Return to Rapallo

I'd stayed just outside Rapallo with Swedish friends at the end of June and it was great to have the chance to return with Gareth. Because we'd gone to the chestnut festival in Piedmont, I figured we could overnight here on our way to Tuscany and Umbria.

We arrived here the day after the big storms and the flooding that had cost a man his life in Genoa. The sea was still pretty wild, washing up soil and debris on the beaches in the bay and around the boats moored in the marina, and throwing up spray over the promenade. There were no boat trips running.

During the day, we walked around the town and along the sea front in each direction. It threatened rain and at one point, we couldn't see the hills behind the town because the black rain clouds were so low. It looked very dramatic and it was interesting to see the town out of season, after having seen it so full of Italian tourists in beach cafes, and lined up on rows of sun loungers in the summer.

In the evening, the skies cleared and there was a beautiful sunset behind Rapallo castle. So, after watching this, we headed into the streets behind the promenade and ate the local speciality of trofie, which is tube shaped pasta with pesto, potatoes and green beans.