Today, as the warm summer sun bathes the Italian Riviera in a golden glow, my childhood memories begin to take shape. My parents and I would often visit a dear friend who had a home in Rapallo, a pretty town on the Riviera di Levante. Those were the days of carefree laughter, endless exploration, and giant slices of Recco-style focaccia, enjoyed wa...
READ MOREPortofino is a living postcard, or so it wants you to believe. Luxury cruise boats dock in the harbor for a day, their passengers spilling into the streets by the thousands and staying just long enough to snap a photo and depart. Some come for a sea-view lunch or an aperitivo in the famous Piazzetta. Few walk beyond the tiny maze of streets in the...
READ MORELiving room, pearl, icon and legend: welcome to Portofino. Always a symbol of luxury and glamour, the village with colorful houses that crown the famous square, mirrored in the clear sea of its bay, like an impressionist watercolor is known worldwide. Portofino attracts thousands of visitors every year, The characteristic Ligurian village has anci...
READ MOREIn Portofino, one of Italy's best known and most visited villages, two “red zones” have been established to limit the pedestrian traffic formed by tourists. These are areas where people can walk freely, sit in a restaurant or go shopping, but where visitors cannot stop for safety reasons, as the human density has become too high. “Portofino belongs...
READ MOREThe geographical diversity of North Italy is its most outstanding feature. It has a sun-drenched Riviera and Adriatic coastal areas contrasting with Alpine Alps and glacial lakes. Many local delicacies and cultural gems are there in the towns. Italy Northern cities include some of the country’s wealthiest counties and are a top location for premium...
READ MORESometimes, windows are not windows, doors are not doors, and even balconies and flower boxes are not balconies or flower boxes at all. They’re simply painted on for effect. Such is the case in Portofino, where the gelato-coloured houses, each with uniform forest-green shutters, have graced more postcards and travel brochures over the years than can...
READ MOREAsk an Italian what he or she thinks of Portofino, and he or she will probably tell you that it is at its best off-season, when the throngs of VIPs and paparazzi give way to days of calm and pale sunshine. If you just can't resist the allure of this international enclave, that since the 1950s has gone from fishing hamlet to mecca of luxury stores...
READ MOREThe appeal of lavish period dramas that depict life in a bygone era is undeniable. But characters, opulent costumes, and plot twists aside, this particular genre is a crowd pleaser because it offers the perfect type of escapism by inspiring wanderlust. And this is exactly the case with the new PBS series Hotel Portofino, which premieres on June 19...
READ MORE“A small village, Portofino, stretches crescent-shaped along the edge of this calm bay.” Thus wrote Guy de Maupassant when describing Portofino, tiny sea village on the Italian Riviera circumscribed by the green of the Natural Regional Park and Marine Reserve. This splendid sea resort with its lux, Mediterranean personality, also boasts an ancient...
READ MORELiguria’s location, close to the Apennines, lets the sea meet the mountain in a multitude of breathless landscapes. In addition to the popular culinary specialties such as pesto alla genovese, focaccia or chickpea farinata, the brand “Artigiani in Liguria” (artisans in Liguria) represents several excellences produced in the region, from goldsmith t...
READ MORE