Tag Archives: Ligurian Coast

This week we are getting away from it all

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After travelling by train to Firenze we picked up a rental car and headed north to the Ligurian coast and the small coastal village of Camogli.

We have visited here a number of times before and love the relaxed nature of the town and the lack of tourists – except those from Italy. This is a place where those from Milano and Torino go for their holidays.

First off though, a shout out to the lovely Fabio who manages the Avis rental depot on Borgo Ognissanti in Firenze where we picked up our car.

Fabio took one look at the size of our bags and gave us an immediate upgrade to a larger vehicle – for free. He said we simply would not have fitted into the car we booked. He also gave us his email so if we had any problems we could contact him personally. Excellent customer service Fabio and the best way to start any driving experience in Italy.

Two and a half hours after leaving Firenze we were driving through Camogli. It was not our finest effort as we drove through the controlled part of the town – which is barriered off – and arrived at our hotel via a one way road the wrong way. The valets at the hotel thought this was hilarious.

We agree as we’ve been here many times before without incident – we blamed it on Covid and the 4 years it’s been since our last visit.

This is our home for the next 6 nights – a chance to relax, eat great food, drink some of the local wine and wander through the village. After the bustle of Rome and Venice, this is a welcome break.

A new and exciting place to visit.

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On our trip south we needed a place to stay for a night between Villefranche-Sur-Mer and our cottage.  We wanted to avoid the big cities like Torino and Milano and so, once again, Trip Advisor was tasked with finding a place.  More accurately Jean using Trip Advisor was tasked with finding a place.

On the Portofino coast a hotel called Cenobio Dei Dogi caught Jean’s attention and met our standard requirements of parking and dogs welcomed.

It was quite expensive – even with a discounted rate – but this was offset by free parking (it can be as much as €25 a night at some places) and no charge for the girls (which can also be as much as €15 a night each).

Finding the hotel which is situated right on the waters edge was a challenge as leaving the highway, which is high above the water, meant winding down the hill using the usual maze of one way streets and switchback roads that is typical of driving along the Italian Coast.  Some of the roads are so close together and the switchbacks so tight that our Tom Tom GPS navigation system couldn’t tell which of two roads we were on.  This is a recipe for wrong turns and the occasional wrong way up a one way street.  Being Italy this type of thing warrants a blast on the horn from fellow motorists followed by a wave of the hand once you extricate the car and get back on track.  You get the feeling even the locals have trouble on occasions.

Jean’s visit to Trip Advisor had given us an idea of what to expect but the reality far exceeded our expectations.  The hotel was built in the late 50s or early 60s and that classic character has been retained.  You are half expecting movie stars like Cary Grant or Sophia Loren to sweep into the bar or out on to the terrace for a pre-dinner aperitif.

We wiled away the afternoon on the Terrace, overlooking the Ligurian Sea enjoying a drink or two.  The service was immaculate and friendly.  When our waiter found out one of our dogs was called Poppie there was much amusement.  He explained that Poppi was the name of his fellow waiter and this became an ongoing joke for the rest of the afternoon.

Hotel Cenobio Dei Dogi will be our last taste of hotel luxury for a while as our next stop is Tuscany and our new home.

View looking north from the terrace with morning coffee in progress.