Norwegian Cruise Line has officially kicked off its European cruise season.
06.04.2024 - 10:27 / cntraveler.com
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
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Francesco Carrozzini
For Milan-born, New York-based filmmaker Francesco Carrozzini, being in Portofino is like a homecoming. The Ligurian resort town was the backdrop to nearly all his early summers and remains a place he returns to each year. But unlike his childhood, he often avoids being there in August. “Portofino is hard to reach, which for years kept it protected,” he says. “But now it hits capacity—and in August it is just too crowded.” Instead, Carrozzini insists mid-September is the sweet spot. “Most tourists have left and the Italians are back in school; it reminds me of those last days of summer where I would stay out from early morning to sunset and enjoy every minute.”
How would you describe Portofino in September?
It’s quiet, fewer boats dot the harbor. When I stroll through the square, I can take my time chatting with the vendors. In August they are too busy for that. A favorite spot is Bar Jolly, where I’ll chat with the owner, Mauro, for hours. This place is wonderful—it channels 1950s Riviera with old-school stripes and wood lacquered tables. In August, there is so much glitz that passes through Portofino but in September that’s all gone and the place starts to feel timeless again.
The crowds clear in the Piazzetta come September
Boat rides are a preferred mode of transportation, even in the fall
What do you look forward to eating this time of year?
I can’t decide between two very dear places to me. Taverna del Marinaio, owned by Manu and Paolo, feels like having dinner at a friend’s house. In September, I see all the people I grew up with in there, and I always eat marinated scampi. It is out of this world, done in some citrussy thing, like ceviche. Then I order a zucchini frittata, which is served in small bites, followed by the moscardini—like a baby octopus—cooked with wine and rosemary.
Do you have any other go-to spots?
Concordia—it’s more hidden. It’s not in the square and there is no view but it is family-owned. In Portofino, we say the owners are the mayors of food. All the Portofinese eat here when they go out. Do the pastas.
Tell me about the weather in September—how does it transform Portofino?
It’s warm and the sea feels like an open-air pool. The trees turn golden and they add a fragrance to the air—especially the maritime pines, which get exacerbated by the coolness in the air this time of year. It
Norwegian Cruise Line has officially kicked off its European cruise season.
At the risk of sounding like a culinary simpleton, I’ve always been a fan of buffets.
When is the best time to visit Italy?
Traveling to Europe in the summer months is a rite of passage—steamy nights spent in the south of Spain, snoozy days on the most beautiful Greek islands, breezy afternoons sipping rosé on a terrace in the South of France. But as tourism levels continue to rise after a few quiet years, and peak-season temperatures climb from Italy to Croatia, is the appeal of a big European summer holiday dwindling?
“From the lush landscapes to the faultless food, you'll never be short of things to do - or eat - on an Italian escape,” says tour guide Lorne Blyth.
Italy became the latest EU country to launch a Digital Nomad visa, giving remote workers the perfect opportunity to combine work with more pleasure while traveling around the country. As of 4 April, a new law now allows people without an EU passport (or any other visa) to legally stay in the country and work long-term.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
The delights of Italy are universal: clinking Negronis in Rome, spinning a Riva through Venice’s Grand Canal, island-hopping off the shores of Sicily, all interlaced with hefty doses of wine, mozzarella, and art. It’s this limitless allure that has travelers from all over the world descend on the boot with near insatiable fervency, and often all at the same time—at least that’s how it can feel when trying to claim an inch of the Amalfi’s rocky beachfront in July. But in arriving en masse, travelers risk muting the very thing they come to enjoy: the essence of the place, as conjured by the lifestyle that Italians pull off with aplomb.