Bella Camogli

I leave Camogli with nothing but the best of memories. It was on our "short-list" back in '06 when we did a "shopping tour" of coastal villages to sometimes call home.
It was an also ran at #2.
Completely adorable, Camogli is like a favorite if slightly worn pair of shoes, a fishing village by right, it was a popular seaside resort in the 19th and early 20th centuries remaining so today largely with Italian families from Milan, Torino and Genova.
It is the embodiment of a Ligurian village. Beautiful vertical row housing along the promenade in multi shades of pastels. Notable too is the extensive use of trompe l'oile- fake windows, shutters and doors everywhere, a specialty of this area.
You come here for "la dolche na farente" (the sweet life of doing nothing) and so we did. For us it is an intimate alternative to the nearby and now too popular Cinque Terre villages. It is how we found the Cinque Terre to be 12 years ago.
It is compact, walkable if a little steep in places, train station in the middle, plenty of local shopping and resturants and with a 1/4 mile promenade along the sea and beach lined with cafes, resturants and shops. Belissimo!! This place is so real and so easy to slip into. The beach, a pebbled affair, but with turquoise water, common to the Ligurian coast was abuzz with Italian families. The promenade, perfect for sitting in a cafe, sipping a carafe of local white, watching the life go by. Families, children playing, lovers flirting, old men and women sitting and chatting, the rythms of life here playing out before me, it was the best.
For us the Cinque Terre has always meant great walking. The five uber-charming villages knitted together by an ages-old pathway offering outrageous views of the sea from vertigious if not a bit dangerous heights. Another of our top 5 walks and not to be missed. And we did not. It was glorious.
In '06 we had done a fantastic walk from Camogli to nearby San Frutosso Abbey, then not as planned not on to Portofino, huff-puff, too much. This time my back not up to the strenuous vertical hike, we opted to take a day ferry to ultra chic and ultra cute and photogenic Portofino, probably the most photographed town in all of Italia. And rightfully so, Portofino "fine port" is aptly named, but I could not find myself living here in this "fishbowl" of a village. An absolutely beautiful place to visit, sit in an harbor cafe and enjoy a chilled bottle of Prosecco. Again-so we did!!
Camogli is affordable Italian Riviera- our home the Albergo la Camogliese, an old turn of the century kind of place but upfitted with modern comforts, offering a full breakfast and 2 minutes to the beach/promenade.
The cafes of the promenade offered the perfect opportunity to sample the local Vermintino white wine by the carafe or bottle. A most civilized way to wile away that "dead spot" in the afternoon when nothing else is open.
The resturants offer typically local Ligurian fare and are mostly very affordable. One night a spaghettiteria located adjacent a pasta frescha shop offered up truly magnificant pasta dishes. Mine a frutti di mare, loaded with fresh mussels and clams and hers a penne with capers, olives, EVO and surprise, shaved pecorino. A couple of Becks and a perfect 25e evening. Another night found a similar nearby spot, I opted for the achuge (anchovies) fritto, caught out in the bay that morning and nothing like the fishy sorry excuse back in the States. prima patti was a flat dumpling with handmade, yes handmade pesto, coarsely pounded basil with pine nuts, EVO, garlic and parmesian. Yuuummmmy! Sandy had a cheese stuffed ravioli in walnut cream sauce, Awesome!! And again, a surprise, she ordered the pesche fritto. she does like fried fish and this was just off the boat.
If you're starting to think that these places are nothing special, you'd be partly right. Camogli has many of these small places offering simple, inexpensive high quality local fare. Menu shop, follow your nose or follow the Ialians, perfetto!
We did have one more upscale dinner at the Albergo la Camogliese resturant. Unlike the States, here hotel resturants can be and often are quite good. This one heavy on the pesche was cantilevered over the sea from the edge of the promenade and offered panaramic views of the town and of the Golfo Paradiso.
I was craving pesche griglio and no shortage of choices here. Mine a miste of swordfish, slices of some sort of long eel-like fish, john dory (flat fish) a huge prawn with claws and a nice plump gambretta. Craving gone, it was preceeded by an unremarkable gnocci in pesto. Sandy ordered a starter of 3 big cheese stuffed fried raviolis, bubbly and crispy on the outside, she said she could gladly eat another and call it dinner. My girl's trying to become a fish eater, she ordered the filetto brinzini (sea bass) grilled and slathered in EVO and served with roasted, sliced neew potatoes and little "nicesoise style" olives. She actually ate the entire fish first before eating the potatoes, unbelivable! tried a primo local Vermintino, just 18e, it was perfect, dry with plenty of acidity. Dolche of course meant chocolate souffle for Sandy but, chocolate almond torte for me? Sandy says, who is this person as I usually gravitate toward the fruity deserts. It was quite good.
A wonderful meal and a perfect evening to celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary, watching the sun set over little Camogli.
Caio,
Cousin