Riccione Live Cam

Emilia Romagna has a double identity, starting with its name. Double, as it is made up of mountains and plains. Double, as it is impossible to confuse the Byzantine part with the Longobard Oltrepo. Nevertheless, there are still numerous cohesive elements that unite it together in harmony; like the Via Emilia, that passes through the cities acting as a hinge between the two geographical worlds of Ravenna Romagnola, and aristocratic Ferrara, anything but Romagnola though not completely Emiliana, both splendid cities immersed in the plain of Padania.

The coast with its famous resorts enhancing the magnificent Adriatic shores has attained great success in tourism by integrating with a regional fabric that was once agricultural. A land of culture, Emilia Romagna houses numerous theatres, like the Regio of Parma and the communal theatres of Bologna and Faenza. Outstanding amongst the monuments, the two towers of Bologna, the Baptistery of Parma, Teodorico's Mausoleum at Ravenna, the precious mosaics of San Vitale, and the ducal gardens of Colorno and Sassuolo. Emilia Romagna is also a region of art, where the Romanesque enhances the great cathedrals of Modena, Parma, Fidenza, Piacenza, and Ferrara, and three great sculptors, Wiligelmo, Benedetto Antelami and the Maestro of the Mesi di Ferrara.

The station lies between the sea and the old town district (10 minutes' walk) in Piazzale Cesare Battisti. The town's main bus station is very close to here in Via Clementini. There is a local tourist office just outside the railway station where the staff will help you to find accommodation, except in the high season (the first two weeks of August) when you must book in advance.

Emilia Romagna and the Marches for Nature Lovers

If you love wildlife, waterfowl, broad sweeping valleys, rugged wind-swept mountain ridges and peaceful river deltas, you must visit this part of Italy sooner or later. It offers all manner of wonders, beginning from the delta of the Po, one of Europe's major rivers. Although it is sadly unprotected, it is nonetheless a mecca for thousands of migrating birds, who especially love the Comacchio, Argenta and Campotto lagoons. Come here in winter and you are certain to spot the large grey bean geese, the pink-legged greylag geese, along with clouds of coot and black tern. You can drive to the area yourself, or (in summer) join one of the many boat excursions that leave from as far away as Ferrara. Another great spot for birdwatchers is Torrile, about 12 miles from Parma, where LIPU (the Italian League for the Protection of Birds) has established a refuge for about 175 species of waterfowl.

Farther south is the rugged coastline around Monte Conero, near Ancona. A well-marked path traverses the headlands here from north to south: starting at the Hotel Internazionale in Portonovo, follow the yellow-red-blue dashes to Badia, then on to Sirolo. This should take you about four hours. The path continues inland for 8 days of hiking.

A totally different environment reigns at Abetone and Monte Cimone, the mountain ridges that mark Romagna's border with Tuscany. Here you can hop onto the Great Appennine Excursion (GEA) inaugurated by Reinhold Messner in 1983. The entire path is 250 miles long, but you can take a lovely four-hour hike starting from Lago Santo, accessible by car. Take trail 5 to the Foce a Giovo, then follow trail 7 to the 6500-foot summit of Monte Bondinaio.

Also along the Tuscan border are the incredibly lush Casentinesi Forests, the most important woodlands in the Appennines. All sorts of hiking possibilities present themselves here, including a two-day stretch of the GEA; you can experience a 5-hour section of it between Camaldoli and Passo della Calla. Or try the 2-hour ascent of Monte Penna from the Camaldoli Hermitage.

Remembering Italy

Whenever June came around, I used to pack up the car and head for Greece. The quickest way to get there was to drive down to Brindisi and ferry overnight to Patras. But other times, I would head up to the Marches and leave from the port of Ancona, a great town with lots to see and poke around in. Just hanging out at the piers was fun, lingering for hours over espresso at a cafe table, watching the boats coming and going.

Taking the boat to Greece cost more from Ancona, and I had to spend an extra night aboard, but so what? I love traveling on boats. Plus, there were many advantages to leaving from there, not the least of which was a chance to stop in any Ancona eating place for a dish of the great fish soup they're famous for. The natives call it brodetto, which means "little broth," a name that always puzzled me because the last thing it was was a "little broth." Not by a long shot.

In a pan, saute 1-1/2 cups coarsely-chopped onion in 3 T olive oil. When golden, add the cuttlefish or squid which have been cut in strips. Cover with water to which you've added a good pinch of saffron and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Drain and reserve the stock.

Cut the fish in even-sized pieces and dust them with flour and a little salt and pepper. In a pot large enough to hold everything, layer the ingredients, starting with the crustaceans, then the cooked squid or cuttlefish strips, followed by the firm-fleshed fish, and then the more delicate fish. Mix together 1-1/4 c white wine, 1 to 2 T wine vinegar, the reserved stock and enough hot water to almost cover the fish and add it to the pot. Cook on medium-high for 15 minutes, shaking the pan every few minutes to make sure nothing's sticking. To serve, put a slice of toasted or fried peasant bread (Italian or French will do) in each bowl and ladle the fish soup over. What more can I say--it just doesn't get much better than that.

Thermal Spas - A Healing Experience

Perhaps because there are so many thermal spas all over this country, Italians love to flock to them. Some of the most popular are in Emilia-Romagna, and it's a good thing, because after downing all the irrestibile rich food of the region, you too may feel the need to "take the waters." Here are three great places to try the very Italian experience of the thermal spa treatment.

Cervia: Open from April to October, this picturesque port's municipal baths (Via Forlanini 16, 48016 Cervia) offer all the usual variations of potions, mud baths, steams, sprays, massages, inhalations and body rubs.

Porretta Terme: This quiet hill town has six establishments (Via Roma, 40046 Porretta Terme), some of which incorporate hotels. It's a good choice if you really want to get away from it all and do your lungs some good.

Salsomaggiore Terme: At the other end of the spectrum, this is a bustling place full of all sorts of entertainment. Apart from countless health treatments available in baths and hotels all over town, there are wonderful outdoor cafes, boutiques, exhibitions, theatres and discotheques. This premier resort town offers foreigners a fascinating portrait of something they rarely see: turn-of-the-century Italy.

Monasteries and convents in Emilia Romagna and the Marches

Since the time of the Crusades, this part of Italy has been full of sanctuaries and convents which offered hospitality to pilgrims. Here are some you might like to visit for a quiet hour or a few peaceful days. If you do plan to stay overnight, remember that these are most emphatically not hotels. They are spiritual retreats surrounded by the silent beauties of nature. Some charge a fixed price; others ask that you make a donation. Amenities are often less than basic: be sure to find out whether you need to bring your own sheets and towels.

Chiaravalle della Colomba. Visible from the Milan-Bologna autostrada, this large complex is in the town of Alseno. It has a lovely church and a wonderful cloister decorated with frescoes and dozens of marble columns, each different from the other. Although this was once a very rich abbey, it fell into disuse for quite a long time and has only recently been returned to the monks, who sing beautifully for services. It is not possible to stay overnight, but you can buy the monks' liqueurs, made from ancient secret recipes.