Tourist manager Monica Zioni says that also this year Alassio will not forget their youngest visitors . On december 31st at 19 o ´clock all children are invited to meet in the church ” Chiesa Anglicana ” , where expert animators  of the ” Cooperativa Salamandra” are expecting them for funny games and fantastic  stories .Little presents and sweets will be given  to the children as well .

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Italian New Years - Mussels with Saffron-Tomato Mayonnaise

Ingredients                  

Preparation :

• scrub mussel shells with a stiff  brush  and tear beard off each mussel  several hours before serving .
• Rinse mussels thoroughly under cold running water.
• In 10″ skillet combine mussels, wine, shallots and saffron.
• Cover skillet and heat to boiling over high heat.
• Reduce hat to medium and cook mussels until shells open - about 5-8 minutes.
• Remove mussels from heat.
• With tongs transfer mussels to tray or rimmed baking sheet, discarding any unopened mussels.
• Reserve cooking liquid. Snap off and discard top shell from each mussel and loosen mussel from bottom shell.
• Place mussels in half shells on tray.
• In small bowl combine mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons tomato and the parsley.
•  Stir in enough reserved cooking liquid to make a spoonable sauce.
• Divide sauce among shells, spooning over and around mussels.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped tomato and serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Arrange on serving platter.

Good appetite !

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A Happy New Year
by Margaret Sangster

Coming, coming, coming!
Listen! perhaps you’ll hear
Over the snow the bugles blow
To welcome the glad new year.
In the steeple tongues are swinging,
There are merry sleigh bells ringing,
And the people for joy are singing,
It’s coming, coming near.

Flying, sighing, dying,
Going away tonight,
Weary and old, its story told,
The year that was full and bright.
Oh, we are half sorry it’s leaving
Good-by has a sound of grieving;
But its work is done and its weaving;
God speed its parting flight!

Tripping, slipping, skipping,
Like a child in its wooing grace,
With never a tear and never a fear,
And a light in its laughing face;
With hands held out to greet us,
With gay little steps to meet us,
With sweet eyes that entreat us,
The new year comes to its place.

Coming, coming, coming!
Promising lovely things -
The gold and the gray of the summer day,
The winter with fleecy-wings;
Promising swift birds glancing,
And the patter of raindrops dancing,
And the sunbeam’s arrowy lancing,
Dear gifts the new year brings.

Coming, coming, coming!
The world is a vision of white;
From the powdered eaves to the sere-brown leaves
That are hidden out of sight.
In the steeple tongues are swinging,
The bells are merrily ringing,
And “Happy New Year” we’re singing,
For the old year goes tonight.

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I would like to wish all readers of my blog a Happy New Year!

Remember , your own happiness in the coming year depends on what you do for others .

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest
To daily grow and try to be

My highest and my best!

(William Arthur Ward)

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One of the biggest boat show of the world closed recording a great success in terms of both visitors and business negotiations.

1,500 participating exhibitors, 2,500 boats on display - including hundreds of new models – and an even larger and more scenic exhibition areas thanks to the new Pavilion B, designed by architect Jean Nouvel, and the new technical basin, entirely devoted to sailing boats.
Find out in the website all the pictures and contents of Genoa 48th International Boat Show.
See you at next Boat Show, from 3rd to 11th October 2009!

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The village of Bordighera was already founded in the 4th century BC  . From 1682 until the Napoleonic  period, Bordighera was the capital of a small republic  of  villages of the neighboring valleys.

Bordighera  is known as the City of Palms - a place with a climate so mild that winter just doesn’t exist. And the evidence of this is that not only do palms grow here
(an entire forest of them, not just the usual boulevard) but banana trees and lemon and orange orchards.

This seaside town with its own little fishing harbour offers a peaceful and restful holiday destination with hotels that seem to pride themselves on offering a warm welcome.

Bordighera on the Italian Riviera is  close to the border with France. This is a place surrounded by medieval villages that are so beautiful, Claude Monet  , the famous French painter , chose to paint them.

Despite being in Italy, the town of Bordighera is full of English charm probably because it was a popular resort for the English in the late 1800s, and was visited by Queen Victoria.

In the early 1900s there were more English living in the town than Italians though most left during wartime.

Now, as you walk around the town, the evidence of that English invasion is everywhere a beautiful old museum set up by philanthropist and naturalist Clarence Bricknell in 1888, an English church (now used as an exhibitions centre and concert venue) and much more.

In fact, Bordighera was the site of Italy’s first tennis club, set up in 1878 at the behest of the large British community.

Today, the town is full of stylish side streets, flanked by spectacular villas, mansions and comfortable hotels. Climb upwards from the sea and you can visit several incredible medieval villages.

One is Dolceacqua, a maze of steep, narrow little streets with houses many storeys high, all linked with arches. Painted by Monet, this is a village of outstanding beauty.

A 30-minute ride by car takes you to another fascinating place the medieval village of Apricale with its abundance of little taverns and eating places, which is well worth a visit.

Bordighera is very close to the border with France  indeed the best way to get there,  is with a flight to Nice followed by a 40-minute journey by motorway to the town, passing through many tunnels hewn through the mountain rock.

You can also take the more leisurely coastal road. From our hotel, a 20-minute drive takes you into the bustling French town of Menton with its huge market and sandy beaches (different to the pebble beaches of Bordighera). Another 10 minutes in the car from Menton and incredibly you are in Monaco with all its glitz and glamour. All these places are quickly reached by train as Bordighera has a good station and rail service. The nearest big Italian town is San Remo, which is little more than 20 minutes away by car.

And that’s the beauty of a visit to Bordighera there’s so much to do, so many places to see and all so different. Where else in Italy can you spend the morning by the seaside, visit a quaint medieval village for a spot of lunch, then in the afternoon pop into France to do a bit of shopping, and then gamble the night away in Monte Carlo?

The Scottish writer George MacDonald lived and worked for parts of the year in Bordhigera. His house was an important cultural centre for the British colony. He is buried at the churchyard of the former Anglican church.

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The Cinque Terre or region of the Five Lands, as it has been known since the 15th century, is a series of

five small villages sitting on the cliffs above the Mediterranean Sea. These tiny villages, which are accessible mainly by train or by foot using the paths that connect them with one another are brightly coloured and create a mountain cliff setting that is overwhelmingly beautiful.

The five small villages — Corniglia, Manarola, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore, and Vernazza — are individually lovely and possess a personality all its own.

Corniglia is built in the higher part of the mountain, which allows it to offer magnificent views and an even more secluded beach. Manarola is a fishing village whose colourful houses are perched on a rock above the port. Monterosso al Mare was founded in 643 and boasts of the most famous beach in the region, a 16th century Capuchin monastery, and an ancient castle. Riomaggiore is a picturesque village with pastel coloured houses crawling down the cliff to the sea. Vernazza just out over the sea and houses a medieval tower.

Although the train only travels nine kilometers from the first village to the last, the most exhilarating and fulfilling way to visit these villages is to go by foot, following the paths that intertwine and connect the villages. The walk takes anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. While it may seem overwhelming at first, those who have walked through these tiny villages speak only of having a lovely time.

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Regional cuisine in Liguria has long been considered second-rate because of its use of simple ingredients such as second cuts of meat or farmyard animals, wild herbs and produce from the vegetable garden. However, this diet has been ‘re-evaluated’ by nutritionists who are now praising the virtues of ‘the Mediterranean diet’. The Mediterranean diet is one that is low in animal fat, rich in vegetables, fish, and white meat: this is exactly the type of cuisine that exists in Liguria which has always favored extra-virgin olive oil, vegetables, fresh fish and rabbit.

Vittorio G. Rossi wrote in his book Wines and food from Liguria ‘Nowadays, the food that our grandmothers made is being recognized as good, healthy fare. Our wine made from the stones, the sun, and the breath of the sea, bearing the perfume of the dawn in the calm of July receives the recognition due to it.’ Even pesto, (itself a symbol of Genoese cooking) is an extremely simple sauce, both in terms of preparation and ingredients (basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and olive oil): because of its simplicity it is imperative that the ingredients are of the highest quality (basil that doesn’t grow close to the sea has a totally different flavour!)

If you want to experience the delights of pesto first-hand, then Zeffirino may be the place to try: here you can try the specialties of Liguria NB: be prepared to spend a little bit more than you had budgeted for. If you prefer something a little more simple but would still like to try la torta Pasqualina (a savoury vegetable tart) as well as minestrone alla genovese a Struppa Geneose minestrone then you could try Piro and the historical Luchin in Chivari; here you can try a delicious farinata (traditional tart made with chick-pea flour) and stuffed vegetables.

The popular, tasty focaccia bread made with cheese deserves a mention, as does its birthplace of Recco (20km from Genoa), and the two popular restaurants where you can indulge in its flavour: Manuelina and Vittorio . Although fish may not be a primary ingredient in Ligurian cooking (as it tends to favour dishes from the ‘vegetable garden’ and the ‘farmyard’), a wide range of fish recipes can be tried at Rina and Da Vittorio in the center of the city. If you want to combine gastronomical delights with a trip to the Riviera, then try Polpo Mario in Sestri Levante or Puny in Portofino, you won’t regret the little bit extra you may find yourself paying.
Buon appetito!

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Dancing among music waves with the sea in the background in Genoa’s long and glowing nights!

Long established Discos renewing themselves over time… to the beat of all the world’s music. Genoa, an increasingly multiethnic city, is enlivened with salsa, merengue and everything else coming from Latin America, ironically the continent discovered by Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus!

But Genoa also dances to the African beat, following echoes from the Orient, exploring the melting-pot of Mediterranean music, without abandoning the local rhythms of evergreen and revival music. For today’s and yesterday’s young people. For all tastes, For all budgets.

Where do people dance?
In  discos located in various parts of the city; on the” rotonde”(round terraces)  overlooking the sea arranged by the managers of the private beaches; people dance  open-air, during food festivals ,  in trendy places, perhaps enjoying appetizing specialties, between music and “off” theatre; people dance at Palazzo Ducale during the “Notte Rosa” (Pink night) on Women’s Day and in Piazza Matteotti around the Big Bonfire on the Night of Saint John’s Eve.

Also the promenade of Corso Italia – which is about two kilometres from the centre and running along the rocky cliffs overhanging the sea – is lined with night clubs (with live music), private beaches, small bars, but above all it is a meeting place.

In various areas of the city, from the east to the west, from the Old Port to the valleys of the hinterland, there are many friendly places with entertainment opportunities. The list of bars, cafés, restaurants and other nightlife places is available at Turismoinliguria in the “Staying” section under “Food”.

Disco Clubs in Genoa :  

  RE SCORPIONE
VIA XX SETTEMBRE 26 p. amezz -

16121 GENOVA

Covo di Nord Est
Lungomare Rossetti 1
SANTA MARGHERITA LIGURE
Tel. 0185.286.558 (fax 0185.283.477)

JASMINE CAFE’

Via Gabriele D’annunzio 19 - Genova
Tel. 010.541273

PISCINA DEI CASTELLI

Piazzale Marinai D’italia 3 - Sestri Levante - Genova
Tel. 0185.480001

CEZANNE

 Via Antonio Cecchi 7/R - Genova
Tel. 010.541607

Mako
Corso Italia 28r - Via Pogdora 17r
GENOVA
Tel. 010.367.652

Carillon
Via Paraggi al Mare 10, Paraggi
SANTA MARGHERITA LIGURE
Tel. 0185.286.721

LA BOTTEGA DEL CONTE

Via Delle Grazie 47/R - Genova
Tel. 010.2468356

LA BERLOCCA

Via Macelli Di Soziglia 45/R - Genova
Tel. 010.2474162

LE CORBUSIER

Via San Donato 36/R - Genova
Tel. 010.2468652

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Loved-up Jen, who turns 39 on July 24, and Marc, 39, have enjoyed the sights of the Italian Riviera while on holidays at the home of fashion designer Stefano Gabbana.

The trip wasn’t all rest and relaxation for J.Lo, who has been working hard to shed the last of her baby weight with daily swims, gym workouts and exhausting treks through Italy’s Cinque Terre national park.

Walking along the winding trails of the Cinque Terre national park with husband Marc Anthony and design icon Domenicio Dolce, Jennifer Lopez is certainly taking in the best Italy has to offer while on her current trip to the stunning Mediterranean country. Enjoying a relaxing break in the celeb haven of Portofino, the latina diva has been experiencing the charms of its rugged coastline first hand.
Having recently taken up a fitness regime in the wake of the birth of her twins in February, the mum-of-two will have found no shortage of physical activity on offer while visiting the five coastal villages which fall within the environs of the famous national park.

Connected by kilometres of trails which hug the dramatic, rocky coastline, the cliff top communities - which are accessible by walks that vary from romantic strolls to challenging hikes - offer spectacular views of the Mediterranean below and the hills above.

Another means of visiting the charming fishing villages is by boat, which is another option for the Love Don’t Cost A Thing star who’s also been spending time aboard Domenicio Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s luxury yacht.

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