he Italian Riviera is the most beautiful place on the planet. The Levante side specifically. Yes, yes, yes, not only is there a Riviera in Italy and France, but in Italy there are two of them! The Ponente stretches from Genoa to the French border. This includes San Remo and a lot of other little known towns. And then there's the Levante side, from Genoa east to the start of Tuscany at Carrara. This includes Portofino, Rapallo, Santa Margherita, Camogli, Chiavari, and a lot of other little known towns you should definitely visit. The Ponente and Levante Rivieras are both in the Italian region called Liguria. Picture this: Steep hills in all kinds of pointy directions, overlapping themselves, covered with the silvery-green of olive trees. Picture this: The steep hills slowly plummet downward until they are gobbled up by a body of water that is so turquoise, so translucent, so historical it's gotta be the Mediterranean. It is! Along the snaky coastline are rocky, sandy, and boulder-type beaches; rowboat, motorboat, and yacht-filled harbors; classy, casual, and quirky cafes; and delicious, delectable you-can-eat-the-restaurant-building-it's-so-good restaurants. These are all connected by a friendly, frequent, meandering train; and the very famous ancient (Roman) highway, Via Aurelia. To get from sea level to high hill level, narrow roads weave through olive trees and pastel villas. Tiny Italian cars driven by race car drivers (not professionals, just your everyday Italians) speed along, taking hairpin turns with a casual pinky on the wheel. People walk up the near-vertical hills too. I did. Usually, at the most inopportune times, like twelve noon in August. By the time I reached my destination I was hyperventilating and in sweat-soaked clothing. Still, I was able to smile and wave nonchalantly to the 70 year-old woman slowly and coolly gliding past me. The people here have the nature around them running through their veins. Rugged. That's it. Picture rugged and elegant. Sounds incongruous? That's the Riviera.