Anacapri, a top spot

Capri, known as a resort for the rich and famous, seemed an unlikely destination for two people travelling with their tiny wardrobes of three t-shirts, two pairs of jeans and a shoe collection encompassing thongs (flip-flops), trainers, 'dressy' desert boots and the essential puffer jacket.

Capri port with the town Capri spreading over the hill behind.

But, when we read about the other Capri, Anacapri, the little village on the top of the island where B&Bs, not luxury hotels, are the main accommodation on offer, and walking, not clubbing, is the activity of choice, we thought it might be a lovely spot for a short spring break after the hectic pace of Naples.  And, our limited clothing choices might be less noticeable than down the mountain in the other Capri.

From the port we caught a local bus which zig-zagged its way up and over the steep escarpment of the island mountain to Anacapri, where we found gentler slopes of vineyards, orchards and olive groves going down to the sea.

Anacapri

Though it is also a tourist spot, albeit a second cousin to Capri town, Anacapri has managed to maintain its local village feel.  In the evenings when we were there, the locals took their usual passaggiata before dinner through almost empty little streets as most of the tourists had left for the night.  

During our three days we enjoyed some spectacular walks.

From the famous Villa San Michele, we took the path, which was mostly a series of stairs, down all the way to the port.  Definitely the best way to see the dramatic views of this beautiful little island.

Then once we reached the port we caught the funicular for a short ride up to the town of Capri.

Capri

Its streets are scented with their own fragrance, and even the stalls selling lemon granita look as though they come from the pages of Vogue Living. 

The town was in spring cleaning mode with workmen everywhere preparing for the opening of the summer season.   We stopped for a quick photo and then walked through the town down to the other side of the island, Marina Piccola.

Marina Piccola

More spectacular views and a delicious Caprese salad, as you do on the Isle of Capri.  

Wherever we walked from Anacapri it was always down. Luckily the buses traverse the island so sometimes, rather than climb back up, we enjoyed sitting in the sunshine while we waited for the next bus.  

On our second day we walked down the slopes from Anacapri to the furthest end of the island, Faro di Punta Carena.  In summer, this is the only place on Capri where the sun shines all day so it is a very popular swimming spot. At this time, although the water was sparkling and the sun was shining it was too chilly for us to swim. 

We had the place to ourselves, apart from the workmen preparing the concrete terraces for the rows of deckchairs that will be filled in the summer ready for the many who want to perfect la bronzata.

Walking back up to Anacapri there were reminders of spring everywhere with wildflowers and blossoms dotting the pathways and stairs.

A highlight of our stay was dinner at the Trattoria da Mamma Govanna, only a short walk out of town.  They had just reopened for the summer season but already the restaurant was half full. The freshest of fish cooked and served perfectly.  Could just be the best fish we've eaten in Italy. 

After a pleasant few days of walking in the sunshine, we took the ferry back to Naples and that evening we crossed our fingers hoping that the sea would be calm for our overnight ferry to Palermo.

It would be our first cruise, of only one night. Rather than catch the train from Naples to Palermo we decided that an overnight ferry trip arriving in Palermo at 8am after a good night's sleep would be the most comfortable way to travel. Speriamo!

Where we stayed:

There are lots of B&Bs in Anacapri but not many were open when we arrived in Anacapri.  We stayed in B&B that was okay but we wouldn't recommend it.   

Holiday apartment rentals in late March were difficult to find.  

Where we ate:

Trattoria da Mamma Giovanna

Via Chiusarano, 6

Anacapri

salvatorevisalli@libero.it

They offer a shuttle bus service for guests staying in Anacapri.  

It has a lovely verandah where we enjoyed the best baked whole fish we've eaten in Italy.  Moderate prices.  

Marina Piccola is the little bay where we enjoyed a delicious Caprese salad and fresh pizza but unfortunately we forgot to take a card from the pizza bar. 

If you can avoid eating at the port, do so.  We had another Caprese salad while waiting for the ferry and it was ordinary and expensive.  Silly us.

Guardando l'ora di passare un mese in Sicilia.  

Vigevano for risotto?

Vigevano is a small city only 30 minutes by train from Milan's Porto Genova station.  It should be much more famous than it is.

The Piazza Ducale in Vigevano is recognized as one of the most beautiful piazzas in Italy.

Arcades of arches surround the piazza, providing a lovely shady walkway and a relaxing spot to enjoy a leisurely coffee in one of the many cafes.

The internal grounds of  Castello Sforzesco.

During the 15th century the Piazza Ducale was built to form a noble entrance to the Castello Sforzesco.  In medieval times, Vigevano was an important strategic centre coveted by the Sforza and Visconti families. The castle, including the stables designed by Leonardo da Vinci, and the huge covered roadway which provided the Duke of Milan with a sheltered escape route, maintain their grand proportions today and are beautifully maintained.
For more historical information about the city's history CLICK HERE.

Now the castle complex includes several museums and galleries, while the old roads and tunnels continue to provide pedestrian access through the city.  

A small Shoe Museum occupies one of the long halls in the castle.  It describes another facet of Vigevano's history. During the last century, particularly after World War II, the city was a hub for shoe design and manufacturing.

Although Vigevano's monuments and history seem largely undiscovered, this charming city is famous throughout Italy for ...

Rice fields near Vigevano. Image from here

RICE.  Specifically, arborio and carnaroli rice.

The Po plain surrounding Vigevano has been  famous for rice production since 1482 when Leonardo da Vinci was employed by the the Duke of Milan to design a network of irrigation canals to ensure a consistent water supply for food production.  Since then rice has been grown in this area and with it came the staple dish of northern Italy, risotto.  

Stefano loves cooking risotto, so the goal of our visit was to taste risotto in the city which is famous for producing the best quality rice in Italy. But where to eat risotto in Vigevano? 

L'Oca ristorante Vigevano

L'oca Ciuca, a small restaurant off the Piazza Ducale was suggested by a woman at the tourist office. We arrived just before one o'clock and already the colourful front courtyard was full of families enjoying lunch.  Encouraged by the local crowd, we were happy to be seated inside feeling quietly pleased with ourselves as the restaurant recommendation seemed like a winner.

Choosing from the menu was easy.  Risotto made with local Bonarda wine, fresh bortolli beans and topped with grilled goose sausage immediately caught our eyes.  Not only did it feature local produce, but there was a caption below stating that risotto could only be ordered for two and it would take at least 20 minutes to prepare.  Perfect!  We seemed to have found the right place to taste this famous dish.  

Although we didn't order an antipasti course, the Maitre D', concerned that we might starve, arrived at our table with a complimentary appetiser of home-made toast topped generously with goose liver pate'.  What a delicious surprise.  The pate' was sensational, light, creamy and very moreish.  Another lesson learned about how seriously Italians take their food - restaurant patrons shouldn't wait in hunger.

Stefano's risotto verdict?

Perfetto! He was delighted to discover that this risotto was cooked with a light red wine giving it a slightly pink colour, which although tasty, wasn't photogenic. We learned that Bonarda grapes are grown in the hills around Pavia, so not only did Stefano discover a new risotto recipe, but he is now planning a weekend drive to explore another wine growing region close to Milan.  Yes, he was just a little excited!  

And so was I. After eating such a hearty lunch we decided to take a stroll before catching the train back to Milan.  We passed several gelaterias on the main piazza, but none seemed quite right.  Then we turned down one of the smaller side streets and discovered a local crowd enjoying the sunshine with gelato cones in hand.  Of course we had to stop.

Gelateria Susy
Corso Vittorio Emanuelle II 33
Vigevano
For more reviews CLICK HERE

Taste test summary
Gelateria Susy doesn't sound very Italian, but their gelato tastes autentico.  The nutty flavours are dotted with large crunchy bits just as I've come to expect at the best gelaterias in Italy.  I was tempted by the peanut crunch, but in an effort to maintain a rigorous taste comparison, I chose the standard nocciola flavour which was very good, as was the caffe'.   It was an excellent combination and I must add that the wafer cones were possibly the best I've tried.

Gelati ranking ****
Worth walking off the main square to find this spot.

Sue and Tim back in Milan after their day in Vigevano.

This week our friends, Sue and Tim, had a spare day while visiting Milan, so we suggested that they visit Vigevano.  Like us, they returned raving about this delightfully, undiscovered town. So if you find yourself in Milan and you feel like escaping the crowds, jump on a train to this little city which should be much more famous than it is, but perhaps then its unique charm would be lost.

Questa settimana il tempo a Milano ha cambiato. Autunno ha arrivato.  Ci vediamo prossima volta.

Backtracking to Varenna

Varenna on Lake Como is an easy day trip from Milan.  From Central station, the fastest way to get there is to catch a train to this pretty hillside village, positioned halfway up the lake.

In the past we've passed through Varenna, rushing down the narrow lanes to catch one of the numerous ferries to the other towns around Lake Como. Occasionally, while waiting for a ferry, we've had time to wander along the lakefront path known as 'Lovers' Way'. Having caught glimpses of a pretty town square up the cobblestone lanes, we've often vowed to return. 

A few weeks ago we made our first attempt to explore Varenna.  Unfortunately, just as we left Milan dark clouds gathered and then burst the moment we stepped off the train.  We dashed from the train station, through the pouring rain, to a rather ordinary looking main square where we grabbed a very quick bowl of pasta. After waiting for the rain to clear, we gave up and dashed to catch the next train back to Milan. A speed-record breaking trip to Varenna.  But we were determined...

What a difference the sun makes!
We returned to Varenna for a second visit and this time the main square was picture perfect. A small market provided amusement for the many tourists who were visiting as part of a vintage car tour. (The pale blue VW in the photo below, looks very similar to my first car which was almost vintage back in 1981!)

Although it was tempting to hang around reminiscing, as we watched the not-so-old cars squeeze through the narrow streets, we had other plans in mind. The weather was ideal for a stroll through the gardens of Villa Monastero.

This is the fourth garden that we've visited along the shores of Lake Como.  Although the views across the lake were beautiful, the garden was disappointing as it was a little overgrown in comparison to the others we've seen.  The extensive and perfectly manicured gardens of Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo, Villa Melzi at Bellagio or the magnificent Villa Balbianello, set a very high standard which Villa Monastero didn't quite match.  It seems we've become 'garden snobs'!  However, we didn't leave Varenna disappointed.

A garden walk was the perfect preparation for what turned out to be our best discovery in Varenna, Il Cavatappi.  This tiny restaurant is ranked number one  on Trip Advisor as the best restaurant in Varenna and deservedly so! 

It is easy to feel that you've stumbled across something rather special when you're seated in a restaurant with only five small tables inside, and outside, just two more.  The double clothed tables, set with crystal glasses and polished silver, hinted that we might be in for a treat and we were.  Fresh lightly seasoned grilled vegetables were served as an antipasto, followed by two dishes of home-made pasta; gnocchi with a 'three tomato sauce' for me, and ravioli stuffed with lake fish for Stefano.  Friendly service, excellent wine and very reasonable prices made this one of the most memorable meals that we've eaten in Italy. 

Buonissimo!

Our day spent backtracking to Varenna had a surprisingly delicious ending.

Mmmm arrivederci. E' il tempo per pranzo.  

We recommend - (Apparently bookings are usually required.)
Il Cavatappi
Via XX Settembre
Varenna
39 0341 815349

Love a local

No surprises for guessing that Valentine's day is very popular in Italy. We don't celebrate it, but being the old romantic that he is Stefano thought that a quiet lunch might be a nice way to pass another misty, Milanese Sunday. I happily agreed as I love lunch out anywhere, but especially in our local area, Zona Tortona.

After a short stroll around our neighbourhood we spotted a newly opened restaurant, Al Fresco, on via Savona.

The entrance, filled with rustic boxes of cabbages, intrigued us. 

It seemed busy so we took a gamble and joined the crowd following the Italian tradition of pranzo della Dominica con la famiglia.

Surrounded by families dining with their gorgeous bambini!

On Sundays, Al Fresco offers just one set menu of five courses with wine by the glass, a generous glass Stefano noted happily. Outside the rain drizzled as we enjoyed some interesting dishes, not the usual osso buco with risotto Milanese.

This was my favourite.  A soup of chickpeas and beans so thick that we ate it with a fork! Really delicious. All the courses were delicately flavoured but very tasty, and thankfully the portions weren't too large. 

And to finish, I enjoyed the home-made vanilla gelato, of course, 

while Stefano tried the rice pudding, which he proclaimed was nowhere near as good as the one his mother makes.  Hmmm a very Italian comment from Stefano!

Although 40 Euros is fairly expensive for lunch in Milan, we thought it was good value. The setting in a renovated factory warehouse looking onto a beautifully landscaped garden was an unexpected treat. So we've discovered another local to love and look forward to returning in the spring, to laze in the deck chairs while nibbling some more of Al Fresco's seasonal offerings.

Walking home from lunch we popped into our local PAM supermarket where they were shooting a springtime TV commercial. While we stopped to watch the 'young talent time' dance routine happening in the fruit and veg section, other shoppers seemed a little more blase' about the young people jumping and jiving in the background.  Perhaps the "real locals" aren't quite ready to celebrate the arrival of spring, just yet.

Spero per molto il sole questa settimana!