ITALY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1231

of the season, you'll pay extra (around €80) in June and July. The prices I've listed are the
maximum for April through October. For a terrace or view, you might pay an extra €20 or
more. Apartments for four can be economical for families—figure around €120.
It's smart to reserve your room in advance in May, June, July, and September, and on
weekends and holidays. At other times, you can land a double room on any day by just ar-
riving in town (ideally by noon) and asking around at bars and restaurants, or simply by
approaching locals on the street. Many travelers enjoy the opportunity to shop around a bit
and get the best price by bargaining. Private rooms—called affitta camere —are no longer
an intimate stay with a family. They are generally comfortable apartments (often with small
kitchens) where you get the key and come and go as you like, rarely seeing your landlord.
Manylandownersrentthebuildingsbytheyeartolocalmanagers,whothenattempttomake
a profit by filling them night after night with tourists. While air-conditioning is essential in
the summer elsewhere in Italy, in the breezy Cinque Terre you can generally manage fine
without it.
For the best value, visit several private rooms and snare the best. Going direct cuts out
the middleman and softens prices. Staying more than one night gives you bargaining lever-
age. Plan on paying cash. Private rooms are generally bigger and more comfortable than
those offered by pensions and have the same privacy as a hotel room.
If you want the security of a reservation, make it at a hotel long in advance (smaller
places generally don't take reservations very far ahead). Query by email, not fax. If you do
reserve, honor your reservation (or, if you must cancel, do it as early as possible). Since
people renting rooms usually don't take deposits, they lose money if you don't show up.
Eating in the Cinque Terre
Hanging out at a sea-view restaurant while sampling local specialties could become one of
your favorite memories.
Tegame alla Vernazza is the most typical main course in Vernazza: anchovies, potatoes,
tomatoes, white wine, oil, and herbs. Anchovies ( acciughe ; ah-CHOO-gay) are ideally
served the day they're caught. There's nothing cool about being an anchovy virgin. If
you've always hated anchovies (the harsh, cured-in-salt American kind), try them fresh
here. Pansotti are ravioli with ricotta and a mixture of greens, often served with a walnut
sauce...delightful and filling.
While antipasto means cheese and salami in Tuscany, here you'll get antipasti frutti di
mare (or antipasti misti ), a plate of mixed “fruits of the sea” and a fine way to start a meal.
Many restaurants are particularly proud of their antipasti frutti di mare —it's how they show
off. For two diners, splitting one of these and a pasta dish can be plenty.
This region is the birthplace of pesto. Basil, which loves the temperate Ligurian climate,
is ground with cheese (half parmigiano cow cheese and half pecorino sheep cheese), garlic,