Tag: beach

Celebrating the Italian Summer at the Seaside in Cesenatico

Italians find themselves at the sea nearly every summer weekend, whether they smartly rent or own a whole beach house, or just a few feet of sand under an umbrella.  Having lived in Bologna for years and living as any honorable Italian would do, I joined in the weekend beach-side adventures, fleeing as far as Ancona, but mostly sticking directly East of Bologna in Rimini, Riccione and Ravenna.  But mostly Rimini, because it was familiar.  As soon as the fan came down off the top shelf of my closet and propped up by my bed, the early Saturday morning train rides to Rimini commenced. So it was fitting that I spent my last weekend in Italy before my big return to the United States relaxing at the Italian seaside lifestyle that had defined my summers there.  But this time I didn’t have to wake up early and take the train.  Instead, my boyfriend at the time preferred to drive.  And he was a different sort of character.  He didn’t do things the same way everyone else did.  Instead, he suggested we go to the tiny town of Cesenatico.  I didn’t have the slightest idea what to expect, but as always, I was up for the adventure.

The canal leading to the sea in Cesenatico, Italy
The canal leading to the sea in Cesenatico, Italy

The non-eventful drive and the parking process played out like all of my other beach adventures.  The drive east toward the Adriatic Sea is flat with huge green fields broken up by an occasional ancient structure.  As you approach the sea, there are lots of trees shading the streets and houses.  I was unsuspecting as we parked in an ugly supermarket parking lot until we emerged onto the main walkway of the village.  Stretching before me was a long canal that ran to the sea, flanked by colorful buildings and sporting a long line of cleverly named boats.  But these weren’t recreational boats, they were fishing boats.  And the canal, apparently, is famous because it was once surveyed by Leonardo da Vinci.  Only in Italy.

Fishing boats in Cesenatico, Italy
Fishing boats in Cesenatico, Italy

I was surprised by my surroundings.  “Where are we again?” I asked him.  I’m bad with proper nouns. “Cesenatico,” he replied. “But this place is so cool – why doesn’t everyone come here?” “I don’t know,” he said. “But that’s why I like it.  Not everyone comes here.”

 A boy playing on the beach in Cesenatico, Italy
A boy playing on the beach in Cesenatico, Italy

He was right.  There were definitely other Italian tourists, but they were mostly families.  Instead of walking into a tourist trap, it felt instead like we were stepping into the seaside life of these lucky Italians that call Cesenatico home.

A girl taking a stroll along the beach on her own in Cesenatico, Italy
A girl taking a stroll along the beach on her own in Cesenatico, Italy

We walked down the crowded main stretch along the canal, toward the sea.  I almost felt like a voyeur, watching all the families and the family dogs enjoying their Saturday.  There was even a funky shaped boat that cost one euro that would take you to the other side of the canal if you so desired.

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We drifted until we couldn’t walk anymore, to the point at the end of the boardwalk.  Fishermen and teens and couples like us trickled around, but nothing overwhelming.  Near the boardwalk was a sprawling restaurant with whitewashed walls and tables.  We were led to a table in the sand.  A family with a toddler playing in the sand sat at the next table.  We sat a bit with our drinks, the sight and sounds of the sea releasing our stress, much of which stemmed from my impending departure.   “It seems impossible to believe that in a week you will be in New York.  From Cesenatico to New York – I can’t imagine a bigger change,” said my traveling companion.  I sat and munched my olive and took a sip of prosecco.  He was right.  At that moment, New York was absolutely worlds away from Cesenatico.

The scene of a small town that looks after itself in Cesenatico, Italy
The scene of a small town that looks after itself in Cesenatico, Italy

We eventually found ourselves making our way back up the canal.  A pair of sunglasses caught his eye, and as he tried them on I wandered a few steps and discovered a little fair on a tiny side street, so characteristic of Italy.  Everywhere I turned this little street was dripping with charm – a candy-cane striped awning and a retro bike, a gelato shop that tempted my traveling companion, and knitted jellyfish hanging from a string tied to streetlights.

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I followed the jellyfish hanging from the sky, one by one, to a small, quiet piazza, full of families and a few curious adults, officially stepping over any remaining line between tourist and resident.  To my delight, there were nautical-inspired knittings livening up the ancient stone fountain, church, and doorways of the building facing the piazza, to match the hanging jellyfish.

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Children played under trees decorated with diamonds and more jellyfish.

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With a bit of internet research, I realized I had stumbled upon Cesenatico’s Urban Knitting Group “Il Mare in Conserva,” an installation art exhibit in the Piazzetta delle Conserve.

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I was utterly charmed to so unexpectedly wander into this peaceful, simple world.  I participated as an outsider, snapping photos of the happy children and cats, until realizing my travel companion had probably finished his gelato by now.

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I reluctantly followed the jellyfish back, and found him happy as a clam (no pun intended), taking advantage of his phone’s data plan as the celebrations went on around him.

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We made our way back to the car slowly, our departure marking a transition into a much more complicated world, void of knitted jellyfish and children playing jump-rope on the street.  It had not been just another beach adventure.  It was the end of an era of a naive American girl marveling in the oddities and delights of a beach life so different from my Southern California home.  And the beginning of a mysterious something else.

Maui, Hawaii

There is really nothing I feel I can say to do justice to a place like Maui.  Being here is like visiting another world that you have always hoped existed.

Somehow, the moment I stepped off the airplane in Maui, an overwhelming feeling of relaxation overcame me.  I don’t know if it is the climate or the beauty or the energy of the area, but this feeling is unmistakable.  That being said, there are many different experiences that can be had on this island, despite it’s small size.  When I visited, I frequented less touristy areas thanks to some friends I was visiting that worked on the island, and this made a huge difference in my experience.  They took me to beaches that had no more than ten people in sight.  This was a huge shock, as being from southern California, I am used to beaches stuffed with people.  We were everywhere on the island, from the endless beaches as far as you can see, to the mountains in the center of the island.  Literally everywhere you turn you find incredible beauty.

That being said, this vacation has it’s limitations.  As a city girl, as much as I love Maui, a two week vacation is a perfect amount of time for me to be in this fairly isolated environment.  Things are pretty expensive here, as most goods have to be shipped to the island.  And this is not a vacation for a foodie.

But, whoever said anyplace is perfect?  Truly, everyone sometime in their lifetime must experience a day on a Maui beach, more beautiful than words can express, and nearly deserted.  My hike with friends here in the bamboo forest remains one of the most memorable travel experiences of my lifetime.
So, in summary, go to Maui.  As soon as possible.

A gallery of my favorite Maui photographs:

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Best of Maui, a set on Flickr.

A day at the sea: Rimini, Italy

Day 20 in a row of temperatures over 80 degrees and no air-conditioner finally got the best of me, so I did what any good Italian would do – I went to the sea.  We truly intended to take it easy and spend a quiet afternoon on the beach and return to Bologna by 7pm.  By now I should have learned that fun, no matter what, takes over as the highest priority in Italy.  So, as you will see through my photo diary, our best laid plans completely went awry, and the day was by no means a simple afternoon in the sun.


A quick train ride from Bologna offers many potential destinations by the sea, but on this adventure, we chose one of the most popular destinations reachable by train.  Rimini is medium-sized city on the north-east coast of Italy in the Emilia-Romagna region.  It has a beautiful city center, as well as a robust coastline full of restaurants, shops, and most importantly, beach.  Nearby Riccione is a famous destination for nightlife, and Ravenna, which I talked about in another post, is also nearby.


Despite plentiful options for fun and sightseeing around Rimini, on this day we intended only to engage in some relaxing on the beach.


After some laying out in the (really) hot sun and getting a bit of color, our hunger pains got the best of us and we headed toward the main drag to find some food.  Of course we encountered a detour.  Here, my friends are playing a little competitive game of bocce (otherwise known as bocci ball).


And then, some jumping.  I had no idea my friend was so athletic.  I don’t think he did either. 


Lunch at the local Irish Pub, Rose & Crown, which is an institution in Rimini.  Believe it or not, eating italian food every day does begin to get boring after a while.


As you can see, some of us ate more than others…


While we were waiting for my friend to finish his three-course meal, we noticed the managers of the pub were busy blowing up balloons.  And lots of them.  We wondered why.  They explained that La Notte Rosa happened to be that night, which I have now learned is one of the biggest entertainment nights in the Emilia-Romagna region during the summer.



The managers gave me a balloon and also an idea.  Why not go back to Bologna on a later train so we can enjoy La Notte Rosa?  After all, it only comes along once per year.


While we were digesting this idea, we left the pub to go back to the beach for a bit more sun.  On the way we witnessed the result of the manager’s balloon handiwork.  Balloons flying high over Rimini.


We went back to the beach for some sun.  Apparently we were not destined to get much sun.  The cloud formations became foreboding and dramatic.


And boy did the storm come.  We ran for cover at the nearest bar with more than a thatched roof for cover.  I was drenched.    The storm seemed more akin to a hurricane.  But I must confess, I loved every moment of it, as being a girl from Southern California, I am not accustomed to dramatic weather.  Somehow, it felt like summer, reminding me of running through the rain in New York during summers spend there in my childhood.


Lucky for my friends, I had my favorite travel accessory with me – my iPad – equipped with Fruit Ninja to help them pass the time while we waited for the storm to pass.


But I was much more interested in making friends.  While they were busy with my iPad, I kept myself occupied by meeting everyone who was also taking refuge at the cafe where we hung out during the storm.  Here I am – the drenched version – with my new friends.


When the storm finally cleared, the whole town immediately came alive for La Notte Rosa.  Even the streetlights were partaking in the fun with their pink light.


We loved the street artist that was creating complex images with spray paint on the ground for us all to watch, using bits of newspaper to create texture on a cityscape of New York.


Finally, it was time to get down to business.  Where’s the party?   My friend wanted to find an old co-worker from Bologna, who was now living in Rimini selling trinkets on the street.  He didn’t have his new phone number, so we began asking every street vendor that we met.  Believe me, there are a lot of street vendors.  I will spare you from all the photos.Of course, we finally found him.  It was a happy reunion.  And he gave us some tips for the rest of the night.


Most importantly, he equipped us with pink hats so we could join in the festivities of the La Notte Rosa crowd.  But of course, our hats didn’t compare to these.  I was jealous.


And then, the fireworks came.  And a few hours later, the end of a night.  We lost one of our friends after he disappeared and fell asleep on the beach, but we made it on the late (early?) train with several hundred other people.  The train arrived in Bologna in time for us to see the sunrise.


I never knew a day at the sea could be so successful.  Thanks Rimini…

Sun in Santos

Monique is a great friend of mine from San Diego, and also one of the most adventurous people I know.  Every time I talk with her she is on another adventure, whether it be giving up everything she has and moving to Canada, breaking into the theatre scene in Portland, Oregon, or giving screenwriting a try.  When I asked her what her favorite travel memory was for her contribution to our traveler page, this is the memory that she included.  She was so specific with everything she loved about Santos, that I asked her to write a post about it.  Thanks Monique!


This is a story about one of my favorite trips to Santos, Brazil.  Several years ago I played capoeira and my teacher took a few of us to his home town in Santos. We stayed at a cute little hotel run by one of his friends. We got breakfast every morning complete with fresh fruit and juices. It was right around the corner from an arboretom, Orquidário de Santos and a short walk to the beach.


We went to the beach nearly ever day. I’d always have to stop for fresh squeezed sugar cane juice from a vendor parked next to the beach bike path. We felt spoiled laying out in the sun, with vendors getting us anything we needed: food, drinks (alcohol included), umbrellas, and chairs. One of my teacher’s friends was a pro surfer that started the first surf school in Santos. People would donate old equipment so kids could have something to learn on. He also made surf boards at the school. We had a couple of lessons and I learned how to surf for the first time!

The main purpose of the trip was to visit his teacher’s studio as well as a couple of other studios, but we hardly spent any time playing. Instead we were at the beach, shopping, sightseeing and just enjoying the people. My teacher is well-known in his city and we couldn’t go anywhere without someone calling out to say hi to him. That also meant we met a lot of fun people who took care of us and showed us around. I started getting recognized and people would wave hello to me. I was becoming a local.


One Saturday night we went to an amazing fish dinner. We crossed the water in little ferry boats to favelas on an island.  It took place in this large backyard of a family. They sold tickets which included the meal, as well as live music and dancing. In the back were a few vendors selling jewelry. I bought one of my favorite bracelets from a nice lady that made it by hand. The next week I saw her as we came out of a little shopping center in Gonzaga. She greeted me as if I was an old friend she hadn’t seen for a while.


We did quite a bit of sight-seeing, including visiting São Vicente.  We got in an ample amount of dancing, videoke, and live music. On my last night there, we danced the night away at a club on this small island just off the coast. The view was amazing!


The trip was just so much fun. I could easily see myself staying there. Did I mention how beautiful it was and the abundance of fresh fruit? Needless to say I cried when I boarded the bus to come home.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Cinque Terre coast
Cinque Terre rose to fame among American tourists with the help of a well-known friend, Rick Steves, and it seems to continue to grow ever-more popular, as its beauty and simplicity are hard to match
Cinque Terre rests on the western coast of Italy, and its name is derived from the five small coastal cities that compose the area – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso.  One of the signature tourist draws to the region is the hike from the southernmost Riomaggiore to the northernmost Monterosso, as each city is no more than three kilometers from the last. That being said, the more northern you are, the more difficult the walks become, with many steps and hills involved.
I have made the walk twice, and not only is the view one of the most stunning I have experienced since Big Sur, California, there is also quite a reward in Monterosso, as this city has the largest beach for relaxing a bit after your hike, and the focaccia here is not to be missed.  Speaking of food, this area of Italy is known for creating pesto, so definitely leave some room for some homemade pesto dishes while you visit.
As if the beauty of this place (and the pesto!) isn’t enough of a reason to go, there’s more. Each time I go to Cinque Terre I have made friends from the city that I still keep in touch with. The people here are wonderful – they truly appreciate the tourists and make it their own personal mission that you are happy and enjoying your visit to their city.  Seriously, what more could we ask for?
While each city has its own character – my personal favorites are Corniglia and Vernazza, as each of these cities have absolutely charming architecture and tiny yet fantastic little swimming areas.
To help you get a better idea of the true beauty of the area, I have picked out a few of my favorite photos.
Slideshow:

Gallery preview of my favorite Cinque Terre photographs:

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Best of Cinque Terre, a set on Flickr.

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