Yes there are other parts to the Ligurian Coast than
the Cinque towns and a call to visit friends in Levanto is
a prime opportunity to do it the Terre way by going up and
over the mountain. A phone call to check all was ready for the
journey made us aware of the time frames from Monterosso; 3 hours by foot, 30 minutes by road and 4 minutes by train and it was a
very hot May day as well. Meandering down through the tunnel along the front into new town Monterosso was time to top up the
morning snack of tomato, crusty breads, and cheeses and check the water bottles. The very sporting looking old gent riding
incongruously up and down in tour de France gear was Ciak the legendary restaurateur and seeming owner of every thing
Monterossan nonchalantly waving to his minions.
Instructions are to head along the beachfront, hit the
two towers near pathway 10/1 and head for the track,
past the now shabby reclining Neptune statue built
in the 1920s wedged into the rocks undoubtedly
the main décor of the hotel behind. The pathway
is a nice horror show first up as it heads directly
up hill for 50 minutes an intimidating stamina test
on a hot day interspersed with crumbling
pathways ,moaning missus & stone stairs adding
to the gymnastics.
Relief comes at the crossing to Punta Mesco as
the route now winds around the hillside through
trees and light scrub with ocean breezes and
blue water views. Thank god the first building
reached on the crossway to the Levanto road is
the small Albergo or Inn and the blizzardly cold
bierra and wine is a divine blessing prior to
continuing down another track. The views from
the path are all across the bay as staggering
past the 13thC castello ,once a prison but now
some lucky suckers huge private residence prior
to dropping down into Levanto true and the
search for Ernesto.
The apartment is on Via Garibaldi ,the seventh town on this tour with a major street named after the man of the red shirts fame, is
also the shopping horseshoe of Levanto. The bell to the apartmenti is rung and the terrazzo is soon the place for prosecco trevigiana
and much talk of a day reconnoitring the surrounds. The large terrazzo two stories up overlooks the length of Via Garibaldi and is
rimmed by buildings with painted facades of false columns and frescos. The story goes eons ago that a wealth tax would be foisted
on the Levantines based on their fancy marble pillars and columns so the smarties just painted the fancy bits on as a façade of
structured patterns and thwarted the tax.
Levanto has a catchphrase “the slow city of good living” and is marketing itself in competition with the Riviera / Cinque areas as a
pace sedate enough to take some time out in solicitous pursuit of fine fooding. The pert business precinct in a pedestrianised centre
is drifting with languid allure and cafes have a nonchalance removed from our days beginning. The railway which was on the front
has been moved a kilometre inland and the fascisti Casino on the waterfront is being renovated and the pool modernised. This is a
place that the Italians come to holiday and the typical Ligurian grey beach is a drawcard surrounded by a marina that hosts the
wooden boats for the pleasure seekers.
At the far southern end is the Villa Agnelli that was a cornerstone of a 1920s period of opulence and still commands a nook in the
best corner of town. This fabled holiday home of the scion of FIAT no doubt was used for the trappings of Gianni the “King of Italy” as
he manipulated government and economy to suit himself. The
gardens and house are part of the beach façade that curls
around to the exposed north and make up the poster
presentation of “Paradiso Dei Surfisti “ that today looked benign
but must cop the Mediterranean storm season with a
vengeance.
Now the slow bit comes with this territory and even the lunches
are long events as this is the home of mangialunga or the long
lunch in May and Degustibus in September. Mangialunga is a 7
kilometre walk for lunch with up to 1500 participants walking
between 5 villages with bands titbits, taste tests and vino at all
stops. It has become so popular that the numbers have to be
limited and requires starting times from 9am through to noon to
spread the revelry over the four hour event.
Degustibus is a stroll along the Borgo Marinaro, the ancient
centre of the 10th C town, creating a tasting sensation that has
participation of all the food and winery traders who supply local
Ligurian products in line with the slow food edict. The area
trades on these two festivale but with a population of 5000 and
only a few hundred available rooms the charm is not swamped
by tourism. The large Piazza della Loggia with the 13th century
Loggia as its mainstay has a weekly market plus the shops and
restaurants are of international standard.
We wander the town sucking in the smells and sample the good wines before buying the siesta lunch of true delicacies chosen by
Ernesto whose explanations enriched the various purchases. The gattafin is a chickpea
flour pie more like a burek with spinachi and pecorino, the artichoke with margold,
wild herbs and pastry in a flan like triangle, the Tuscan style mantavano salami
incorporates garlic and wine.
All was accompanied by a focaccia, almost resembling deep fried bread, but
this green illusion is the result of a drenching of first press olive oil.
The opening gambit is yet another walk prior to a resurgent calorie attack
allows interaction with the siesta dwellers and the inevitable trawl through the
haunts of fashion as shops opened for evening trade.
The Levanto evening sport of passigiata is perhaps more aptly named cruising
the carruggi as the Italian terminology for the alley maze made some sense to
the aimless promenading.
The table was set and the glasses filled as the primi of stuffed vegetables, a
dish of aubergine, peppers and courgettes filled with egg, bread, marjoram,
thyme, came hot from the forno.
A nasello or nose fish was filled with garlic onion and lemon wrapped and
grilled and served with a baked herbed tomato with a blizzardly cold pinot
griggio to wash it all down. This day of largess had to end some time and there
is now no possibility, or inclinations, to walk back to Monterosso so the train
which heads down the Cinque every 40 minutes is a no brainer.
Ernesto had saved a Turino crusty red and a nightcap of Siciliano botrytis to
finally sort out the drinkers before the replete customers head for il traino and
Cinque terrestrial travel.
Roscoe King - mob: 0439761815 - a/h: 07-54446000 - email: Roscoetfdq@gmail.com - PO Box 505 4557
Chew Ate Eat - for your party menus
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Crash Pads - Check your baggage into flashpackers’
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