Alexandra Regan visits kid-friendly Portovenere, Italy

Instead of whisking her two kids around Florence, Venice and Rome, contributing writer Alexandra Regan and her family settle into a relaxing village on the Ligurian Coast for a week. She writes about excellent exploring opportunities as well as places to eat and stay. Enjoy the excerpts below!

"Portovenere, with its colorful houses perched on a rocky shore of the romantically named Gulf of Poets (Byron and Shelley once lived in the area), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but that’s not why the kids loved it. They were enchanted by the beach across from our villa, and my husband and I were happy to relax on the rocks while they played for hours."

"It is possible to do some serious hiking right from the hills above Portovenere, but just climbing the narrow winding streets and stone staircases to the top of village might be enough for the kids. We found a tiny playground – two swings and a teeter totter – just above the Church of San Lorenzo that has the best view of any playground I have ever visited."

"In addition to the frequent ferry service (as fast as and much easier than driving) to four of the five villages of the Cinque Terre, (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, and Monterosso) it is possible to visit the nearby islands by boat and to rent canoes and kayaks."

"We ate many of our meals at home on our terrace (provisioned by a small grocery store in town), but nevertheless found time to return for lunch at Bacicio, a small café and restaurant we liked for its casual atmosphere and incredible pastas and pizzas. I ordered the same black pasta, tomato, onion, and anchovy dish several times in a row, each time wondering why I’d never had anything as good at home. Bacicio Via G. Capellini, 17 Portovenere."

Hiking the Alps outside Torino

In a new article from GoNOMAD.com, editor Max Hartshorne hikes up a mountain in the Alps outside Torino, Italy to a remote cabin called the Refugio Pontessi. The hike begins at the dam in the Gran Paradis National Park and continues past a turquoise lake created by the structure.
Enjoy an excerpt from the story below.



Up above the lake were dramatic snowy peaks, and a set of mountains ringing the water. We were heading way, way up there, to that hut with the yellow roof. Wow it was far up!

Settling into our own paces, we took the increasingly steeper climb to the top and grabbed hold of rocks and branches to keep us moving ahead. Looking back I saw that we all were getting a little winded, but it felt so great on this blinding sunny day to be there. Our prize awaited us in an hour or so up at the top, where steaming cauldrons held bubbling risotto with beef.

An hour of hard hiking, using rocks as stairs and walking through soft forests and then, hiking above the tree line on broad flat rocks. "No one said it was going to be easy," I laughed, and indeed, it was one of those hikes that makes you feel great because it was tough.

Looking down on that steep path and this light blue water when we reached the Refugio Pontessi, it all felt just right. Inside, a feast cooked on the mountain awaited. Everything comes up to this remote hut via a cable car that's strung all the way from the bottom. No way you can pack that much up here!