MY LIGURIAN VALENTINE

A DEAR FRIEND FROM REGGIO EMILIA ASKED FOR SOME TIPS FOR A ROMATIC VALENTINES WEEKEND IN LIGURIA

USUALLY PEOPLE THINK OF LIGURIA FROM SPRINGTIME ONWARDS BUT WHEN CUPID IS INVOLVED LIGURIA CAN ALSO BE A THEATRE OF LOVE: FOR EATING, DRINKING AND MAKING LOVE

IF YOU ARRIVE BY TRAIN IN LA SPEZIA TAKE A TAXI TO THE STADIUM ‘PICCO’ FROM WHERE YOU CAN CATCH AUTOBUS ‘P’ TO PORTOVENERE

THIS IS THE DESTINATION FOR ROMANCE! TO RELAX AND ‘LET GO’ AFTER YOUR TRIP WE RECOMMEND STAYING AT THE ‘GRAND HOTEL PORTOVENERE’ WHERE THEY HAVE JUST REFURBISHED THEIR SPA

DINNER, BEFORE OR AFTER LOVE, SHOULD BE DOWN BY THE WATERSIDE. OUR FAVORITE PLACE IS ‘LE BOCCHE’ (THE LIPS!) ON THE POINT BELOW THE CHURCH

WE DON’T NEED TO GIVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHAT TO DO AFTER DINNER. PLACES CLOSE EARLY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, SO MAYBE IT’S BEST TO GO TO BED. WE JUST RECOMMMEND A FEW DROPS OF LARIA OIL THE NATURAL APHRODISIAC AND TO PUT THE ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ SIGN ON YOUR DOOR!

THE NEXT DAY IS ALL ABOUT FRESH AIR AND EXERCISE! THE ENERGETIC AND ADVENTUROUS CAN SET-OFF ON FOOT STRAIGHT FROM PORTOVENERE TO RIOMAGGIORE THE FIRST OF THE ‘CINQUE TERRE’. IT IS A BREATHTAKING WALK OF ABOUT 4 HOURS OVER SOME STEEP CLIFFS

THOSE TIRED FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE COULD GO BACK TO LA SPEZIA AND CATCH A TRAIN TO VERNAZZA FOR LUNCH. A COUPLE OF NICE SPOTS TO EAT THERE ARE ‘AL CASTELLO’ WITH A VIEW OF THE BAY OR ‘GIANNI FRANZI’ IN THE PIAZZETTA

IF IT’S BAD WEATHER OR YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH ENERGY YOU MIGHT WANT TO EXPLORE LA SPEZIA. A ROMANTIC SPOT IS ‘IL RISTORANTINO AL BAYON’ OFF VIA DEL PRIONE NEAR THE TEATRO CIVICO. FIORINI IN PIAZZA VERDI IS A HISTORIC PASTRY SHOP WHERE YOU CAN INDULGE WITH SWEETS AND CHOCOLATE

ALTERNATIVELY YOU COULD RENT AN APARTMENT LIKE ‘MARGOT HOUSE’ AND BOOK A PRIVATE CHEF, FEDERICO BENASSI, TO PREPARE A SPECIAL LIGURIAN MENU ‘TRA TERRA E MARE’

WHAT TO TRY IN LA SPEZIA:

FOCACCINA (LOCAL FLAT BREAD)

SELECTION OF WARM ‘TORTE DI VERDURE’ MADE WITH LOCAL SEASONAL HERBS

CROSTACEI (SHELLFISH) RAW OR GRILLED

‘TORTA SESTOSENSO’ (SIXTHSENSE CAKE) AT FIORINI

LOCAL VERMENTINO DEI COLLI DI LUNI IS EXCELLENT WINE WITH FISH

CINQUE TERRE SCIACCHETRA’ SWEET WINE WITH DESSERT

LA SPEZIA MEANS ‘SPICE’. CUPID KNOWS WHAT SPICE TO USE!