TERRA ITALIA Newsletter No 2 | 2020
Dear readers and Liguria enthusiasts,
it is summer and holiday time and we are happy that we can once again be there for you without restrictions with our office in Hamburg and in Dolceacqua, no matter whether you want to buy, rent or be advised.
Behind us lie extraordinary months that have confronted us with new personal, family and professional challenges. Like many of you, I am sure I have had more time for myself and my family, as well as the opportunity to explore my home country and discover new things. But the more time passed, the more I yearned for Liguria, with its pleasant climate, the beautiful landscape, the glittering Mediterranean, the beguiling scents of Mediterranean maquis, the delicious cuisine and, of course, the incomparable Italian lifestyle.
A beautiful apartment with a large balcony or a house with its own piece of land have gained in value and importance through the experience of the last few months, as shown by the currently increasing demand on the Ligurian real estate market. In order that you too can make your dream of a domicile in Liguria come true, we would like to use this newsletter to introduce you to our new, exciting real estate offers and to inform you about events and excursions in the region. Liguria has a lot to offer: excellent, clean beaches, vibrant coastal towns, dreamy mountain villages and a variety of outdoor activities.
If you are still looking for a nice holiday home for your relaxing summer holiday – perhaps with a private swimming pool – we recommend you take a look at our holiday home offer under our “Rent” section.
And, of course, this issue is again welcome to those who already live and work in our beautiful area and, as so often, never stop wanting to discover new things and love Liguria!
With kind regards
Yours,
Peggy Peters
The sound of the waves, the taste of salty air – the sea is the perfect contrast to modern everyday life. Anyone who has fought his way through the crowded city or over the motorway to the air-conditioned office to spend the rest of the day in front of the PC quickly forgets what perception with all the senses means.
At the sea, however, we experience exactly that: salty surf air blows through big-city noses, the body floats weightlessly in the water, the gaze wanders undisturbed to the horizon, the light wave spectrum of the blue-green-turquoise sea colours has a calming, relaxing and stress-reducing effect. And the sound of waves has an effect similar to that of baroque or meditation music.
But the sea not only makes us happy but also healthy. The effect of the sea on our body is manifold and consistently positive. We experience light, wind and water in a very intensive way.
Let’s go! Green, the colour of blossoming life, blue, the endless expanse and yellow, the colour of the sun.
The Bandiera Blu – what is it?
The Blue Flag, Blue Flag, Pavillon Bleu or Bandiera Blu is an eco-label in the field of sustainable tourism, awarded every year in terms of environmental education, environmental management, quality of service and water quality.
The annual award is given exclusively to beaches and bathing areas that meet the strict requirements of the Foundation for Environmental Education (Link).
For many years now, Bordighera, Taggia, Santo Stefano al Mare, San Lorenzo al Mare and many more have been among the happy bearers of this quality seal!
From plankton to the blue whale, everyone is happy about a clean habitat!
Water sports
In the summer months sailing is fun with a fresh and mild breeze! With little wind and wonderful sunshine, you can sail along the coast in a relaxed manner – you can marvel at the cliffs rising steeply from the sea and the impressive scenery.
Even if you are not (yet) a real skipper, you can rent a boat or dinghy for a day, a charter is always the best way to escape and enjoy. Honeymoon, romantic weekends, business lunches or a family outing – please do not hesitate to contact us for information.
Would you like to become a sailor? In the numerous sailing schools in Liguria there are beginners’ courses for children, teenagers and adults. But also advanced sailors will get their money’s worth with specialisation courses!
The temperatures rise and the beach calls?
The sea is waiting for you. Enjoy your daily dose of vitamin D on one of Liguria’s beautiful beaches. Snorkel, swim and dive, surf, just relax and enjoy the sun!
The priority is of course to avoid any sunburn. So cover areas that are easy to forget when applying the cream, such as ears, hands, feet and neck.
Authentic Italian beach culture with iconic orange, blue or green parasols and sunbeds await you here – a first idea (coming from France):
Spaggia dei Balzi Rossi, Ventimiglia
Just on the Italian side of the border with France, between Menton and Ventimiglia, lies the idyllic bay of Balzi Rossi Beach.
Typically, you will find pretty, egg-shaped pebbles instead of sand. We recommend bathing shoes. Divers get their money´s worth here – under water it´s as beautiful as on land!
Interesting also the Museo Preistorico dei Balzi Rossi, round off the day with a drink or dinner at the Beach Restaurant “Spiaggetta dei Balzi Rossi” ((https://www.balzirossi.it), a beautiful day is guaranteed!
Bandiera Blu Bordighera, Ospedaletti
In the coastal villages of Bordighera and Ospedaletti there are mainly pebble beaches and beautiful rocky coves. Wide range of water sports. Bordighera captivates with its special beauty!
No Stress Team in Bordighera can be found here : https://www.nstwindsurfcenter.it/
Spiaggia Arma di Taggia
About 10 km behind San Remo lies Arma di Taggia. Sandy beach and a wonderful clear blue sea!
Bandiera Blu Spiaggia d`Oro, Imperia
See and be seen – that’s the motto of the sandy beach, which is located at the foot of Porto Maurizio directly at the harbour. Sailing ships from all over the world pass by and stop here! Ideal for surfing or kite surfing!
Bandiera Blu Capo Noli, Finale Ligure
Finale Ligure delights with 3 km of finest white sand. Much smaller but at least as beautiful is the bay Capo Noli in the neighboring village of the same name!
Dog beaches
Your four-legged friend is with you? You looking for something? You can find more tips, suggestions and ideas here:
And when the sun slowly sinks into the sea, there it is, the blue hour! That’s the time of the sun-downer! Come together again, toast and enjoy the play of colours of the sky above the sea. Liguria offers in many places the perfect backdrop to end the day quietly or to get going right now!
When the sun shines in your face and the food tastes good, your luck is perfect!
For those who find it too crowded and too hot at the seaside in August, the Rocchetta Nervina river basins are the perfect place to refresh yourself. Enjoy a picnic on the banks of the crystal clear waters. Have a nice chat, everyone brings something to eat and drink, enjoy the time in this wonderful place!
Fun in the open air with shade under old trees can be found in San Romolo, above San Remo. Very child-friendly with open-air farm with goats, horses, geese, ducks and chickens, who love to have a picnic! There are also slides, swings and other games, and wooden tables in the woods are available for picnics!
For the “smugglers” among us: On hidden routes to France? The Passo Gouta leads from Pigna towards the French border to the west. The area is heavily forested with impressive flora. Already slightly alpine in character. On a clear day you can see the sea! One thing is certain: Feelings of elation that are remembered years later are an exclusive merit of nature.
TERRA ITALIA’s Restaurant Recommendation:
Ristorante Casa e Bottega in Dolceacqua
A very charming restaurant, originally furnished and at the same time a design shop. Everything is just right in this unusual restaurant with a cheerful modern atmosphere. Open for lunch and dinner, the classic dishes of the season, some of them reinterpreted, always reveal their Ligurian origins. Cold pressed olive oil with fresh bread and handcrafted ice cream form the basis for highest enjoyment.
The portions of pasta or fish and meat, which you can enjoy on the terrace with a view of the old town and the castle, are Urligurian, just as it used to be at home!
Bottega: From the oven it smells seductive and the food is ready to serve? A quick coffee with a friend? Design lovers can get inspired and browse the shop. Maybe a souvenir for yourself or a small gift?
More info https://www.ristocasaebottega.it/
The tasty flagship of Liguria – Pesto Genovese, a spicy paste made from basil, pine nuts, parmesan, pecorino, garlic and good Ligurian olive oil. Pesto is not just a sauce, but a piece of culture passed on from generation to generation. Probably every child in Liguria has had its first cooking experience with pesto, because you don’t need a knife or an open flame.
The Genovese style pesto is made according to a traditional basic recipe of basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese. Apart from coarse salt, no spices are added.
For an authentic Pesto alla Genovese you need the following ingredients (makes about 200 ml pesto):
50 g basil leaves without stalk
50 g freshly grated parmesan
40 g pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic
½ ts coarse sea salt
120 ml Ligurian olive oil
First, chop the basil and garlic cloves with a kitchen knife. Brown the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat – be careful not to overheat the pan, because the small seeds burn very quickly! Put the basil, salt, garlic and the roasted pine nuts in a tall, slim container (or even better, in a mortar) and pour olive oil over them. With a magic wand (or even better, in a mortar), grind all the ingredients into a liquid pesto. When the basil pesto has reached the desired consistency, add the grated parmesan and stir in the cheese with a spoon (do not mix any more!). The parmesan thus gives a somewhat coarser consistency. The pesto tastes even better if you let it stand in the fridge for a day.
How about Trofie pasta with pesto alla Genovese, a typical Ligurian pasta called Trofiette? Trofie have a short, twisted, chip-like shape and take the pesto well! But the classic basil-pine nut also tastes wonderful on crostini!
The Ligurian white wine Vermentino goes well with it.
In Genoa they say: ‘Basil must see the sea’, because if it does not, it is not Genovese. The proximity to the sea gives the leaves a slightly salty, peppery taste and this is what makes basil so unique. The suburb of Genoa, wedged between the container port and the motorway, is the heart of basil cultivation.
Pale green in colour, the leaves are small, strong and oval-shaped, the aroma mild and without any mint or citrus flavour, which has no place in a pesto. It has been cultivated – for about 200 years – in greenhouses.
In June the leaves are milder, in July and August they have a stronger aroma. Picking is done almost daily to prevent the leaves from becoming too large and woody. The method is still the same as 200 years ago: The pickers lie on narrow wooden planks hovering above the fields and pluck each stem by hand.
In Pra, la Terra del Basilico, there is a basil museum and a basil park, which serves as an information centre for healthy, sustainable eating, and dozens of large and small nurseries that plant the royal weed.
How varied meat and fish-free cuisine can be, can be tasted in Liguria too!
The narrow and south-facing Liguria is rugged and rises rapidly towards the mountains. Therefore there is hardly any space for cattle breeding and extensive agriculture. As compensation it shines with fruits and vegetables and beautiful flowers. The mild climate allows everything to flourish early and favours a meatless cuisine. Many simple dishes of the past have become specialities today. Pulses, vegetables, pine nuts, olive oil, wild herbs and much more are the basis for a healthy cuisine that tastes good. The Mediterranean cuisine is certainly better adapted to meatless fans than the Central European cuisine. Even if there are no vegetarian dishes on a menu – which hardly ever happens – an Italian cook always succeeds in pleasing a meatless eater with a delicious creation with colours, shapes, scents and flavours. Buon Appetito!
DIFFERENT AND INTERESTING!
Spiky friends at the Giardino Pallanca in Bordighera
Spiky friends at the Giardino Pallanca in Bordighera – different and interesting! Cacti from all over the world inspire with variety and beautiful colours. Wonderful location with a view of the sea – we recommend comfortable shoes as the path is steep uphill. A must for cactus fans, very well organized and maintained. The plants make the mild climate of Bordighera visible.
To reach by bus or by car. Some parking spaces are available!
Address: Via Madonna della Ruota, 1 – 18012 Bordighera (IM)
PIGNA DI SANREMO
historical district of Sanremo, a worthwhile destination
Marco Macchi will guide you through the historical old town of Sanremo. Bring a little bit of stamina, it goes steeply uphill and through many narrow alleys and passages! Tunneling up the stairs is a MUST when you’re in Sanremo. The climb is rewarded with a fantastic view from the top – with numerous details and motifs for photo enthusiasts!
Meeting point every Thursday (until 10th September) at 21.00 Piazza San Siro (in front of the Cathedral)
Costs: 7,– Euro
Registration requested, please phone +39 338 1375423
MUSIC WITH A ROMANTIC BACKDROP – CERVO
57° Festival Internazionale di Musica da Camera di Cervo July 17 to August 28
Friends of classical music shouldn’t miss the festival, albeit in a “reduced” form, as Covid 19 has upset the plans that have been planned and organised for months, but let’s face it, what can be better than a balmy summer night with fantastic music, in a candlelight atmosphere on Liguria’s Riviera?
The focus is of course on the issue of security: first and foremost the protection of the public, who have access to the historic square and can attend the concerts under the conditions provided for by law, but also of the employees, the artists and all the technical and administrative staff involved in the organisation of the festival.
There will be artists of different experience and careers and the festival will be characterized by artistic variety. Always to the delight of the audience!
More info under www.cervofestival.com
And a few more event tips
Summer in Triora https://www.lamialiguria.it/
Music in the castles of Liguria https://www.lamialiguria.it/
Summer in Sanremo with the symphony orchestra https://www.lamialiguria.it/
And always lots of events https://5vallli.com/
