Weather is not our accomplice but we decide to leave for Camogli nevertheless. Every year, on a Sunday in May, the local tourist association organizes the Fish festival and all the citizens make their best to achieve great results.
Liguria is one of the preferred destination for Northern Italians who haven't got any other access to the sea so, particularly during the summer, beaches and towns are really very crowded.
Typical spots look like little villages perched on the mountains with a lot of coloured houses that create a sort of rainbow collage reflecting upon the sea.
The origins of the fish festival date back to 1952 when, on occasion of the celebration for Saint Fortunato, the Patron of fishermen, the lawyer Degregori decided to fry some fish on the main square of the town to be served for free to the tourists. The event became always more and more successful and the organizers proudly built a stainless steel pan, whose dimensions allowed it to become the biggest pan of the world.
After having obtained our ticket to get fried fish, we decide to come back later because now the queue is too long. You can decide to visit the Church that dominates over our heads and that is the product of different rebuildings. The interior, in Baroque style, is divided into 3 naves and it's characterized by fine golden stucco, polychrome marbles, and chrystal chandeliers.
Camogli is really very close to Recco and a must of recco is the Focaccia of Recco that is filled with cheese...it's something delicious you cannot miss. And if you decide to rest some hours on the beach, just behind the church there is a pelnty of bakers, one of which allows you to stare at men preparing this special and delicious kind of bread.
FOCACCIA DI RECCO
Ingredients (for a 60cm diameter pan):
500g "00" flour;
50g extra vergin olive oil;
natural water;
salt;
1kg fresh cheese, like squacquerone.
Work together the flour, the salt, the oil and the water until you get a soft and smooth dough. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes in a recipient covered with a cotton cloth. Then take a portion of the dough and start rolling out the dough with a circular movement paying attention not to break it because the result must be 1mm high. Put the pastry on a previuosly greased pan. Distribute the cheese with the shape of a nut over the dough to cover all the surface homogeneously. Take the other portion of the dough and work at it in the same way of the previous one and lay it down on the the other to cover the focaccia.
Weld the edges of the to sheets to prevent the leakage of the cheese during cooking. Nip the surface to create some holes. Sprinkle olive oil and, at your leisure, pour some salt on it. Cook in the oven, preheated to 270-320°, for 4-5 minutes until the surface goldens.
Ingredients (for a 60cm diameter pan):
500g "00" flour;
50g extra vergin olive oil;
natural water;
salt;
1kg fresh cheese, like squacquerone.
Work together the flour, the salt, the oil and the water until you get a soft and smooth dough. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes in a recipient covered with a cotton cloth. Then take a portion of the dough and start rolling out the dough with a circular movement paying attention not to break it because the result must be 1mm high. Put the pastry on a previuosly greased pan. Distribute the cheese with the shape of a nut over the dough to cover all the surface homogeneously. Take the other portion of the dough and work at it in the same way of the previous one and lay it down on the the other to cover the focaccia.
Weld the edges of the to sheets to prevent the leakage of the cheese during cooking. Nip the surface to create some holes. Sprinkle olive oil and, at your leisure, pour some salt on it. Cook in the oven, preheated to 270-320°, for 4-5 minutes until the surface goldens.
The sun seems to peep and so we decide to approach the harbour and take a boat to the Monastery of San Fruttuoso. It could be reached also by trekking on the mountains since this part of the region belongs to the ground and marine Park of Portofino. While approaching the little bay, you can admire it, overthere occupying most of the bay itself with the blue transparent water in front. The complex was built in the X century by Greek monks and rebuilt and restored during the following centuries. It became property of a Genoa family, the Dorians, that in the XX century donated it to FAI - Italian Environment Fund.
You can enter the complex and visit the cloister, the tomb of the Dorians and a museum. Once entered, it will seem to be in a little village with fruit trees typical of the coast. Then you can exit and take the stairs up to the tower where ancient jewels are exposed.Enjoy a drink on the terrace of the bar nearby facing the wonderful movements of the sea. We go back to Camogli because we have to eat our fry...
We have to go back to Milan, the way is long and the evening is approaching... let's go!
We go up the very narrow streets to flow out on the main street of the town that is full of artesan shops.
Enjoy this region because, particularly during summer, it's a wonderful source of beautiful spots where to rest and to taste very good food!
We go up the very narrow streets to flow out on the main street of the town that is full of artesan shops.
Enjoy this region because, particularly during summer, it's a wonderful source of beautiful spots where to rest and to taste very good food!
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