Camogli - Toddlers' World - IgoUgo Camogli Journal

Camogli - Toddlers' World

Overview

On the way to S Rocco Photo - Camogli, Italy

Quote:

This was our first trip to Italy with Gioia, and going on the Italian attitude to children, we should have gone a long time ago. It is wonderful, and definitely the highlight of our week in Liguria. Gioia started off by making friends with a group of teenagers on the train to Camogli, and the trip ended with a kiss at Genoa Airport passport control. In between, she made friends all over the place and we learned several lovely adjectives for “bella”, “carina”, “bimba”, “bambolina” Gioia. With lots of safe running-around space, Camogli is great for toddlers. Gioia took full advantage, going up and down arcaded “tunnels”, pursuing boats in the harbour, and giving the local cats some exercise. S...Read More

Cheer!
Flag

Camogli (General)

Attraction | "A toddler in Camogli – friends everywhere"

Quote:

Gioia made friends all over Liguria. She generously shared them with us, and it was fun being there with her. We should have gone to Italy a lot earlier in her life and we will definitely be back. Hopefully soon.We really enjoyed the Italian attitude—official and civilian—to children. It all started when the Genoa airport personnel revealed the secret toddlers’ queue-jumping entrance to passport control. It ended with a kiss from passport control as we left. In between, Gioia made friends with a group of teenagers on the train to Camogli, was the recipient of endless shop freebies, and learned a lot of lovely small-person adjectives(“bimba”, “bambolina”, “carina”, “bella”). The only blot on ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 1, 2007

Camogli (General)

Camogli, Italy

Cheer!
Flag

Camogli (General)

Attraction | "Camogli town in the afternoon"

Quote:

During our week in Camogli, our base was at the house of friends among the olive groves a fifteen-minute walk out of town. Each morning, we walked into town for breakfast, provisions, and running-around. In the afternoon, we would either head back into town, or enjoy the bushy environs of our home for the week. Both “town” and “country” options were pleasant and fun.We spent most of our town afternoons on via XX Settembre. Directly in front of the train station, and one steep block up from the waterfront, via XX Settembre is Camogli’s other main tourist street. It is largely pedestrianized, with only the occasional bus and service vehicle to keep you on your toes. It is also where the weekly...Read More

During our week in Camogli, our base was at the house of friends among the olive groves a fifteen-minute walk out of town. Each morning, we walked into town for breakfast, provisions, and running-around. In the afternoon, we would either head back into town, or enjoy the bushy environs of our home for the week. Both “town” and “country” options were pleasant and fun.

We spent most of our town afternoons on via XX Settembre. Directly in front of the train station, and one steep block up from the waterfront, via XX Settembre is Camogli’s other main tourist street. It is largely pedestrianized, with only the occasional bus and service vehicle to keep you on your toes. It is also where the weekly Wednesday market is held.

We enjoyed stumbling on the Wednesday street market, and particularly enjoyed watching the wonderful selection of fresh produce being bought up by the selective shoppers of the town. Beautiful arrays of fruit, particularly oranges, and vegetables, notably artichokes, were on display. The market started outside the train station, with the clothing and plastic household utensils stalls extending well down the street, past the barber and the supermarket, and past the square where we enjoyed our Sicilian blood oranges while looking down on the sea, and the toystore where Gioia enjoyed riding on the rocking coin-operated bus outside.

It was fun to wander up and down via Settembre, particularly when the afternoon sun made the waterfront too hot for comfort. It is also where we did most of our other-than-focacia shopping, with the town’s only supermarket (small but adequate), a couple of pharmacies, some great bakeries, a small toy store (source of bubbles), and a great fresh produce store. We quickly learned that most of these stores are closed in the afternoons, and that only one small store, a source of great fresh pesto and pasta, is open on Sundays. We learned to let the vegetable store owner select strawberries and zuccinis for us, and that the Italian words for “egg” (uovo) and “grape” (uvo) can be easily mangled and confused.

On a couple of afternoons, we ended up back on the beachfront for gelatos. Gioia had never had ice-cream before, and we wanted her first experience to be a memorable one. Sitting under the arches of the gelateria with our cup of cherry gelato, with the sea lapping on the pebbles behind us, certainly fit the bill.

Heading for home along the beachfront, we made a couple of stops at the town merry-go-round. Gioia LOVED this. So did we, with grandma running the ticket booth and nearby soccer players dodging the revolving horses and ferraris to occasionally retrieve their ball. All very friendly and small-town.
Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 1, 2007

Camogli (General)

Camogli, Italy

Cheer!
Flag

Camogli (General)

Attraction | "Camogli town in the morning"

Quote:

During our week in Camogli, our base was at the house of friends among the olive groves a fifteen-minute walk out of town. Walking into Camogli in the morning, our first distraction en route was often the lush grounds of the Hotel Cenobio. Here, Gioia enjoyed counting the beautiful big pink hydraengeas and their friends. She also admired a couple of statues in the grounds, a hairy cavalier “dada” with big hat and flowing moustache, and a nubile, albeit headless, “mama”.Leaving the hotel, and before the first focaccia stop of the morning, we would pass the big (approximately 10 feet in diameter) old frying pans that had seen better days as centrepieces of Camogli’s annual big fish f...Read More

During our week in Camogli, our base was at the house of friends among the olive groves a fifteen-minute walk out of town.

Walking into Camogli in the morning, our first distraction en route was often the lush grounds of the Hotel Cenobio. Here, Gioia enjoyed counting the beautiful big pink hydraengeas and their friends. She also admired a couple of statues in the grounds, a hairy cavalier “dada” with big hat and flowing moustache, and a nubile, albeit headless, “mama”.

Leaving the hotel, and before the first focaccia stop of the morning, we would pass the big (approximately 10 feet in diameter) old frying pans that had seen better days as centrepieces of Camogli’s annual big fish fry (the “Sagra del Pesce” - the highlight of the local tourism calendar – on 13 May this year). It is still possible to make out a rusty fish painted on one of them, and this was enough for Gioia to launch into her “slippery fish” song-and-dance routine.

Just past the frying pans, the road becomes via Garibaldi, the pedestrianized beach-front promenade. There are several tourist- and local-friendly focacerias along this promenade, and this is where we would have our breakfast. Gioia was a big fan of the plain focacias with garlic and oil, while we also enjoyed a few of the more exotic options on offer. The pizzas never made it past the toddler taste test.

With the Camogli beach-front being pedestrianized, Gioia was free to run and explore at will. She enjoyed looking at the sea (“swish, swish”) through the railing, but the big highlight was the narrow covered arcades at the far end of the promenade. We spent several productive minutes running up and down these “tunnels”. Passing through the tunnel at the end of the promenade, we came to Camogli’s small harbour. Gioia enjoyed watching the boats and talking to the friendly harbourside cats and dogs. We took a detour up to the beautiful seafront church and we enjoyed climbing on the cannons that faced out to sea.

Overlooking the harbour, we stopped a couple of times for coffee and frothy milk. The pedestrianized area in front, complete with pebbled compass for running over and around, did the job and also provided a safe viewpoint for watching the boats bobbing in the harbour. The late-morning mid-week restaurants were not open and their tables provided a good venue for our picnics. It was all pleasantly friendly and low-key, like most of our time in Camogli. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 1, 2007

Camogli (General)

Camogli, Italy

Cheer!
Flag

Camogli (General)

Attraction | "Outside Camogli - in the bush"

Quote:

During our week in Camogli, our base was at the house of friends among the olive groves a fifteen-minute walk out of town. Each morning we walked into town for breakfast, provisions, and running-around. In the afternoon, we would either head back into town, or enjoy the bushy environs of our home for the week. Both “town” and “country” options were pleasant and fun.Being in Liguria in April meant that the vegetation was at its best. Cherry blossoms were in full flow, semi-wild flowers were all over the path up the hill, and there were plenty of dandelions (“bubble-flowers”) for Gioia to find, pick and blow. We enjoyed walking up the easy path towards S Rocco, and we loved the peaceful evenin...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 1, 2007

Camogli (General)

Camogli, Italy

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Camogli Journals

Camogli - Toddlers' World