Io adoro Rapallo

I’ll be honest, after the excitement of the last few days, I planned to take it easy today. It’s not that I didn’t have things to do. My second language class inspired me to try and incorporate a little Italian. Forgive me for any current and future Italian errors, I’m learning! And, this afternoon, I had a couple of coaching clients.

I love to learn. I don’t mind that uncomfortable feeling that accompanies it. I know it’s a signal that I’m about to grow. So the language classes, despite the challenge are joyful. Today I felt like a local. I did some work, some shopping and I got to know Rapallo a little bit more.

How to describe Rapallo? I hope I do it justice. Rapallo is a vibrant Italian town. It’s not the rarefied beauty of Portofino. Italians live their lives in Rapallo. Stan and I feel they have made us welcome in their world. It’s clear that Italians love dogs and we’ve made friends with a few. Sadly, Stanley wasn’t with me when I met Petunia - one of 11 basset hounds - owned by the same Italian family. Isn’t she beautiful?

But he’s made lots of new friends. As we hung out in the garden this afternoon, Lucky was desperate to sneak through the wire to have a proper play with Stan. By the look of their kiss, romance was on the cards. As hard as Lucky tried, she couldn’t get through the gate. It was probably a lucky escape as Stan’s taking a break from serious relationships right now. Shame on you Stan for leading Lucky on with that kiss! At the beach, Dobbie and Stanley had different priorities. So clearly they were never meant to be!

So, if Stanley had lots of doggy friendships to explore - what about me! I enjoyed a fabulous lunch with Carol, my fellow student, sampling the delicacies of Rapallo cuisine. I have a strong sense that be it music, book or food recommendations they are a gift to be respected and indulged. So, I was delighted to follow Carol’s lead in selecting lunch. She introduced me to a Ligurian speciality, Pansoti in salsa di noci at the Ristorante Pizzeria Nettuno. Wow, was I in for a treat. It’s a traditional Genovese dish. It’s wonderful to see traditional cooking take advantage of cost effective ingredients to bring fabulous flavours to every table. The pansoti uses local herbs as a stuffing in pasta and combines it with a rich sauce made from walnuts, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and bread soaked in milk. If you make it to Rapallo take Carol’s recommendation as a gift and give it a go! And be sure to have it with a lovely glass of Ligurian wine, it would be rude not to!

What better way to have a lazy day than by checking out the local shops. Rapallo is unlike any town I’ve been to in a very long time. Come to any English town right now and you’d be forgiven for forgetting where you were. The same, not so old brand names, populate the high street, or, worse still, retail units lie empty where shops once stood. This is not the case in Rapallo.

Rapallo is a lively, local town that has retained an old style charm that is hard to beat. The only thing fake about it, is the tromp l’oeil that beautifully deceives your eyes on all the buildings! At a time when we’re all trying to figure out what is real and what is not, it felt good to feel the authenticity of a vibrant Italian town. Evidence of that authenticity was best experienced by two extra special shopping experiences. For those that know me these played into my two most significant vices - shoes and food! Gosh, it’s hard to decide what to write about first!

Let’s go with the shoes! Finding a shoe shop that dates back to 1930 and has been in the same family since has to be a mark of quality. I’d seen the shoes I wanted on the first day I arrived in Rapallo. I’m quite impressed that I’ve waited a whole two days before going to check them out. But these weren’t any old shoes, these were shoes with a story to be told. Adorning the walls the picture of the original owner and his wife were proudly displayed. Most of the shoes here are hand-made on site, to a fine quality and a reasonable price. Whilst the original owner has sadly passed, his brother and his son maintain the business. It made me smile to think, only the day before, we’d been in Portofino where luxury brands charged 5X the price of the very lovely ballet shoes I bought in the Rapallo shoe institution. And the pride of the shop assistant was evident. As I showed interest in the history of the shop, she proudly shared examples of the quality of the shoes on display and pointed out the photographs that told a story of a family through multiple generations. Maggiore is a special place - you can’t buy their shoes online, you need to come here! And I strongly recommend you do.

The family theme continued when it came to food. No Lidl, M&S, or Waitrose here. Traditional, local shops prevail and the town is all the better for it. Take this amazing store selling local delicacies including roasted chicken, stuffed peppers and a fabulous potato dish that tastes like potato dauphinoise but are denser and have a tasty breadcrumb and parmesan topping. I can’t honestly tell you exactly what this store is called. If you look in maps, it’s located on Via Giuseppe Mazzinni next to Pasitificio La Casana. Like Maggiore, this is a labour of love that involves the whole family. We were served by the owner and his father, his predecessor, watched on from the photograph about the counter. No doubt they made a pact that cooking methods wouldn’t change, whatever happened around them. A large pile of wood stood ready to burn to the left of the front door. The traditional oven range lay in wait to do its magic. Suffice to say lunch and dinner were a treat!

In my hometown of Penrith two companies remain that have been there since long before I was born. Back in the day, Arnison’s would have been considered a department store. It has served a local farming community since 1742. It was only whilst researching this post, I discovered it is the oldest retail outlet in the UK. Stock includes quality brands like Trickers and Barbour, leaning into the philosophy of buy once, cry once (thought it’s not that expensive) running counter to the prevailing desire for fast fashion. The other, is the Toffee Shop, provider of quality toffee since 1910. It counts the Royal Family amongst its customers. Perhaps it’s this heritage that makes me so appreciative of family businesses that stand the test of time. Do you have a family business in your town that inspires you? Feel free to share in the comments!

Petunia the basset hound

Lucky, unlucky in love!

Dobbie and Stanley; dogs with different priorities

Maggiore - fabulous handmade Italian shoes

Who could resist Maggiore shoes

Keeping it in the family, with his father watching over

Cooking methods that stand the test of time