Ciao from Italy!

When I think about Italy, I think of sunshine, beautiful old buildings, delicious food, vineyards, and lemons.

Ventimiglia – Italy

During my 2022 Europe vacation, I only spent one day in Italy, in the small town of Ventimiglia  near the French border. It may not be one of Italy’s most famous destinations, but it gave me one of those unexpected travel memories that sticks with you.

Ventimiglia is close enough to France that you can easily explore both countries in the same trip. One morning we hopped on the train in Nice for a daytrip to this historic town (1-hour train ride).  I remember beautiful views of the Mediterranean on the right, and pastel-colored buildings against a backdrop of mountains on the left.

Ventimiglia, with a population of 23,000+, sits along the Mediterranean coast. It was just a short walk from the train station to the beach through the old town. I saw trees on the sidewalk, loaded with oranges, and was happy to grab a “real” cappuccino in a small café. Best Italian coffee ever! That day it drizzled a bit, but a little rain didn’t stop the fun.

Medieval village

The old town of Ventimiglia (pronounced ven-tee-MEEL-yah), known as Ventimiglia Alta, is a medieval hilltop village. It is famous for its maze of narrow cobblestone alleys, colorful historic houses, and great views of the Ligurian Sea. Ventimiglia means “20 miles” (venti miglia) in Italian, and the town is about 20 miles away from the French border, but… it’s not the origin of the name. The name is actually from an ancient Ligurian dialect “Albium Intemelium”, meaning capital city of the Intemelii (ancient Ligurian tribe). Over the years it changed from Vintimilium into Ventimiglia.

Pebble stone beach

When we reached the beach, I was surprised to see that it wasn’t covered in soft sand. Instead, the shore was made up of thousands of smooth, rounded stones. I had never seen a pebble stone beach before! Walking along it was definitely different from walking on sand, but there was something beautiful about all those little stones polished by the sea.

Sidewalk dinner

Before heading back to Nice, we wanted a traditional, Italian seafood pasta dinner and found a casual restaurant with “outside” seating. Like many other cities in Europe, our table was set on the sidewalk where we had dinner, right in front of some parked cars and scooters. When in Rome…

So much more to explore in Italy

Of course, one day wasn’t nearly enough time to discover Italy. There is still so much I would love to see someday—Rome and the Colosseum, Florence and its Renaissance treasures, Venice and its canals, and the beautiful countryside of Tuscany.

And then there is the food! Italy has given the world so many beloved dishes, from pizza and pasta to gelato and tiramisu (my favorite dessert). But I think one of the best things about Italian food is that it is often about simple, fresh ingredients shared with people you love.

So, as you explore Italy through this month’s Mail Club, I hope you imagine yourself wandering down a little Italian street, listening to the sounds of everyday life, and perhaps stopping for a scoop of gelato along the way. Join the Mail Club to get your own Italian fun mail!

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Other explorers: Things to do in Ventimiglia  – Italy Fun Facts