Italy is timeless: a country steeped in history, with striking scenery and some of the best food on earth. Italy is also a land of contrasts, made up of 20 different regions, each with its own distinctive culture, history and culinary delights. Nathalie Craig shares some of her favourite experiences from the boot-shaped country.
Tuscany
On entering the Tuscany region in Central Italy I want nothing more than to soak up La Dolce Vita. Our home base is the restored Agriturismo B&B, Tenuta Scacciavolpe, in the rolling hills of Livorno.
Like a scene from Under the Tuscan Sun, the eighteenth-century farmhouse is set on 180 hectares of fertile land where organic grapes are grown for Sangiovese and Trebbiano wines along with olives for extra virgin olive oil.
Each morning we enjoy a feast of freshly brewed coffee, artisan breads, pastries and freshly-laid eggs from the farm. Some days we lounge by the pool with antipasto and local wine, while others we venture to the surrounding towns and villages. In the medieval hill town of San Gimignano we spend the day climbing the famous stone towers, built as symbols of wealth and power by the patrician families who once controlled the town. In Lucca we hire bikes and take a leisurely cycle around the city’s well-preserved Renaissance walls.
One sleepy afternoon we seek out a late lunch in the nearby town of Vicarello. In a backstreet restaurant, we’re welcomed by a small, spirited Italian woman offering us warm, salty focaccia pulled straight from a wood fired oven. The menu has no English translation. We speak almost no Italian, the woman almost no English. In an effort to help us understand the menu, she brings out dried pasta shapes, holding them up and matching them to each menu item as we bond over the universal language of food.
In the evenings we return to the farmhouse for an organic, homemade meal. The vintage tables are set outside, with a pristine view of the sun setting over the bales of hay and vine covered hillsides.
Venice
The floating city of Venice is built on more than 100 small islands in Northern Italy. Cars are banned, meaning the only traffic you’ll encounter are the boats vying for space in the narrow canals. We start the day exploring the city’s largest square, Piazza San Marco with its impressive centrepiece, the ornate St Mark’s Basilica, tiled with gold, and Byzantine mosaics. Another highlight of the square is the 100-metre tall San Marco Campanile bell tower.
We ride a lift to the top where a whole new perspective of the city is revealed as we look down on the snaking canals weaving through the red rooftops. Next, we’re itching to take to the canals, because no trip to Venice is complete without a gondola ride. Our ebullient gondolier is dressed in a navy and white striped shirt, red neckerchief and woven broadbrim hat.
He speaks dramatically of the city’s history. The gondoliers have a sense of camaraderie among them, calling out to each other as they ferry tourists under the mazes of marble bridges. Back on dry land it’s time to explore some of the other aspects Venice is famous for, including glass blowing.
We take a visit to a glass blowing factory where we watch a skilled artisan effortlessly transform a lump of molten glass into a dainty horse in a matter of minutes. And finally, the shopping. It would be sacrilegious to leave Venice without a traditional Venetian mask, hand decorated with fabrics, jewels and striking coloured feathers.
Liguria
Navigating the trails of the Cinque Terre is bucket list material. The 12-kilometre hike along the northwest coast of Italy weaves between the five medieval fishing villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Along the way we’re rewarded with spectacular vistas of brightly coloured terrace houses perched on the rugged cliffs that rise from the turquoise ocean.
The pastel-coloured town of Manarola is one of my favourites along the walk. There are plenty of rocky outcrops for sunbaking, or for diving off into the impossibly blue Mediterranean.
Another beautiful town along the way is Vernazza, which has been described as the region’s ‘dramatic cover girl’. It is set around a cosy harbour dotted with a rainbowcoloured assortment of fishing boats. The cobblestoned main street is lined with a patchwork of small shops, cafés and houses.
Continuing along the walk we’re met with small farm houses with abundant produce growing in their terraced gardens: vibrant lemons and oranges, grape vines and plump tomatoes. Midway through the hike we refuel with some al dente spaghetti tossed with local seafood before hitting the next leg.
Instead of braving the return hike we opt to finish off our trip by ferry, not just to rest our aching legs, but to take in the staggering panorama of the steep Ligurian coastline.
