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Posts tagged ‘vernazza’

Jan 13

orvieto italy
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Best towns to homebase in Italy without a car

I love finding a place in Italy and parking it there for an extended period of time.  I believe this is THE best way to connect with the people and have as close to a true cultural experience as a tourist.  Not to mention this is a great way to save money, decrease travel time and get to actually relax.

I will be listing a few of my favorites towns to home base in for travelers that are using public transportation only.  Unlike the US, it is fairly easy to get around using just the train systems.

CORTONA

I love Cortona.  One of my favorite restaurants is here.  Also my favorite weekly market.  And wine store.  And antique store.  You get the idea.  The town itself can keep you busy for a few days.  Florence, Assisi, Orvieto, Spello and Perguia are all within easy train distance.

cortona italy

ORVIETO

My very first hilltown I visited when I was 19.  You can never shake your first love.  Orvieto gets loads of attention because of its location near the autostrada, but it still maintains its beauty and charm.  Evenings are exceptional here.  My favorite handbag store in within the walls of Orvieto.  The views are some of the absolute best.  Easy connections from Orvieto by either bus or train are Rome, Florence, Cortona, Civita, Bolsena, Chiusi and Montepulciano.

orvieto italy

VERNAZZA

If you are planning time on the coast, stretch it out and really make a vacation out of it.  So many people rush in and out of this area.  Vernazza is my favorite home base for seeing the other four villages of the Cinque Terre.  There is more to be visited in the area by easy train connections like Portofino, Portovenere and Sestri Levante.

Cinque Terre

To be continued…….

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Nov 9

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Featured Photo Friday | Storms in Vernazza

storms

A Photo taken by Davide Balboni

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Oct 29

vernazza flood
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Vernazza One Year After The Flood

Courtesy of Students for the Cinque Terre

Just over one year ago a massive flood and mudslide buried one of my special places on earth, Vernazza.  So much has been endured, rebuilt, rethought and rejoiced.

As fate and nature would have it, on the very day an Alert 2 went out to the people of the Cinque Terre but thankful everyone in the area weathered the storm well.

Much is still to be done.  Please keep Save Vernazza in your minds as we move towards the close of this year.

Below is a link to some fabulous people who have been a part of the recovery process as they celebrate Vernazza’s bittersweet anniversary.

Students for the Cinque Terre Commemoration.

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Oct 28

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Susan Van Allen featured Article | Vernazza

italyMany of you might remember my review of Susan Van Allen’s 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go.  If you haven’t gotten it yet, go now!  Imagine my delight when she asked that I take part in her Golden Days in Italy with my ideal day in Vernazza.

To see my full article click here and make sure to follow her blog!

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Oct 25

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Featured Photo Friday | Vernazza’s One Year Anniversary Since Flooding

Remember help is still needed.  Please visit Save Vernazza today!

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Sep 26

cinque terre italy
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Rock Slide in Cinque Terre Injures 4 Australians | Via dell’Amore Closed

A week of good news followed by bad I am afraid.

This past Monday a group of Australian tourists were caught in a rock slide along the famous and most popular section of trails in the area called Via dell’Amore.  Two of the tourists remain hospitalized, one in serious condition after being swept over the protective barrier and trapped along the hard to access rocky coastline.

What caused this new tragedy?  The mayor of Riomaggiore made a statement earlier blaming the drought and dry weather to cause the boulders to detach from the cliff above the trail.  The incident is incredibly rare and even harder to predict.  The trails in the Cinque Terre are often closed due to land slides.  I always warn my clients to double-check closures before starting out.  With the mudslides from the flooding last winter, most trails have been closed longer than open.  But this is the first time fingers have been pointed to drought as the culprit.  I am sure many are wondering what will happen when the rains begin again this fall.

cinque terre italy

I will keep travelers updated on the conditions of the trails and the situation on Via dell’Amore.  For related articles, click here.

cinque terre italy

Courtesy of Da Paulin Cinque Terre

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Sep 25

vernazza cinque terre
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Trattoria da Sandro Open Again | Vernazza

When people ask me where my very favorite restaurant in Vernazza is, without hesitation I say Sandro’s.  It is one of the only restaurants without a view of the harbor, but that doesn’t keep it from being packed every evening.  The crowd Sandro’s draws is also important:  locals and Italians.  Going where the locals go has always been my secret for finding the best places and I wasn’t disappointed here.  So much so that almost one year ago I placed it on my Top Ten Favorite Places to Eat list.

Sandro's

The village of Vernazza

But when the floods hit Vernazza last October, I was afraid Sandro’s would be lost for good.  This restaurant was one of the hardest hit and the owner barely escaped with his life.  The location of the restaurant and the way the kitchen was set up meant a difficult clean up and recovery.

This hardship makes announcing Trattoria da Sandro’s re-opening even more exciting.  If anyone is getting ready to travel to the Cinque Terre, make sure to stop by Vernazza and spend an evening here.  Let them delight you!

For the most recent photos from Trattoria da Sandro, I invite you to my blogging friend’s mouth-watering article at Cultural Comments.  I have been trying not to be too jealous of Nicole, but come on!  Those photos are just NOT FAIR!

vernazza cinque terre

Courtesy of Cultural Comments. And I’m not jealous at all. Really.

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

Jun 16

Save Vernazza Newsletter | Cinque Terre Update

I wanted to share a link to Save Vernazza’s newsletter that they have just developed.  This is a great way to stay connected, hear about projects and discover small ways you can help.  My understanding is that this will come out monthly.

For anyone interested in viewing the newsletter, CLICK HERE.

Be sure to follow the link to join the mailing list on the upper left corner!

I will leave you with some very uplifting photos from Vernazza.

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

 

May 29

italy earthquake damage
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Second Deadly Earthquake Strikes Italy in Emilia Romagna | Cinque Terre unharmed

Just as emergency workers were beginning to stabilize the situation in Emilia Romagna, another earthquake struck near Modena.  Reports say that this quake registered at 5.9 and at this time 13 are dead with 200+ injured.  approximately 14,ooo have been forced to leave their homes for safety, double the number reported from the first quake.

The situation today is much more serious and I will keep you updated as details arise.  Here is a link to a recent article.  Italian Notebook also published this post here.

I have not heard of damage to the Cinque Terre from this earthquake.

May 20

italy earthquake emilia romagna
5 Comments

Earthquake Strikes Northern Italy Again | Several Dead | Cinque Terre Safe

***Second earthquake strikes Tues May 29.  Read more here***

Once again natural disaster has struck Northern Italy, this time with another earthquake measuring 6.0.  At last report, there were 5 dead and many more injured and thousands homeless or without power.  Emilia Romagna is the area of Italy effected by the recent quake.

For those that have been following the progress in the Cinque Terre, I am happy to report that all is well at this time in both Vernazza and Monterosso.

Here is a complete article from the New York Times.  Read here.

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Copyright 2012   Andi Brown,  Once in a Lifetime Travel

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