Monday, June 16th:
Monday morning, I took the 7:52 direct train from Parma to Camogli. It was a 3 hour, 10 minute ride.
Here’s the train station in Camogli…
I headed to my hotel, Augusta Hotel Camogli. This hotel was a very simple, family run hotel. August Hotel Camogli was clean and centrally located. The only complaint I had was the frequent rumbling trains that sped by and the slight shake to the room each time that happened. Shutting the windows at night helped make the noise slightly muffled.
Camogli is a tiny beach town with great food and a nice peaceful feel to it. It is one of my favorite places on the Ligurian Coast. After settling into my hotel, I walked around the town for a bit taking a few photos along the way.
I went down to the beach to hang out for a while. I was not able to stay there much longer than an hour because I felt like I was melting. For dinner, I enjoyed a wonderful pesto dish at this great little restaurant right no the ocean – of course I did not write down the name of this place!
Tuesday, June 17th:
On my second day in Camogli, I walked to Recco for lunch to have some focaccia at Manuelina Ristorante. I was told it was a 2 Km walk which meant nothing to me except that it seemed like a very long walk in the hot sun. Manuelina was located on the other side of the town of Recco, so it probably was more like 3 KM each way, but it was definitely worth the walk!!
Their focaccia was amazing! OMG! SO GOOD!!! Nothing like focaccia most places sell. This famous focaccia is called “focaccia col formaggio” and is filled with a wonderful cheese mixture. It almost tasted exactly like the blintzes my mom used to make! All that was missing was some plum jelly to put on top.
On my way back to Camogli, I was in a race with the black sky following me. I made it back just before a quick rain shower occurred. After the rain stopped, I hung out by the boat harbor and the beach area. The temperature became a little more bearable after the rainstorm.
I ordered a delicious grilled sea bass for dinner, eating at the same restaurant I ate at during my first night in Camogli. After dinner, I had some wonderful gelato. I wrote in my email – “I don’t think I can go back to eating the ice cream back in the states again after eating such wonderful ice cream here in Italy.” and nothing has changed since that statement. I would describe gelato in Italy as creamy and fresh tasting with each flavor being very intense.
With the heatwave, nighttime weather reminded me of Hawaii. It was nice to be able to walk around in shorts, not having to carry a sweater.
I took one more photo and then headed back to my hotel for the night.
Wednesday, June 18th:
Today was my last day in Camogli. The weather on the news said that it would be cloudy today. I was a little disappointed, hoping for a nice day for a boat ride. To my delight, when I walked out of my hotel, the sun was shining.
I found a great bar for my morning cappuccino and chocolate brioche during my stay in Camogli – €1,10 for the cappuccino & €2,20 for the brioche.
Here’s a view of the pretty clock & bell tower in Camogli …
After my cappuccino & brioche, I headed to the boat harbor. I spent a wonderful day on the ocean. I originally planned to take a boat ride just to San Fruttuoso, but once I got on that boat, I realized how much I missed being out on the ocean.
Heading to San Fruttuoso from Camogli:
San Fruttuoso – a charming little bay with a very old Abby.
After my stop in San Fruttuoso, I took a second boat to Portofino. Portofino is a beautiful little town where the rich vacation. If I ever win the lottery, I would love to spend a few nights in Portofino.
After leaving Portofino, I took the boat to Santa Margherita and then took the train back to Camogli. When getting off of the boat in Santa Margherita Ligure, I somehow chipped my tooth! I tested it out on some gelato that evening and so far it seemed ok. Fortunately, it turned out to be a minor inconvenience. *After having a friend check with my dentist, I found out that my tooth would be fine. I would not have to visit a dentist while in Italy. Yay!
Back in Camogli, I wandered around, taking more photos. I don’t recall where I had dinner that evening and did not write it down. After dinner, and a few more photos, I headed back to my hotel to pack.
My stay in this charming little beach town of Camogli was much too short! I had a wonderful time and did not want to leave! Wonderful food. Beautiful views. Easy access to towns nearby by train or by boat. Friendly people.
Now why did I not spend all 5 nights in Camogli instead of spending just 3 nights in Camogli and then packing my bags & moving hotels to spend 2 more nights in nearby Santa Margherita?
When planning my trip and making my reservations in Camogli, all the rooms in the town were booked (except for at the very expensive hotels) for the last two nights I planned to spend on the Ligurian Coast.
I was not able to change the dates of my stay during my time in Liguria because of plans to spend time with friends in Empoli during the upcoming weekend. I was pretty much stuck with the dates I had for my time in Liguria. With all the hotels booked, that meant just 3 nights in Camogli. Santa Margherita was 1 stop away by train from Camogli. I figured it would be an easy transition, moving to a hotel in a place close by in order to spend two more nights on the beautiful Ligurian Coast.
Next up – 2 nights in Santa Margherita Ligure
shave ice & gelato 