I am in full-on VACATION MODE. I know, it's only June but I leave for Canada on Sunday for my best friend's wedding and so I have a good reason. This month's #DolceVitaBloggers topic was "Hidden Gems of Italy". I have to admit, I'm always wary of doing this type of post because I'm greedy and I don't want anyone else to find out all my secret spots. However, I've realized over the years that Italy is just full of gorgeous hideaways and towns that it would be impossible to give away all her secrets, there's always going to be somethng beautiful and undiscovered just around the corner.
I chose Sestri Levante because it was freshest in my head, we were just here two weekends ago and had our second swim of the summer season. I'm calling it a hidden gem, although maybe to Italians it isn't. It's quite popular with local tourists, the locals from Milan and area who make the two hour drive to catch some rays on its quaint beach. In Italy, you can either go to either coastline but I prefer Liguria for the water, it's crystal clear and clean in contrast to the Adriatic on the other side. It's not as well known to foreign tourists, likely because of proximity to the more famous Cinque Terre or Portofino. That's fine though, it just means more Sestri Levante for me! The most fabulous part about this little town in Liguria is that it actually is itself a mini-peninsula, the old town sits on a strip of land and on either side of it is water, two bays that are named La Baia delle Favole (The Bay of Fairytales) and La Baia del Silenzio (The Bay of Silence); the latter is the one you see pictured above. For lovers of long stretches of sand beach, this is not the place for you- the beach itself is rather small and you have to get there early to claim a spot. You'll be packed like sardines, common on Italian beaches in summer. This was not a huge issue for me because I love swimming and frolicking in the water.
You need to be a good swimmer to have fun in the Bay of Silence- this is because the bottom of the sea is dotted sporadically with ricci (sea urchins) so it's much better (and safer) to swim or float on the surface, even in the shallow areas. A little known fact about sea urchins is that in addition to their spikes, they can actually sting you as well...fiesty little buggers they are, but delicious with spaghetti. We were tempted to cut one open and eat it as you should- raw- but we didn't have a knife on us. Have you guys eaten ricci in Italy before? Sorry, as usual this post has gone off-topic because the only thing I think about all day is food!
Happy June Dolce Vita Bloggers, see you at the next one! Please leave a comment and then go and check out the other amazing posts.
This is part of the June 2018 #DolceVitaBloggers Linkup.
Past #DolceVitaBlogger Link-Ups:
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #6 May 2018 - Five Italian Words
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #5 April 2018 - The Perfect Day in Italy
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #4 March 2018 - International Women's Day
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #3 February 2018 - A Love Letter to Italy
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #2 January 2018 - Favourite Italian City
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #1 December 2017 - 'The Italian Connection
I chose Sestri Levante because it was freshest in my head, we were just here two weekends ago and had our second swim of the summer season. I'm calling it a hidden gem, although maybe to Italians it isn't. It's quite popular with local tourists, the locals from Milan and area who make the two hour drive to catch some rays on its quaint beach. In Italy, you can either go to either coastline but I prefer Liguria for the water, it's crystal clear and clean in contrast to the Adriatic on the other side. It's not as well known to foreign tourists, likely because of proximity to the more famous Cinque Terre or Portofino. That's fine though, it just means more Sestri Levante for me! The most fabulous part about this little town in Liguria is that it actually is itself a mini-peninsula, the old town sits on a strip of land and on either side of it is water, two bays that are named La Baia delle Favole (The Bay of Fairytales) and La Baia del Silenzio (The Bay of Silence); the latter is the one you see pictured above. For lovers of long stretches of sand beach, this is not the place for you- the beach itself is rather small and you have to get there early to claim a spot. You'll be packed like sardines, common on Italian beaches in summer. This was not a huge issue for me because I love swimming and frolicking in the water.
You need to be a good swimmer to have fun in the Bay of Silence- this is because the bottom of the sea is dotted sporadically with ricci (sea urchins) so it's much better (and safer) to swim or float on the surface, even in the shallow areas. A little known fact about sea urchins is that in addition to their spikes, they can actually sting you as well...fiesty little buggers they are, but delicious with spaghetti. We were tempted to cut one open and eat it as you should- raw- but we didn't have a knife on us. Have you guys eaten ricci in Italy before? Sorry, as usual this post has gone off-topic because the only thing I think about all day is food!
Happy June Dolce Vita Bloggers, see you at the next one! Please leave a comment and then go and check out the other amazing posts.
This is part of the June 2018 #DolceVitaBloggers Linkup.
Past #DolceVitaBlogger Link-Ups:
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #6 May 2018 - Five Italian Words
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #5 April 2018 - The Perfect Day in Italy
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #4 March 2018 - International Women's Day
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #3 February 2018 - A Love Letter to Italy
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #2 January 2018 - Favourite Italian City
#DolceVitaBloggers Linkup - #1 December 2017 - 'The Italian Connection
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