It always takes a few minutes to get adjusted when waking up in a new town. I crawled out of bed and opened the curtains to take a look outside. I saw palm trees, a sandy beach, and the blue water of the Mediterranean Sea. People on motor-scooters were whizzing around like they were late for work. A few big clouds were hanging around, but mostly there was sunshine. Ahhh… waking up in Santa Margherita Ligure. It’s a beautiful thing! Continue reading “Waking Up in Santa Margherita Ligure”
Benvenuti a Santa Margherita Ligure!
We have reached our destination – Santa Margherita Ligure. (Say it like you’re Italiano. It will sound like music!) Santa Margherita Ligure is on the Italian Riviera, 25 miles south of Genoa. This part of Italy is Liguria, named after the Ligurian people who lived here thousands of years ago. Let’s go see what life is like on the Italian Riviera. Continue reading “Benvenuti a Santa Margherita Ligure!”
Close Encounter of the Bugatti Kind
It’s raining on the fertile plains of northwestern Italy. We don’t care. We just had a great lunch in Parma. Now we’re driving southwest on the A15 toward La Spezia. We’ll leave the A15 to head north toward Rapallo, then to Santa Margherita Ligure. Little did we know that before we’d reach our destination, we would have a close encounter of the Bugatti kind. Continue reading “Close Encounter of the Bugatti Kind”
Bad Karma in Parma
When we left Parma after that fantastic lunch, we thought we had probably had our last Parmesian experience. That turned out not to be the case. Continue reading “Bad Karma in Parma”
Cosa Sono I Gamberi?
Parma is a bustling college town in north-central Italy, about halfway between Milan and Florence. We’ve stopped here for lunch while driving from Bellagio to Santa Margherita Ligure. I thought I knew what I was doing when we ordered, but I should have included a question in my order: Cosa sono i gamberi? (What are gamberi?) Continue reading “Cosa Sono I Gamberi?”
Lunch In Parma? I Hope So.
We’re in Parma, Italy. Today started out great. The sun was shining when we left Bellagio. We drove to Parma via the Autostrada without any problems. Then it started to rain. Then, as described last time, when we reached the Parma exit, we took a wrong turn that took us way off course. Driving in central Parma was chaotic. We were famished. All we wanted to do was to stop and have some lunch in Parma. Continue reading “Lunch In Parma? I Hope So.”
Getting to Parma – the Hard Way
It was beautiful this morning when we left Bellagio, but now dark clouds are forming overhead. I think I felt a raindrop. We’re on our way from Bellagio to Santa Marguerita Ligure by way of Parma. We didn’t know it at the time, but we’d be getting to Parma the hard way. Continue reading “Getting to Parma – the Hard Way”
The Road to Santa Margherita Ligure
Our bags are packed, the car is gassed up, and we’re ready to go. Bellagio isn’t the kind of place that you want to leave, but the excitement of traveling to someplace new takes the sting out of saying good-bye. Today we’re hitting the road to Santa Margherita Ligure. Continue reading “The Road to Santa Margherita Ligure”
Last Meal in Bellagio
Tomorrow we have to say “arrivederci” to Bellagio. Three days was not enough time. We were hoping to have a special dinner on our last night here. Our hopes have already been fulfilled – and we’re only half-way through our last meal in Bellagio. Continue reading “Last Meal in Bellagio”
Last Night in Bellagio
It’s our last night in Bellagio. We’ve had our eye on one particular restaurant since the first day we got here. Now we’re trying to get in for dinner without having a reservation. I’ve explained our situation in my best italian to a big, serious-looking gentleman in a black suit who was standing at the door. He’s looking over his big, black reservation book, mulling over whether or not he’s going to find a table for us. Continue reading “Last Night in Bellagio”
