Portofino, and Ciao Italy

The renowned Italian coastal town of Portofino marked the end of our two-month-long motorhome tour of Italy. Sadly we had to say “ciao” to this fascinating country and return home. The end of a traveling tour is always bitter-sweet, even more so in the current Covid-19 climate, when we are saying goodbye quite a bit earlier than we had planned and we are not sure when we will be able to travel again in the future. 

Our dash Northwards was amid rumors of a second coronavirus wave spreading like wildfire throughout the UK and also in many European countries, and even here in Italy, things were starting to change. We noticed that many campsites were closing down and it was getting harder to find places to stay overnight. 

Leaving the Southeastern city of Matera and charming Alberobello behind we drove for 6 hours North via the A14 autostrada on the East of Italy towards the region of Le Marche and our overnight stay at the remote village of Genga. There is an interesting cave system in this region and we were keen to explore it. 

Genga: Grotte Di Frasassi

The “Grotte Di Frasassi” caves are accessed via a guided tour that departs near the village of Genga (just next to La Cuna-Genga train station) in the Province of Ancona. There was a large car park near the ticket office and we were able to stay overnight in the free car park (GPS N43.404 E 12.97638) and buy our tickets for the cave tour on the following day. The guided visits are held regularly throughout the day, but we decided to do our tour soon after breakfast. 

After purchasing our cave tickets we waited just a few minutes before a shuttle bus and guide came to collect us, and together with a small group of other visitors we headed for the cave entrance. It was just a short shuttle bus ride. Our tour was going to be conducted in Italian only, although they do have tours in English they were not available on this day. I was able to understand quite a lot of what she was explaining, but unfortunately, it was not so good for Brian. 

Our guide took us deep into the large subterranean chambers whilst telling us all about the history of this cave system which dates back 180 million years and extends about 35 km underground, although only a small part of the cave is accessible. First discovered in 1971 by members of the Marchigiani Speleological group of Ancona, the caves first opened to the public in 1974. Public access is along a smooth walkway that runs for about one mile (1.6 km) into a subterranean wonderland. The whole tour takes about one hour and 15 minutes. 

Brian walking through Grotte Di Frasassi, assessed via an easy metal walkway.

 First, we entered the huge “Grotta Grande del Vento” cave chamber reputed to be one of the largest in Europe, where our guide explained that this vast cave chamber could house the Duomo of Milan. There were many stalagmites columns rising up like giant marble pillars and also stalactites hanging down from the ceiling. There were also pools of still, clear water, making it look like a surreal fantasy world.  

As we progressed through the cave system we visited the Ancona Abyss (named after the men who discovered the caves).At 180m long and 200m high this large cave chamber houses so many strange formations such as a cascading sheet of calcite rock appropriately named “La Cascata del Niagara” (Niagara Falls), another one called Camel, a Santa Claus one, and even a Polar bear-shaped one.

The Hall-of-Candles looked magical with an array of short upright stalagmites emerging from the shallow, still water. Clever lighting inside the caves further emphasized cavities, odd shapes, nooks, and crannies.

Magical Hall of Candles.

After the tour, we returned to the cave entrance where we boarded the shuttle bus back to the parking area. There were a few food stalls serving tasty snacks near the ticket offices, so we bought some porchetta, which is a thinly sliced slow-roasted pork sandwich served on top of delicious local bread, to eat back at the motorhome.  Hitting the road soon after lunch we drove for about 2 and half hours to a small campsite near Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany. It was just an overnight stop for us, since we have visited Florence before so would not be staying longer in this region.

It was just us at the small campsite until later on in the evening when a French van with mum, dad, and two kids arrived and parked on the very wet grass not far from us. Soon after their arrival, the French woman knocked on our door asking for our help. Their van had got stuck on the wet grass and mud and they needed a push. Eventually, we managed to get them out and into a drier area. 

Soon after breakfast the following day, we got on the road again driving along the Tuscany countryside, mostly on the better-paved toll roads. We soon crossed into Liguria,  reaching Rapallo, our destination just after lunchtime. 

The Italian/Ligurian Riviera

This narrow, crescent-shaped coastal strip of land lies between the Ligurian Sea and the dramatic topography of the Maritime Alps and Apennines. The Italian Riviera comprises nearly all of the coastline of Liguria. Because of the topography, we had to drive through a series of tunnels and over bridges before descending into the coastal town of Rapallo. 

For a place with a reputation of boasting over 300 days of glorious sunshine, it was not living up to expectations when we arrived under strong winds and heavy rain. The owner of  Camping Miraflores (GPS 44.35763 E9.20996) in Rapallo came over to open the campsite gates for us. As previously mentioned, it was getting harder to find campsites that were still open this late in the season (end of October) and under the threat of increased rates of coronavirus infection. So we contacted the owner ahead of time and just as well we did that, since she told us that the campsite was closed, but she would open it up especially for us. 

Although we arrived on a wet, stormy day, the sunshine did make an appearance the following day and stayed with us for the rest of our time in this beautiful region. We stayed 3 nights at Campsite Miraflores, exploring Rapallo, Portofino, and Camogli on Little Bill (our scooter). 

Portofino

We rode Little Bill from Rapallo to Portofino along a stunning coastal road, with hardly any traffic on the road. On arrival at Portofino, we found parking just a few meters from the pretty harbor, one of the great benefits of scooters.  Sailing boats and super-yachts were bobbing away on the Mediterranea water, almost close enough to touch from the rusty red and orange houses build along the photogenic fishing harbor. The hills above the town were covered in lush green vegetation.

Portofino Harbor, with houses and restaurants built at the very edge of the water.

Sailing boats and super-yachts bobbing away by Portofino Harbor.

For years being a favorite destination of aristocrats, celebrities, and millionaires, it is not surprising that Portofino ranks among one of the world’s most famous, expensive, and exclusive fishing villages. The good news is that there are plenty of free things to do around here, like walking around the little harbor and hiking up to the highest point for some gorgeous views. 

The “Castello Brown” is accessed via a flight of steps signed posted ” Salita San Giorgio” leading from the harbor, past Chiesa di San Giorgio to reach this odd-looking castle, which was, in fact, a 16th -century fortress that was transformed into a private residence in 1867 by British diplomat Montague Yeats Brown. It is now a historic house museum and it was definitely worth the €5  admission fee for a peep around this once upon a time very exclusive celebrity haunt.

Chiesa di San Giorgio and Castello Brown up on the hill behind.

Picture perfect Portofino views from Castello Brown.

 Since 1961, the castle is owned by the Municipality of Portofino, which carried out some extensive restoration projects and now uses the castle as a venue for cultural exhibitions and events. The interior is quite bare, but there is some interesting art. We particularly enjoyed the collection of black and white photos showing film stars and famous people who have visited Portofino.

Black and white hall of fame, at Castello Brown.

Pretty much anyone who was anyone in Europe or the US,  celebrities or even royalty were snapped by the Paparazzi in Portofino during its Dolce Vita heyday of the 1950s and 1960s. The likes of Maria Callas, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, Grace Kelly and the Prince of Monaco, the beautiful Sophia Loren, and even Walt Disney and his wife. 

From the “Castello Brown,” we kept going up for another 400 meters to the lighthouse “Faro di Portofino” at Punta del Capo which is a landmark for anyone navigating this stretch of the coast.

More beautiful views from the hills above the Portofino Harbor.

We later returned down to the harbor front for our lunch. We bought a delicious focaccia bread from local bakers and devoured it sitting on one of the benches on the harbor front. We rode Little Bill back to Rapallo, stopping for a while at Santa Margherita Ligure to explore around the seafront. 

Santa Margherita Ligure

Santa Margherita has a long and very pretty promenade, perfect for a long stroll overlooking the expensive yachts. It is not as exclusive looking as Portofino, but still very charming. 

Santa Margherita Ligure.

Santa Margherita felt more laid back than Portofino and apparently a lot of retirees like buying a property and living in this town which is a lot less expensive than its more exclusive neighbor. We did enjoy walking along the waterfront promenade, before heading back home for a rest and our evening meal.

Camogli

The following day we headed for Camogli, choosing a route over the hills and getting some spectacular views of the coastline in the distance. Camogli is exquisite and although not nearly as famous as its neighboring Portofino, it felt so charming and authentic. 

We had to park Little Bill at the top of the town since most of the parking places lower downare for residents only.   

Camogli is a gorgeous fishing village.

We learned that every year in May the village celebrates the “Sagra del Pesce”, a fish festival celebrated along the busy waterfront with a huge fry up, when large quantities of fish are cooked in a stainless steel pan that measures 4 meters in diameter with a 6-meter handle. 

Huge stainless steel pan for the  “Sagra del Pesce” festival.

Since we visited at the end of October we missed out on this festival, but we did indulge in a delicious meal at one of the lovely restaurants overlooking the beachfront. If we were not traveling to this region by motorhome I would have probably liked to choose this town as a base for exploring the rest of this region. I would even go as far as saying that it was my favorite in this area. The main issue in this town is the parking, which can be difficult and expensive, but for people traveling by train, the train station is located right in the heart of the town. 

Rapallo

We left Camogli sometime in the afternoon, heading for Rappalo and one last stroll along the promenade. 

Rapallo seafront promenade with the small castle on the right side.

Rapallo is located just about half an hour away from Genoa, in the heart of the Gulf of Tigullio, and also makes for a great place to stay whilst exploring this area. Frequent trains run East and West, making it easy for sightseeing without the need to use a car. The best-known landmark is the Castle, built on a rocky promontory right opposite the town. Built in 1549 the small castle is now just an exhibition center.

There is a beautiful coastal walk from Rapallo to Portofino, although we did it by scooter it would have been nice to have walked along there. We would also have liked to visit the nearby Sanctuary of Montallegro, but unfortunately, we were running out of time. 

We had mapped out a route up through the Piedmont region, stopping at a few of the towns famous for food and fabulous wines, but the rapidly spreading Covid wave made us reluctantly abandon these plans. So we set our compass for home, and hoped for a fair wind to see us through the border with France and Northwards to the Channel crossing home.

We left our campsite early the next day and driving on the toll roads we headed North towards the Mont Blanc Tunnel, for our crossing back into France. The toll roads were good and fast, there were lots of tunnels and we recognized many of the places, landmarks, and towns that we had seen just a few weeks ago at the beginning of September 2020 when we were driving in the opposite direction having just arrived in Italy from France. 

Monte Bianco/ Mont Blanc Tunnel into France.

Later in the afternoon, we crossed from Italy into the French town of Chamonix via the Mont Blanc tunnel, retracing our route from early September. We continued driving for another hour and a half before stopping at an overnight parking area on the motorway. The following two days were made up of long drives towards Calais and our Eurotunnel crossing back to England. France was already in another coronavirus lockdown and so it was a case of just getting our head down and getting on with the driving.  

Our last night was on French soil, near Calais Eurotunnel terminal.

Our last night on French soil was just a 30 minutes drive from the Calais Eurotunnel terminal, where there was heavy rain throughout the night. Campsites were all closed across France, and the first aire we tried was also shut, so we were relieved to find this place with just a couple of spaces big enough for us to fit in. We watched the BBC news on our Motorhome TV as our PM Boris Johnson announced new lockdown measures for England. Although we were looking forward to going home, particularly since the new wave of coronavirus infection was spreading so fast throughout Europe, we were not looking forward to our 2 weeks of quarantine.

Queuing at the Eurotunnel terminal, the van in front leaves us with a message “CHILAX”.

The following day we joined a queue of homebound vehicles, including other motorhome dwellers at the Eurotunnel terminal near Calais in France. Another half-day of driving got us to our home in Dorset. . We left our bricks and mortar home on the 1st of September 2020 and we arrived back on the 1st of November 2020. These past two months have been absolutely epic, traveling the length and breadth of Italy and visiting some incredible places.

Driving across the Stelvio Pass in Nothern Italy towards the dizzying heights of the Dolomites, visiting some of Italy’s most beautiful lakes such as Como, Maggiori, and Garda. We thoroughly enjoyed hiking in the rugged coastal fishing villages of the Cinque Terre, traveling along the picturesque Tuscan countryside, and discovering some hidden gems in Umbria. Our longest stay was in Southern Italy to visit Naples and all the treasures along the Amalfi Coast, but we also found some very unusual sights in the Southeast regions of Puglia and  Basilicata.

Italy has captivated us, serving a feast of extraordinary culinary delights with some of the best wines we have ever tasted. This country has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country on earth, but it is the many fabulous landscapes that make up some of Italy’s most extraordinary masterpieces. 

Thank you to all of you, who have followed along our motorhome tour of Italy, I hope you have enjoyed traveling with us vicariously. With heavy hearts, we are saying “ciao” to Italy, but I don’t think this country has seen the last of us.