Davide & Didi
The local and his boat. A Cinque Terre must.
If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m all about the local life and culture. I eat it up (pun intended). Especially when traveling to another country. I choose to fumble through different languages and areas of towns in every foreign city I can manage to visit. I also don’t care for a set plan to dictate where and how much time I’m to be somewhere. Understandably, some see this lack of planning as an unimaginable concept to grasp. The conversation about why I don’t care for a plan rarely goes past the shock of not having a plan. Because how could I have a plan behind not having a plan? Heres my plan. Not having a plan produces really, really good food. Walk down a street you didn’t plan on walking down, pass a cafe you don’t know, and voila! You’re eating the best food of your life. Thats the plan. More importantly, it allows some time to be accidentally spent with local, normal people who inhabit the countries we dream of visiting. Alessandro from the Palio, Dreamy Boy Wonder of Montepulciano for example.
Before arriving in Cinque Terre, we knew that seeing these lands from the sea was a must. Rebekah hopped online and it didn’t take long to find plenty of boat tours for hire.
Cinque Terre National Park took away the ability for foreigners to rent and operate their own boat, like you would rent a car, enjoying the scenery at your own pace. We learned this is to maintain and preserve the natural landscape while promoting sustainable tourism. That makes sense. Good for them! Though not publically stated, I believe Italy has a secondary reason for this. I envision somewhere a library worth of complaints from sweet nonnas enjoying their peaceful, beautiful day suspended high above the Ligurian Sea. Around the corner comes huge, tattooed Americans speeding down the coast, cell phones out, while a guy named Mason yells “Hold my beer!” and pulls a gainer strait into the wake thats flooding the shoreline. Half the boat screams with excitement while recording, while the other half (also recording) sings along to “Buy Me A Boat” that’s blasted over the speakers. Or was it “Knee Deep”? Mmm, motorboatin'.
In Cinque Terre, more specifically, the Gulf of La Spezia is Davide Ramoretti and Didi Boat. Davide is the skipper and host to boat tours throughout the 5 Terre (Cinque Terre), Lerici, and Porto Venere.
Davide is unique in a way that other boats for hire aren’t. He’s a local with his own boat. He was born here. He lives here. He doesn’t show up and work for the summer months under a hotel or company that pays him a wage. He does it because he wants to share his love for the very place that bred him.
Since our wonderful day with Davide, Didi boat, and the Ligurian Sea, he and I message back and forth sporadically. He has a solid presence online and on social media, so I thought I would ask him a few questions that I couldn’t find online.
How did the name Didi come about?
The name was given by the former owner whose name was Davide like me, but his daughter was called Diletta and her friends called her Didi... I immediately liked it and saw a connection with my name.”
How long have you owned Didi boat?
I have owned her since September 2019. She was purchased with my former life partner. The idea was to use it for us but also for the business.
Your mother - who makes delicious food - what is her name? What is her favorite thing to cook?
My mother is Simonetta. She loves cooking vegetable pies with hand-made puff pastry, meatballs with sauce, homemade pasta, and many other things... she is very good at cooking and my father's mother taught her to cook when she was still alive.
Pause here, please…
This is the perfect time to mention an important detail about what happens when you book Davide. His mother, Simonetta, sends him on each boat tour with lunch provided. She’s not swinging by Chipotle for three burrito bowls and a Diet Coke. You heard him…
“Vegetable pies with hand-made puff pastry, meatballs with sauce, homemade pasta, AND many other things…”
*Not in the video - many other things (shoutout to that homemade focaccia)
Has business been good?
Yes, this year went very well and allowed me to leave my job as an employee at the port of La Spezia. I hope it always goes like this.
Are you having fun with it?
Having fun isn't always easy because you're working, but you definitely meet lots of interesting people like you!
What is your favorite boat tour and why?
My favorite boat tour is the 4-hour one departing from Lerici.
We visit Portovenere, the islands, take one, two, or three dives in the most beautiful places, have lunch together, and visit the beautiful village of Tellaro. In 4 hours there is everything you need. ☺️
“In 4 hours, there is everything you need.”
Davide & Didi Boat
Ohh no I just realized that this newsletter was released last January, are you guys going to do any more newsletters? I would love to see them!