September 26, 2022
Rapallo
We arrived two nights ago and I am still in awe of the location of our hotel, right on the coast of the Ligurian Sea.
Today we are walking to Portofino. Gary’s sister Deb told us about it. We could walk the whole way or take a ferry. She and her husband joined us part of the way on the walk.
Then they took the ferry at Santa Margherita Ligure the rest of the way and joined us at our destination – Portofino.
The views were spectacular.
Time to kiss at the Passegiatto dei Baci!
We made it. Now to look around a bit and then get some water and some lunch. Tourists are everywhere!
There were no vegan or vegetarian restaurants anywhere, or any menu that boasted vegan options. This was a mega-tourist spot, with lots of Americans, and everyone eating ice cream. Ice cream was everywhere. We decided to stop into a market and buy some bread, avocado, and fruit. When we went inside, Gary saw a person behind the counter and it looked like he could make sandwiches. Gary asked, in English, if he could make us sandwiches with the ingredients we were buying. Either he didn’t understand, or he did. Either way, we bothered him and he practically shooed us away.
We decided to find a spot to sit by the water and make our own lunch. I peeled the avocado and broke open the bread. Ecco! We had lunch.
And the view from our make-shift restaurant was stunning.
We walked around a little bit more but this was not a place for us to linger. Fortunately, Deb and Al arrived on the ferry and they were happy to return back to Rapallo with us on the next boat out.
Ride with us on the ferry!
When we docked in Rapallo we made plans to meet Deb and Al later for dinner. Gary and I were still hungry from our light lunch. I wanted to check out Eldolz, and outdoor cafe. They had vegan ice cream on the menu! We ordered some along with fresh berries and hot tea. They knew how to make tea here, the tea service was over the top! We were each given our own tea pot with its own strainer – filled with organic loose tea. Then the server turned individual sand tea timers over so we would have perfectly brewed tea. This would become my favorite cafe while in Rapallo.
There was so much charm here. Even the bathroom was adorable.
Deb and Al had made dinner reservations at Hostaria Vecchia Rapallo. It was a lovely, cozy spot boasting traditional Ligurian dishes. They had been there on a previous trip. We informed the servers that Gary and I were vegans and we were assured we would be accommodated. We began with the wine: Niccolò V, Sangiovese, Merlot, Pollera Nera
I was excited. My first dish was mushrooms – deliziosi.
Insalata Mista was next. I was craving salad.
Next was my vegetable plate. I was looking forward to it, but was very disappointed. It was tiny, to begin with, and there was no creativity or craft in the preparation. This is when you are grateful for bread to fill your belly.
After dinner we said goodnight to Deb and Al and Gary and I walked around a bit. Such a bella notte! There was a sign that caught our eye, it was for a restaurant advertising vegan and gluten-free breakfasts. We tried to find it the next day and couldn’t. When we finally did a few days later, it was disappointing. This poster seemed like deceptive advertising!
