Author Julia
I’ve been living in Italy for the last three years, and before that I regularly visited these parts once every two months. I managed to visit almost all the regions of this unique country and, to be honest, it’s very difficult for me to distinguish any of them, as each one is magnificent in its own way. In the series of articles about Italy there are my personal impressions and inspiration from these very places, which, I’m sure, will help you choose the place where you would like to go.
If your dream is to discover Italy, I’ll tell you right away that it is impossible to understand and embrace it the first, second or even fifteenth time. It needs to be discovered gradually, layer by layer, enjoying each of them.
LIGURIA
I live in the north of Italy, in Liguria, on the Ligurian coast, where, as local authorities say, “is the best climate in Italy”! Flowers bloom here all year round. That is why the highway leading from Livorno towards the French Riviera and passing through our Liguria is called ‘dei Fiori’ (Floral).
We are surrounded by mountains, not really high, but enough to keep warm in the winter.
Our sea is crystal clear, and the beaches are mostly sandy.
The entire Ligurian coast consists of small towns, each of them has its own special charm. One of the largest cities is San Remo, a city of youth, parties and very beautiful embankments.
Here you can find great restaurants for every taste and budget. Of course, the attraction is the San Remo Theatre-Casinò, located on a hill, surrounded by majestic palm trees and colourful flowers. In the very centre there is the Ariston Theatre, famous for the fact that the annual music competition of Italian artists takes place here.
Another really interesting seaside town is Alassio, located right on the coast, which attracts its tourists with a long sandy coastline, an abundance of small local boutiques, where you will find many unique things, from women’s and men’s wardrobe items to incredible diffusers for your home.
After an evening stroll along the sea, you can stay in one of many restaurants, taste seafood, as well as delicious Italian pasta.
The city of Imperia, where I live, is unique in its versatility. We have small but very atmospheric beaches. We have a huge port where small and large ships call, and where you can stroll along the alleys with palm trees and magnificent yachts.
The cultural life on our coast, especially in the summer, is abundant in variety and will appeal to tourists with different requests. Almost every weekend in some small towns of the region you can get to a concert of classical music, opera, jazz, and also sacred music.
This region has no drawbacks! It has enough of everything! Except for… parking :))) And if you are going here in the high season, you have to deal with it!
LOMBARDY: Milan
City of FASHION! A favorite city of artists and musicians, tourists, and the Milanese themselves.
Duomo, Teatro alla Scala, Via Monte Napoleone are famous words all over the world. There are all kinds of brand boutiques, as well as shops of local producers, elite restaurants and simple foccacerias, art galleries and exhibitions, an abundance of sports events and much more.
Italian hospitality can be found absolutely everywhere. And also if you are trying to speak the language of the locals, you will gain respect and admiration.
Milan has crazy traffic! When you travel by car, pay attention that apart from other drivers on the road there is a huge number of people on motorbikes and scooters, as well as a huge number of cyclists who very rarely follow the road rules. Traffic on the streets of Milan is complicated, but if you get used to it and relax, you will even find it interesting.
What strikes me personally when I come to Milan and have the opportunity to be a pedestrian is the absolutely diverse public. People dress the way they want to, and it is impossible to understand any trends here, that is why there is an idea that everyone dresses the way they feel comfortable, everyone can express themselves through their appearance.
Another distinctive feature of this city is the constant noise. But this noise is not from cars or the sea, this noise comes from people talking, because the concentration of people in Milan is naturally huge.
Of course, you can hear Italian, and if you speak a little of this language, at a certain point you begin to feel that very charm of understanding what the locals are talking about. And it is fascinating!
Certainly, as in any large tourist city in the world, you can hear different languages here, and all this conversation diversity creates the noise that is woven into the atmosphere of the city.
Read in the following publications about Venice, Verona, Tuscany and Monte Bianco.
Translated from Russian by Anastasia Moskalenko
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Author Julia
Основательница Сoffee Time Journal
