Liguria

As Andrea Grisdale begins her Ligurian series, the route calls for one meaningful pause before the Riviera. In Viareggio, a coastal town long loved for its beach culture, mountain backdrop and proximity to Lucca, Pisa and the Cinque Terre, she finds a place that feels both familiar and full of promise. During the slow season months, the town reveals a different kind of energy, more open, more reflective and rich with the anticipation of the road ahead.

Her stay begins at Hotel Plaza e de Russie, where Andrea explores how thoughtful hospitality is shaped through intuition, warmth and care for the smallest details. From there, she steps into Viareggio’s celebrated carnival traditions before continuing toward Liguria for a first glimpse of the Cinque Terre, where terraced vineyards, coastal villages and steep paths reveal the extraordinary determination behind some of Italy’s most dramatic landscapes.

As the episode draws to a close, Andrea reflects on the value of traveling with curiosity rather than urgency. This opening stop is not simply a detour, but a reminder that the most memorable routes are carefully shaped, allowing each place, person and experience to add meaning to what comes next.