At the far end of the eastern Ligurian Riviera lies a rugged coastline that stretches from the "Bay of Poets", so dear to Byron and Shelley, to the "Cinque Terre", five characteristic villages whose brightly-coloured houses are pressed narrowly together like a bunch of grapes hanging over the sea and on
to Portofino, a name evocative of enchanting landscapes, deep coves and the yachts of the famous. Just a short train ride separates the towns dotted along this strip of Liguria, and everywhere the tourist can be sure of traditional hospitality, excellent food cooked according to traditional Ligurian recipes, white wine from their hillsides and delicious olive-oil, whose renown dates from the days of the Republic of Genoa. Anyone coming from afar to spend their holiday here is given the chance to discover the other side of Italy: besides the Italy recognized throughout the world as a becon of civilization - with its great painters, sculptors and architects, whose eternal message is one of undying beauty - there is another Italy you can experience here. It is a world of simple everyday life, where people spend their time out on the streets or on their doorsteps, where the alleyways are so narrow there is hardly room for two people to pass each other, where boats lie out to dry on the street and fishermen and wine-makers continue their ancient struggle to master the sea and the steep hillsides.