One of the BEST day-trips I took while living in Milan was to a small, impossibly charming fishing town in Italy's Liguria region.
The Italian Riviera. You've probably heard of Portofino, and most definitely Cinque Terre (which embarrassingly, for the longest time, I thought was pronounced with a French accent). But unless you've spent some time with the local Italians, it is very likely you aren't yet familiar with Camogli. And perhaps it's their intention to keep it that way. An easy train ride from Milan, Camogli is an underrated gem for sure. While I'd hate to see it become an overcrowded tourist destination, it feels wrong not to share such a memorable experience (and I doubt that little 'ole me could have that much influence anyway).
Actually, I myself had originally wanted to visit Cinque Terre, but it would have taken too long to get there for a short day trip. And as it was last minute planning, we weren't prepared to stay overnight. Then I remembered my Italian instructor had mentioned something about Camogli. While I didn't have much information (other than being told that they host an annual festival, cooking seafood in a GIANT pan), I was dying to go to the seaside, and the fact that this town was in fact seaside and not too far away, was good enough for me. Little did I know just how lovely this quaint seaside village would prove to be (and not even grey skies or rainfall could take that away).
Our day started with an early morning train ride from Milan, arriving in Camogli around 10 am. It was a short walk from the train station to the sea, and as soon as we hit the pebbled beach, I was immediately smitten. Staring out at the shore with its perfectly smooth grey stones and pedestrian walkway lined with multicolored pastel building facades, I felt like I stepped straight onto a Wes Anderson set. Camogli, with its low-key vibes embodies pure charm. You can sense the magic in the slow pace of life. It isn't cluttered with designer shops or fancy hotels. It's unpretentious, unassuming, under-the-radar... It's perfect.
Since we hadn't yet had time for breakfast, we decided to stop at one of the cafes to enjoy a coffee al fresco before exploring. As I sipped on my cappuccino, I couldn't help but admire our view: rows of bright green umbrellas and beach chairs. It may sound silly, but it was absolutely a visual feast.
We eventually made our way down the pedestrian path and found ourselves in the main harbor filled with boats, and of course a perfect backdrop of painted buildings against green hills. After taking dozens of photos, we continued. As I've said before, I love exploring a city by wandering and getting a little lost. We did just that in Camogli, but luckily it's difficult to get completely lost as there's only so far you can go.
After a couple of hours we worked up a bit of an appetite. Conveniently, there was a fishing boat parked in the harbor serving freshly fried seafood. Gently coated and perfectly fried, all wrapped up in a brown paper cone. And at only 8€ it doesn't get any better.
After finishing our last piece of calamari, we decided to check the schedule for the ferry. I was hoping to catch a ride to San Fruttuoso, and lucky for us we were just in time. If you've ever seen photos, you can understand why this 10th century abbey located in a small bay was on my must-see list. And in real life, it did not disappoint.
As I was crouched on the shore, scouting out the prettiest pebbles, I declared (half jokingly) that I wanted to find one that was heart shaped. A few moments later, Luca, staring at the ground, said "Look, I found one!"
The day was certainly full of pleasant surprises.
We didn't want to head back to Milan too late, so we decided to take the next ferry to Camogli and spend a little more time there before the sun went down.
Of course we couldn't leave without tasting a local specialty: Focaccia di Recco col formaggio (although technically a specialty of Recco, the town right next door). You've probably already tried a thick, fluffy style focaccia (which is also delicious), but this focaccia is super thin and stuffed with fresh cheese. I recommend Revello bakery, a local favorite famous for their focaccia. And their Focaccia di Recco is divine! A perfect way to end our perfect day in Camogli.
More Italian adventures coming soon!
