exploring the city , but it was  just not enough time. 

 

After spending 2 fun days in Frankfurt  , it was time to head to Italy where I was going to join a yacht for the season.  I was  so excited to go to Italy …always seeing photos and thinking one day I would love to go there, and the day arrived!

Genoa sits in the Gulf of Genoa on the Ligurian Sea in the North Western region of Italy. Genoa is the 6th largest city in the country and also one of the most important economic centres and old...very old with loads of history.   It is such a beautiful place - old buildings - palaces, monuments, foodie stores....I think the best introduction to a country with loads of culture and history.

 

 Garibaldi street is so beautiful and I  couldn’t stop taking photos -it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the most important streets in Genoa - it used to be the street with old palaces (exquisite architecture) but nowadays converted into banks and financial institutions.  There are lots of great restaurants along the harbour and places just to sit and relax, enjoy coffee and gelato.  

Pisa and the leaning tower is something I  always wanted to see, and seeing that  in front of me was such an amazing feeling . I remember reading about the history and culture of Italy , when homeschooling  on our sailing yacht . Dreaming about far away places, Pisa being one of them. It was fun posing with the tower in the background and even more fun was watching the hundreds of tourists all in funny poses and partners trying to capture moves and positions....
Search the internet and you will find posts describing poses and suggestions to capture bizarre movements....

I really enjoyed Cinque Terre  - that is a must see.  I haven’t even heard of this place before.  Cinque Terre means Five Lands , it consists of five small coastal villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corngiglia, Vernazza and Monterosso and  it is situated in the area known as the Italian Riviera and it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  You can take a scenic walk between the villages or take the train if you are not into step counting!

This is the stuff travel brochures are made off....villages nestling between vineyard planted hills, azure blue seas, colourful buildings, restaurants with million dollar views...which brings me to food.

Italy is known for the best this and the best that and every region or town boast to have the best pesto, foccacia, veal, linguine.....the list is never ending....and believe me it is true.  
The smells, the sights of all the food on display is beyond my vocabular ability!  I can just say that I , as a chef, found myself in heaven !

 Focacia   has made its way around the world, and not many people know that it originates here in the Ligurian Region. This flattened bread (like a pizza without tomato sauce), is meant to be eaten hot from the oven and is yummy on its own, dipped in sauce, or with a spread and there are so many to choose from.  It might be flavored with anything from just olive oil and salt to cheese and sausage. It is a street food and sold in piles everyday.

I used the train to get there , which for me, growing up in countries without trains, was an adventure in itself!  I started my day in Cinque Terre with the village the furthest  away,  Riomaggiore. You can buy an  all day train pass , that allow you to you hop on /hop off at any village .

  Due to the  landslides that occurred in (June 2016) the paths from Riomaggiore to Manarola , as well as to Corniglia are closed due to the risk of landslides . You could however  hike from Vernazza to Monterosso . Its quite hilly ,so be prepared to get a good workout!

(Manarola by the way was my favourite village)

I did a day trip to Portofino and Magharita and you know, there is just one (two) words for it... sensory overload!

I am at this stage really really enjoying Italy and all the sights and flavours it has to offer.  Will keep on posting!