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Seclusion on the Italian Riviera: Tellaro and the Gulf of Poets

Maybe you only think of pesto and the Cinque Terre when you think of Liguria. Well, stop it. The pencil-thin region of Liguria is loaded with places tourists don’t know about. Of all those places, Tellaro might just be my favorite.

It’s a small, seaside village . Houses spill down the hillside toward the tiny, secluded harbor that you can swim in, topless if you’d like. Tellaro’s main piazza is a wide spot in the road. But that piazza has a number of bars and restaurants nearby. One, the Miramare, even has a Michelin star. Still, you don’t have to be squished in with the tourist hordes when you visit Tellaro.

Because it’s not the Cinque Terre.

Tellaro and its harbor

Tellaro and its harbor

Ok, I shouldn’t be telling you all this stuff. Tellaro should remain a secret. And if small town life seems dull, well, take off in the ferry in the summer for Lerici with its fine castle or go to the Cinque Terre or Portofino. The marble quaries of Carrara aren’t far away, and Lucca beckons from the Autostrada. It’s seclusion with options, the smart choice.

You’ll want to stay in a place with a view of the sea. Clio is just such a place. Your view of the sea will be unobstructed.

Percy B. Shelley, with his wife Mary, the creator of Frankenstein, along with Lord George G. Byron were known to meander through the streets of Tellaro, at least when they weren’t swimming in the Gulf of Poets. What better recommendation than from poets? Isn’t it about time poets rose to social prominence again, perhaps displacing tee-vee stars and warmongers as our guides to the intellectual good life?

Sicily: Stay in Portopalo like Michael Schumacher

It’s sometimes hard for us earth-bound peasants to get a glimpse of the beautiful people, especially if they drive fast like Michael Schumacher–you know, the formula uno Ferrari guy. But…an opportunity might just be heading your way.

You see, Michael might be buying Castle Tafurilocated nearby Portopalo in Sicily, according to Sicily Guide.

Grecale, Sicily vacation rental

Grecale, Sicily vacation rental

So, if you’re a fan, maybe you’d like to be residing close by. Maybe in that rather nice Sicily vacation rental over there, called Grecale. It’s located on a hill behind the above referenced town of Portopalo. Hidden from view, with a pool and gardens.

But just imagine, If Michael Schumacher’s wife gets her way and Michael buys this castle of his, then maybe one day you get in the rental car and happen to pull up at a stop sign right next to Mr. Schumacher’s beast. You blip the throttle, then you speed off down the road toward the supermarket, with Schumacher in close pursuit. The cars touch lightly at the big right hander entering the parking lot, but you hold your ground and nurse the car into the best spot near the door of the super ahead of the exasperated Mr. Schumacher.

Can you imagine? I mean imagine the scenario as presented, rather than imagine the crap you’re gonna get from the wife and the guy at the rental car desk.

I’m pretty sure Michael will be cool with it.

But then, you better hide out for a bit, with or without the wife depending upon the amplitude of her ire. I’d try the island of Pantelleria, between Sicily and Tunisia. Nobody would come looking for you there, I’m sure.


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